Co-leader Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC in action during the first round of LIV Golf Korea at Asiad Country Club on Thursday in Busan, South Korea. Image courtesy LIV Golf.
From a Correspondent
Busan, South Korea: Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau and teammate Charles Howell III battled for the individual title in LIV Golf’s first visit to Korea last year outside Seoul, with DeChambeau finishing with two late birdies for the win.
It’s a different course and location this week at Asiad Country Club, but the two again find themselves at the top of the LIV Golf Korea leaderboard after Thursday’s first round – only this time they have company.
DeChambeau and Howell shared the first-round lead with HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent on 5 under par 65.
One shot back were Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann, Majesticks GC co-captain Ian Poulter (who is playing with a torn meniscus) and 4Aces GC’s Thomas Pieters.
Four more players were tied for seventh at 3 under – Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith, Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia, Southern Guards GC’s Charl Schwartzel and the Majesticks’ Laurie Canter.
Home favourites Korean Golf Club produced arguably their best performance of the season.
Younghan Song and new addition Doyeob Mun each shot 68 to join a large group tied for 11th while the team were tied for fifth at 3 under.
Happy memory
DeChambeau was happy that he and Howell could rekindle their efforts from last year, when they shared the lead going into the final three holes in what proved to be a riveting battle among teammates.
“I guess Charles and I love Korea,” he said.
Howell was pleased too, although he knows DeChambeau – already a two-time winner this season on LIV Golf and second to Jon Rahm in the season-long points race – will be tough to dethrone.
“Team-wise, it’s wonderful. Individual-wise, it’s terrible,” Howell said. “Team-wise, I love him up there at the top. Individually, I wish he was at the bottom.
“Obviously Bryson, more weeks than not, he plays extremely well, and if my name is near his, I’m usually doing something pretty good.”
DeChambeau had the solo lead for most of Thursday’s round as he birdied six of his first 10 holes.
But he fell back into the pack with bogeys at 13 when he three-putted after his approach flew 12 yards too long, and the par-5 15th when he found the water.
“Being 6 under through 10, I felt like something special was happening,” DeChambeau said. “I simmered off but still played some great golf. Surprised that I didn’t go deeper.”
Catching fire
Howell’s round was ignited by an eagle 2 from 108 yards on the par-4 second. “When the ball disappeared, I thought I had one-hopped it over the green, but obviously the cheering said otherwise,” he said. “I’ll take those. They don’t happen often.”
Vincent posted the only bogey-free round of the day, a continuation of a recent surge that started when he moved from a wild card to the HyFlyers’ lineup as a replacement for captain Phil Mickelson.
The Zimbabwean finished solo fourth in Mexico City and tied for eighth in Virginia, the team’s two best individual performances this season.
Now he shares the lead for the first time after any round in his LIV Golf career.
“I don’t know what it is, but the second I joined them, my game just went up,” said Vincent, who earned his spot this season after winning the 2025 International Series season-long title. “It’s been amazing.”
Crushers won the team title last year in Korea and were on top of the team leaderboard after shooting a cumulative 10 under.
The team are without regular member Paul Casey, who suffered an injury and has been replaced by reserve Travis Smyth. Smyth shot a 2 over 72 while Anirban Lahiri returned a 68.
The recently rebranded OKGC were solo second at 7 under, with the HyFlyers and Fireballs are tied for third at 5 under.
Extended run
Meanwhile, Legion XIII captain Rahm, the reigning two-time individual champion set off Thursday on a streak of 38 consecutive rounds of par or better in LIV Golf.
That streak was in jeopardy for most of the day, as he was 3 over through 13 holes and had yet to post a birdie.
But he ended his round with three birdies in his final five holes, including a birdie putt from 14 feet on his final hole, to shoot an even-par 70.
Rahm, who has never finished lower than 11th in any LIV Golf tournament that he’s completed, is part of a 11-way tie for 27th. (courtesy LIV Golf)
Leaderboards
Individual Top 10
T1 (-5) – Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (65); Charles Howell III, Crushers (65); Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (65)
T4 (-4) – Ian Poulter, Majesticks (66); Joaquin Niemann, Torque (66); Thomas Pieters, 4Aces (66)
T7 (-3) – Cameron Smith, Ripper (67); Sergio Garcia, Fireballs (67); Charl Schwartzel, Southern Guards (67); Laurie Canter, Majesticks (67)
Team Top 3
1. (-10) – Crushers GC (DeChambeau 65, Howell III 65, Lahiri 68, Smyth 72)
2. (-7) – OKGC (Kokrak 68, McDowell 68, Varner III 68, Gooch 69)
T3 (-5) – HyFlyers GC (Vincent 65, La Sasso 68, Steele 70, Tringale 72)
T3 (-5) – Fireballs GC (Garcia 67, Masaveu 68, Puig 70, Ballester 70)
Day 1 stats
Driving Distance: Josele Ballester, 317.3-yard avg.
Longest Drive: Doyeob Mun, 363.7 yards (11th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 11 and 12.
Driving Accuracy: Charles Howell III, Tom McKibbin, 86.71% (12 of 14)
Greens in Regulation: Harold Varner III, 88.89% (16 of 18)
Scrambling: Scott Vincent (7 of 7), Josele Ballester (5 of 5), 100%
Fewest Putts: Scott Vincent, Thomas Pieters, 24
Bogey-free rounds: Scott Vincent (65)
Also read: Herbert wins maiden LIV title in Virginia as the 4Aces prevail
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