Gooch Leads DeChambeau, Howell In Tight Field After Round 2 Of LIV Golf Korea

Talor Gooch calls Asiad Country Club a shot-maker’s course. The OKGC captain showed Friday why it’s a terrific fit for his game. Gooch shot a 7-under 63 in the second round of LIV Golf Korea to grab the 36-hole lead at 8 under, one shot ahead of Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau. Five players are tied for third at 5 under – Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent, 4Aces GC’s Thomas Pieters and Crushers GC’s Charles Howell III. Gooch’s OKGC team, playing just their second tournament since a name change and rebrand, have a one-stroke lead at 14 under over the Crushers, with Ripper GC in third. For Gooch, the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Champion, it was the eighth time he’s shot a round of 63 or better in LIV Golf and the seventh time he’s held the 36-hole lead. He’ll enter this weekend looking for his fifth individual title; two of his previous titles have come at Valderrama, the host course at next week’s LIV Golf Andalucia and another shot-maker’s layout. It appears he’s finding his form at just the right time. “I wish I could say it’s as easy as picking a time to play great because if I could do that, I would just do it all the time,” he said. Gooch opened the 2026 season with four top-20 finishes but finished T43 and T39 in his last two starts. On Friday, he produced eight birdies, starting with a chip-in on his second hole, the par-4 ninth. He birdied six of his last eight holes to surge into the lead. “The game still doesn’t feel great, but we’re working hard, and we’re working in the right direction,” said Gooch, who entered the week ranked 29th in points but is projected to move to fifth with a win. “… Hopefully we can just kind of keep it going and get this train rolling.” DeChambeau, the 18-hole co-leader, shot a 2-under 68 that included 11 pars in his final 12 holes. He hit just 8 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation. “My putting saved me today,” he said. “I felt like I was hitting it really well yesterday, driving it well, and today just kind of went sideways.” Even so, he’s still in contention, one of the few big hitters among the majority of shot-makers at the top of the leaderboard. “It’s a testament to how great of a golfer Bryson is to be able to play bomber’s paradises and then this course is a little bit more of a shot-maker’s course,” Gooch said. “It’s a fun course, and it’s just another example that a course doesn’t have to be 8,000 yards to be a good test.” Home favorites Korean Golf Club are in solo seventh, led by newcomer Doyeob Mun, who shot his second consecutive 68 to join Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia in a tie for eighth. That leaves him just four shots off the pace on a course in which he’s very familiar with while competing on the KPGA Tour. Mun is making the most of his opportunity after a spot opened up due to the team’s roster shakeup. “I’ve actually never imagined that I would win, but if I do, this week would definitely be magical,” said Mun, the current KPGA Tour points leader. “So being able to actually play LIV Golf and getting a seat, that was super lucky, but also playing with all these giants, neck to neck, shoulder to shoulder, it will have been a memorable week. Let’s see how I play tomorrow.” TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS Individual Top 10 1 (-8) – Talor Gooch, OKGC (69-63) 2 (-7) – Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (65-68) T3 (-5) – Cameron Smith, Ripper (67-68); Joaquin Niemann, Torque (66-69); Thomas Pieters, 4Aces (66-69); Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (65-70); Charles Howell III, Crushers (65-70) T8 (-4) – Doyeob Mun, Korean (68-68); Sergio Garcia, Fireballs (67-69) T10 (-3) – Marc Leishman, Ripper (69-68); Lucas Herbert, Ripper (71-66); Harold Varner III, OKGC (71-66) Team Top 3 1 (-14) – OKGC (Gooch 69-63, Kokrak 68-70, McDowell 68-71, Varner III 68-69; Rd. 2 total: -7) 2 (-13) – Crushers GC (DeChambeau 65-68, Howell III 65-70, Lahiri 68-73, Smyth 72-66; Rd. 2 total: -3) 3 (-11) – Ripper GC (Smith 67-68, Leishman 69-68, Herbert 71-66; Smylie 71-69; Rd. 2 total: -9) ROUND 2 NOTES POSITIVE SIGNS FOR SMITH: Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith tied for eighth earlier this month at the PGA Championship, breaking his string of six consecutive missed cuts in a major. It was an encouraging result, especially given his recent coaching change to work with Claude Harmon III. Now he’s in contention through 36 holes at LIV Golf Korea, another positive sign. Asked how much the result at Aronimink meant to him, Smith replied: “I think it just solidified what we’re doing technically, and being able to go out there and give it a nudge on Sunday and feel comfortable was good. I wasn’t really expecting that on Sunday there. “It was massive for my confidence. It’s what I needed. I’m not naïve to think that there’s still