MEXICO CITY – After one last mighty lash into the thin air at LIV Golf Mexico City, Bryson DeChambeau pumped both arms, celebrated with his fans – and took the solo lead after Friday’s highly entertaining opening round at Club de Golf Chapultepec. The Crushers GC Captain birdied his final hole, the 396-yard par-4 first, by driving the green and two-putting from 35 feet, providing the finishing touch on an 8-under 63 that leaves him one stroke ahead of two other captains, Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm and Ripper GC’s Cameron Smith. RELATED: Leaderboard | Where to watch The Crushers and Rippers are tied for the team lead at 15 under, six shots clear of Smash GC.

DeChambeau, seeking his first LIV Golf win since 2023, averaged 367 yards on his 14 drives Friday, including two drives of 400-plus yards. His final drive at the first hole traveled 372.9 yards. The 63 is his lowest-ever opening round in LIV Golf.

“It was fun hitting the ball far,” DeChambeau said. “Fun to finish off with a nice bang on the last hole.” In all, the field produced 11 drives of 400 yards or longer in the 7,900-foot elevation, with Smash Captain Brooks Koepka having the longest drive at 435 yards on the 11th hole. There were 66 more drives between 370 and 399 yards, giving the Mexico City fans plenty to cheer for during LIV Golf’s debut appearance in the nation’s capital.

“It’s always been exciting around here,” said RangeGoats GC Captain Bubba Watson, who is in solo fourth after a 5-under 66. “They love their sports. I’m glad they come out to watch us play golf and watch some of these guys hit it pretty far.” DeChambeau started his day by driving the 316-yard par-4 second and holing a 22-foot putt for eagle.

He followed with birdies on the next two holes, and also a birdie at the par-5 seventh (with a 379-yard drive) to move to 5 under after six holes. But any thoughts of another sub-60 round disappeared during the next eight holes in which he played even par.