Thomas Detry admitted feeling a bit nervous entering his LIV Golf debut on Wednesday. So did Elvis Smylie, another of the league\u2019s newcomers. But their opening-round performances under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club showed they\u2019re both ready to make some serious noise this season.<\/p>\n
Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 to grab a share of the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh lead with LIV Golf veteran Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC. Smylie, the 23-year-old rising star who joined the all-Australian Ripper GC, carded a 66 that left him in solo third.<\/p>\n
The two were among 10 players \u2013 eight full-timers and two reserves \u2013 playing their first-ever LIV Golf rounds. Byeong Hun An, the new captain of the Korean Golf Club, also sparkled in his debut, shooting 67 to join a group of six players tied for fourth. HyFlyers GC\u2019s Michael La Sasso shot 69 in his pro debut as the league\u2019s youngest player at age 21.<\/p>\n
Torque GC grabbed the team lead at 15 under, with the all-South African Southern Guards GC two shots behind. Defending Riyadh champions and reigning LIV Golf Team Champions Legion XIII are in solo third at 11 under.<\/p>\n
Detry and Smylie each hit 10 fairways, tying for best in the field, while Detry also was tied for the lead in greens in regulation, hitting 17 of 18. He prepared for playing at night by practising under the lights with his coach in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst day on the job, so a little bit of a change for me, so a bit nervous,\u201d said the Belgian, whose most recent win was in February last year on the PGA Tour. \u201cI drove it so well out there, it made my job pretty easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smylie suffered a bogey on his second hole before finding his rhythm. Five of his seven birdies came on par 4s, tying new Smash GC Captain Talor Gooch for most by any other player on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there was a little bit of nerves and excitement, but I think I showed what I\u2019m capable of today \u2013 or tonight, I should say,\u201d Smylie said.<\/p>\n
While Detry and Smylie were making LIV Golf starts No. 1, Uihlein was making start No. 51 as one of eight original players who have started every tournament since LIV Golf debuted in London in 2022.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Tabuena earns Riyadh call-up for Dustin Johnson\u2019s 4Aces GC<\/a><\/p>\n He remains in search of his first LIV Golf win, although he won two International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2024. Those were each 72-hole tournaments, and Uihlein hopes LIV Golf\u2019s format switch from 54 holes to 72 starting this season will prove beneficial to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not scared of a blowup every now and then on a hole in particular, so now I have more holes to make it up,\u201d Uihlein said. \u201cI think it\u2019s going to benefit me long-term, which is nice.\u201d<\/p>\n Gooch is among the group lurking at 5 under. He\u2019s won four individual titles and the 2023 season-long Individual Championship, all in the previous 54-hole format. He and the other veteran LIV Golf players have had to adjust their mindset.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely has a totally different vibe,\u201d Gooch said. \u201cOnly 18 more holes, it\u2019s not that vastly different. But even on the range when we were about to go, I was giving everybody a little fist bump and said, \u2018Let\u2019s go get it,\u2019 and Harold (Varner III, his new Smash teammate) said, \u2018Hey, don\u2019t come out the gate sprinting. It\u2019s not a sprint anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n It remains serious business, though, especially with a bevvy of newcomers in the expanded 57-player field determined to make a quick impression even while getting used to LIV Golf\u2019s energetic tournament days.<\/p>\n \u201cI think even with the concerts and the entertainment outside of the golf, that\u2019s something that I\u2019m really enjoying,\u201d Smylie said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m really thriving in an environment like that, and it\u2019s great to start my LIV career here in Riyadh.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media<\/p>\n