Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson start well in Saudi-backed rebel circuit debut

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I was hoping to leave you with a rundown of how the leaderboard looks after day one. Alas, I cannot find one - LIV Golf's website doesn't even have one. I am not sure 'the new era of golf' was supposed to lack the basic ability to see who's winning, or maybe it was...

A 'new era' in golf has begun and as expected the events outside the ropes were more dramatic than what we saw inside them. 

As James Corrigan writes:

The PGA Tour has banned members who are competing in the Saudi rebel circuit’s opening event here, timing the email sent out to all the players to coincide with their opening tee shots at the Hertfordshire course. 

While the LIV Golf Series was busy billing the shotgun start at 2.15pm as a milestone in the game’s history, then Jay Monahan’s decisive action across the Atlantic can also be viewed as a seminal moment in this saga. 

Isn't holding back on the hyperbole...

"This has been an historic day not just for golf but for sport in general."

"Course and conditions were tough but feel I am swinging it well...I need to tighten up the misses so looking forward to the next couple of days."

The South African gradually crept up the leaderboard and sits on top of it on five-under. 

And the two Big Names have been outscored by the unheralded Zimbabwean Scott Vincent. 

Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson both finished on one-under, while Vincent was a shot better on two-under. 

On commentary continues with the men on the mics telling us about the music that will follow the round.

"James Morrison and James Bay are two immensely talented musicians."

They may well be but do