FIREBALLS GC UNABLE TO GET MUCH FROM SOLID OUTING IN VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – Fireballs GC experienced in Las Vegas what many teams in LIV Golf have before them. Such is the format of the team championships, solid counting rounds on any given day just isn’t enough. A couple of low rounds, every day, is a mandatory requirement to make a mark on the leaderboard.
At LIV Golf Las Vegas, captain Sergio Garcia (even-par) and his men (Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Eugenio Chacarra, all 1-over) battled hard in the final round in tricky conditions as only 16 players broke par, but that wasn’t enough to make a difference on the leaderboard.
Or, take the opening round for instance. Puig shot a 67, which was matched by Ancer and Chacarra contributed 68 for a solid day. And yet, at 8-under par, they were already seven shots behind leaders RangeGoats and five behind the fourth-placed 4Aces.
The 67s by Puig and Ancer, matched on Friday by Puig again in the second round, was the lowest round for Fireballs during the tournament.
With team totals of 8-under, 7-under and 3-over, Fireballs just managed to sneak into the points at eighth place. Puig, at 5-under par, was their best individual player, tied for the 15th place.
The one point earned takes Fireballs season’s tally to 5 and in 9th place overall, but they will be looking forward to the next stop in Jeddah, where they won the team championship last year.
David Puig – T15th – 67-67-71-205 (5-under)
The 22-year-old Arizona State University alum once showcased his massive talent with a tied 15th place finish that could have been much better if not for a bogey late in the final round on the par-5 first hole, which played the easiest of 18 at Las Vegas Country Club.
The wiry Puig hit the longest drive on the final day – a 328-yard bomb – but it was the putter that was his friend throughout the week as he finished sixth in the stat category with total 83 putts.
Puig opened his individual points account, moving to tied 24th place with 2.66 points.
Abraham Ancer – T21st – 67-68-71-206 (4-under)
The Mexican star started his final round with three straight bogeys, but came back strongly with a solid display after that to close with a 71 after rounds of 3- and 2-under on the first two days.
Ancer was fourth in fairways found during the week (29) and tied 7th in greens in regulations, which bodes well for the upcoming LIV Golf Jeddah, on a golf course where he has won the Saudi Invitational before against a stacked field.
The finish helped him gather his first individual points of the season, moving to tied 34th place at 0.8.
Sergio Garcia – T26th – 69-68-70-207 (3-under)
A week after his heart-breaking playoff loss in LIV Golf Mayakoba, the 44-year-old Captain put together a solid performance at LVCC without being spectacular.
Garcia opened with a 1-under 69, and then added a 68 on the second day. In Saturday’s final round, he shot a 70 that could have been a lot better if not for two double bogeys – on the par-4 3rd and the difficult par-4 9th holes.
Eugenio Chacarra – T30th – 68-69-71-208 (2-under)
Chacarra showed his grit, especially in the second round when he made three straight birdies after opening with three bogeys in the first seven holes, but one eagle and just two birdies in the first and third rounds did not allow him to push harder. The 23-year-old Oklahoma State University star ended tied 30th and is yet to earn any individual points in his first two starts.
STAT REVIEW
Field ranking in parentheses
Fairways Hit
Puig – 25 (T25)
Ancer – 29 (T4)
Garcia – 26 (T19)
Chacarra – 23 (T29)
Greens in Regulation
Puig – 36 (T34)
Ancer – 41 (T7)
Garcia – 37 (T28)
Chacarra – 41 (T7)
Total Putts
Puig – 83 (T6)
Ancer – 89 (T31)
Garcia – 86 (T17)
Chacarra – 93 (T52)
Total Birdies
Puig – 14 (T8)
Ancer – 13 (T13)
Garcia – 11 (T25)
Chacarra – 6 (53)
Driving Distance Avg.
Puig – 289.7 (36)
Ancer – 284.9 (49)
Garcia – 308.4 (4)
Chacarra – 308.5 (3)