not a long way to go because I think there is.” NIEMANN MOVES INTO CONTENTION: Through the first seven tournaments last season, Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann already had three wins (he would ultimately win five times). After seven starts this season, Niemann remains in search of his first win of 2026. He put himself in position to chase another tournament title – he’s won a league-best seven in his career – with a 1-under 69 that leaves him at 5 under and tied for third. “The game is great,” said Niemann, who at age 27 is the league’s youngest captain. “It’s a good challenge to be out here in Korea in front of this crowd, which is a lot of fun. Always love playing in Asia; I’m excited for the weekend.” Niemann understands the ups and downs of golf results, and he knows trying to duplicate last season is going to be difficult. “I went through a lot of pretty high highs last year and it’s hard to come back after that,” he said. “I feel like it’s been good learning. I’ve been through a few changes on the team and in my game and different stuff that I was looking for, and then I figured out that I didn’t need to look for anything. “Here we are, chasing the same direction, and I think it was a good time for me to learn and grow.” VINCENT’S HYFLYERS VIBE: Scott Vincent is playing his third tournament as a replacement in the HyFlyers GC lineup for captain Phil Mickelson. He’s already provided the team with its two best individual results of the season and is on pace for another strong finish this weekend. The move from independent Wild Card to a team roster has certainly been a positive for last year’s International Series champion. On the flip side, the opportunity was created because Mickelson, a World Golf Hall of Famer and six-time major champion, has been absent due to family matters. “Not having Phil here is a big loss, not just for the team but for everyone,” Vincent said. “I think his presence is so important. I admire and look up to him so much. I’ve gotten to play with him one or two times and by far two of my favorite rounds as a professional. “I really hope he gets back out here soon. It’ll just be good for everyone. Of course I want to keep playing for the team, but I want him to be here more than that. “But what’s been really cool is you just see the players in the team right now, like the older players, Cameron [Tringale] and Steeley [Brendan Steele], step up and play that leadership role in the team. They’re doing such a good job of that. It’s just cool to see how people kind of step into those positions, as well. “Long way of saying, it would be great to have Phil back.” GOOCH ON NEW-LOOK OKGC: Talor Gooch, in his first year as a LIV Golf captain, was instrumental in having his team rebranded to celebrate his Oklahoma roots. This week’s LIV Golf Korea is just the second tournament since the change from Smash GC became official, and they’re in pole position through 36 holes to chase a team trophy this weekend. “I’ve gotten 100 texts from people asking where to buy gear, where they can get a hat or a polo or whatever,” Gooch said. “So, it’s been great. At the couple of courses I play back home, everyone points out what a cool logo it is, how cool the gear looks, how exciting it is, when are we going to get a tournament in Oklahoma, all those things. It’s been cool. And I got to play golf with a couple of the [Oklahoma City] Thunder players last week, and they were asking for some gear, too. “It’s exciting back home, and we’re excited to just keep building.” RAHM NOW AT 40: Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm, the reigning two-time LIV Golf Individual Champion and current points leader, posted his 40th consecutive round of par or better with a 2-under 68. He moved into a 10-player tie for 13th at 2 under. HOWELL GOES LONG: For the first time in his LIV Golf career, Charles Howell III posted the longest drive of the day. The Crushers GC veteran blasted a drive of 334.8 yards at the par-4 11th, one of the two holes in which measured drives were counted. Howell, one of the 18-hole co-leaders, shot an even-par 70 and is now tied for third. STATS LEADERS Round 2 Driving Distance: Matthew Wolff, 315.9-yard avg. Longest Drive: Charles Howell III, 334.8 yards (11th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 11 and 12. Driving Accuracy: Talor Gooch, Ben Campbell, Jason Kokrak, Younghan Song, Elvis Smylie, Abraham Ancer, 85.71% (12 of 14) Greens in Regulation: Joaquin Niemann, 83.33% (15 of 18) Scrambling: Richard Bland (8 of 8), Elvis Smylie (4 of 4), 100% Fewest Putts: Bryson DeChambeau, Yosuke Asaji, 22 Bogey-free rounds: none Cumulative Driving Distance: Matthew Wolff, 313.8-yard avg. Driving Accuracy: Talor Gooch, Charles Howell III, Ben Campbell, 82.14% (23 of 28) Greens in Regulation: Joaquin Niemann, 80.56% (29 of 36) Scrambling: Richard Bland (15 of 17), 88.24% Fewest Putts: Bryson DeChambeau, 51 This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf