Cameron Smith has blown out the cobwebs in his first start of the year to be tied for ninth after the opening round of lit-up LIV Golf Riyadh.

Australia's former world No.2 and British Open champion rebounded from an early bogey to reel off six birdies in his last 12 holes for a five-under-par 67 at Riyadh Golf Club.

With three runner-up finishes and a third in his past four starts, including a tie for second at the Saudi International in early December, Smith is once again threatening to snap a 17-month winless run.

But he must hunt down Poland's 2022 Australian Open winner Adrian Meronk, who set a cracking first-round pace on Thursday with a bogey-free 10-under 62.

Chasing his maiden LIV title after joining the breakaway tour last year, Meronk enjoys a two-stroke edge over Colombia's Sebastian Munoz.

After starting his round at the fifth hole, Meronk was eight under when he reached the 627-yard par-5 third.

Despite missing the fairway on his first two shots, he nailed his approach to 12 foot and converted his ninth birdie of the day before finishing with a 10th with a long-range putt on his last hole, the par-4 fourth.

Mixing nine birdies with a lone bogey, Munoz said he loved playing under the lights with the tournament being played late in the day local time to fit broadcast windows for LIV's new US TV partner, Fox Sports.

"I enjoyed it a lot, the experience. I felt like it was the first time we do it, and the visual and the golf ball, I really like it. It's something different, something that we're not used to it, and it's nice," Munoz said

The team lead belongs to Spanish star Jon Rahm's Legion XIII thanks to new member Tom McKibbin, who shot a seven-under 65 on his LIV debut.

The Northern Irishman is tied for third with Englishman Lee Westwood.

"I've watched this for the last couple years since it started and it's something that I've really liked to watch, something very different, something that probably appeals to more people my age," McKibbin said.

"The opportunity to get to play with these guys here and learn from some of the best players in the world week in, week out is something that appealed very, very nicely to me."

England's Tyrrell Hatton and American Caleb Surratt, also part of Legion XIII, are among a tie for fifth at six under.

Rahm had the highest round of his team, a five-under 67, giving Legion a seven-shot lead through one round at 24 under par.

Smith's 2024 championship-winning team, Ripper GC, are tied for eighth.

Marc Leishman matched his skipper's 67 while Lucas Herbert carded a 68 to be equal 15th, but Matt Jones's 74 left his team at 12 under and a dozen shots behind Legion XIII.

Smith will be back in Australia next week for the third edition of LIV Golf Adelaide.

With Reuters