Neimann, Gooch share lead in Busan as the Crushers stay ahead

A seven-time winner already, Torque GC captain Joaquin Neimann shared the day 3 LIV Golf Korea lead with OKGC skipper Talor Gooch at Busan on Saturday. Image courtesy LIV Golf.

From a Correspondent

Busan, South Korea: Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch have combined to win 11 LIV Golf individual titles. They enter Sunday’s final round of LIV Golf Korea in the best position to chase another trophy.

Niemann, the Torque GC captain, and Gooch, in his first season as the OKGC captain, shared the 54-hole lead at 9 under at the challenging Asiad Country Club. 

One stroke back was HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent, with Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith and Crushers GC’s Charles Howell III tied for fourth at 7 under.

Crushers captain Bryson DeChambeau, winner of last year’s LIV Golf Korea when it was held outside Seoul, suffered two late bogeys to drop into a share of sixth with 4Aces GC captain Dustin Johnson and RangeGoats GC’s Ben Campbell. 

Johnson produced the lowest round of the day, a 6 under 64.

On the team leaderboard, the Crushers – winners last season in Korea– were 16 under, one shot ahead of OKGC, playing just their second tournament since rebranding from their previous Smash GC name. 

Ripper GC were solo third at 12 under.

The individual leaderboard is stacked with winners, as eight of the top 10 have won at least one LIV Golf title. 

Winning formula

Niemann is the league’s all-time individual wins leader with seven, including five last season. 

He’s yet to win this season, though, but that might change if his putter remains as hot as it was on the back nine on Saturday when he rolled in three long birdie putts, including a big breaker from 34 feet at the 14th hole, to shoot a 4-under 66.

“Putter did behave a lot better today than the first two days, so pretty happy about that,” said the 27-year-old Niemann, the league’s youngest captain. 

“It did love me a lot. I did love it a lot, too.”

Gooch has four career LIV Golf wins, including two at LIV Golf Andalucia, the next tournament on the 2026 schedule set for next week in Spain when he will defend his title from last year. 

He entered Saturday as the solo leader after a second-round 63 in which he produced eight birdies, but he started his third round with 14 consecutive pars before posting his lone birdie at the par-5 15th for a bogey-free 69.

Staying patient

“You’ve got to stay patient and just wait for your time and hope that it comes, and it unfortunately didn’t come much today,” Gooch said. “But that’s why we stay patient. Maybe tomorrow it’ll come.”

Although both Niemann and Gooch have extensive history playing in the final group in a LIV Golf final round – this will be Gooch’s 16th time and Niemann’s 14th – Sunday will be the first time they’ve been in the same final group since LIV Golf Boston 2022.

Vincent is the third member of the final group, and he continues to thrive since joining HyFlyers GC as a reserve filling in for captain Phil Mickelson. 

The Zimbabwean shot a 3 under 67 and is now in position to chase his first individual title.

“Winning out here is not easy,” said Vincent, who has finished top 10 in each of his first two starts with the HyFlyers after starting the season as a wild card. 

“I think just big picture-wise, just putting myself in this position is just great for me, try and get better and develop as a player.”

Howell was the runner-up to DeChambeau last year, and he’s given himself another chance in Korea, thriving on this shot-maker’s course. 

Late stumble

He was a bogey-free 4 under through his first 13 holes before suffering a double-bogey in which he four-putted from 35 feet.

“Man, this place is tricky,” Howell said. “If you miss the fairway, it is really hard around here. Hole locations are quite difficult here on these corners. It’s tough to make birdies.”

Johnson had six of them in his bogey-free round. 

LIV Golf’s first season-long individual champion in 2022 posted at least one win in each of the league’s first three seasons before going winless last year. He’s anxious to get back into the winner’s circle.

So is Niemann, despite all the success he had last season.

“Last year was an exceptional year. Winning five times, it was pretty cool,” he said. “… It’s obviously a nice feeling to win, and we’re out here for that. 

“But I’m just more focused on what I’m doing now and the way I’m hitting the ball, just trying to keep chasing that trajectory that I’m seeing in my head, so that’s what I need to do.” (courtesy LIV Golf)

Leaderboards

Individual Top 10

T1 (-9) – Joaquin Niemann, Torque (66-69-66); Talor Gooch, OKGC (69-63-69)

3 (-8) – Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (65-70-67)

T4 (-7) – Charles Howell III, Crushers (65-70-68); Cameron Smith, Ripper (67-68-68)

T6 (-6) – Ben Campbell, RangeGoats (69-69-66); Dustin Johnson, 4Aces (70-70-64); Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (65-68-71)

T9 (-5) – Harold Varner III, OKGC (68-69-68); Marc Leishman, Ripper (69-68-68)

Team Top 3

1. (-16) – Crushers GC (DeChambeau 65-68-71, Howell III 65-70-68, Lahiri 68-73-70, Smyth 72-66-68)

2. (-15) – OKGC (Gooch 69-63-69, Kokrak 68-70-69, McDowell 68-71-73, Varner III 68-69-68)

3. (-12) – Ripper GC (Smith 67-68-68, Leishman 69-68-68, Herbert 71-66-69; Smylie 71-69-74)

Day 3 stats

Driving Distance: Jon Rahm, 339.4-yard avg.

Longest Drive: Jon Rahm, 379.1 yards (11th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 11 and 12.

Driving Accuracy: Cameron Smith, Ian Poulter, 85.71% (12 of 14)

Greens in Regulation: Cameron Smith, Laurie Canter, Bubba Watson, 88.89% (16 of 18)

Scrambling: Nine players tied at 100%, led by Ian Poulter (8 of 8)

Fewest Putts:Danny Lee, 23

Bogey-free rounds: Dustin Johnson (64), Ben Campbell (66), Abraham Ancer (66), Bubba Watson (67), Cameron Smith (68), Talor Gooch (69)

Also read: Talor Gooch in the lead as DeChambeau lurks at LIV Golf Korea

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