'This is what LIV was supposed to be' - DeChambeau full of praise for tour's South African debut

The American fired an eight-under-par round to sit tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside Charles Howell III, continuing his red-hot form after claiming the title in Singapore last week.

But it was his comments after the round that underlined the significance of the first LIV Golf event being held in South Africa, where thousands of spectators turned out to show their support.

"Yeah, just to everybody out there, this is what LIV was supposed to be and is and what it can be, not only here but in the States as well," said the American, who also spent time signing autographs for hundreds of eager fans after his round.

"I hope people can see the value in what we bring to the game of golf. It's pretty awesome to see what the full product of LIV is."

His performance matched the sentiment. The 30-year-old drained a series of crucial putts to climb into a share of the lead, showing composure and confidence throughout.

"I'm trying, man. I'm fighting hard and playing some good golf, and although it's a different test, I played really well today and made some good putts," he added.

With momentum firmly behind him, DeChambeau is now well placed to challenge for back-to-back victories on the LIV Golf circuit.

While the action on the course delivered, the emotional weight of the occasion was also captured by home favourites Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, key figures in helping bring the event to South African soil.

Oosthuizen revealed how the atmosphere on the first tee left a lasting impression.

"Me and Charl just stood there talking a little bit, and I was there watching his tee shot," he said. "I was tearing up a little bit. I put my glasses on because I felt so proud, and then Charl just said he felt the same way."

Schwartzel, who teed off ahead of his compatriot, echoed those emotions.

"Very few times you get to experience in your career where your hair stands up and you get these needles going through your body," he said. "I was walking up there [on the first tee], and it was just so loud, and I started tearing up. I was like, Wow, I need to hit a tee shot but I'm busy crying."