Carlos Ortiz and Adrian Meronk set the pace for the LIV Golf group at the BMW International Open, each opening with a 5-under 67 on Thursday in Munich. Both were tied for 12th after the first round and went into Friday two shots off the lead.
Ortiz had the cleaner card. The Torque GC player made six birdies and one bogey in his 67, enough to stay within striking distance as the tournament sorted out its early order on Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Germany.
Munich leaderboard
Ten LIV Golf players were in the field, and the next-best scores behind Ortiz and Meronk came from Joaquin Niemann and Sebastion Munoz, who posted 4-under 68s and were tied for 22nd. Josele Ballester followed with a 3-under 69 and sat tied for 39th.
Abraham Ancer opened with a 2-under 70 and was tied for 67th, while Sergio Garcia's 1-under 71 left him tied for 94th. The spread among the group was already wide after one round, with the opening leaderboard separating the fast starts from the players who now need a sharper Friday.
Golfclub Munchen Eichenried
The course itself gives little away. Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is a par 72 that plays at 7,284 yards, with water on 10 holes, two half-island greens and 90 bunkers. It opened in 1989, and its slow greens reward strong tee-to-green play and steady putting more than flash.
That setup suits players who can keep the ball in position and convert chances once they reach the green. On day one, Ortiz and Meronk did exactly that better than the rest of the LIV Golf contingent, while Niemann, Munoz and Ballester kept themselves in the chase.
Sergio Garcia and West Lancashire
Garcia's opening round carried a sharper edge because he has twice finished runner-up at the BMW International Open. This year, he started at 1-under 71 and sat well behind the leaders, a reminder that past form in Munich does not guarantee the same position on the board.
He is also set for Tuesday at West Lancashire for Open qualifying, which adds another layer to a week that already asks him to manage two events on different tracks. For Ortiz and Meronk, the task is simpler: make up two strokes and hold the position they earned on Thursday.
