Bryson DeChambeau, Talor Gooch share lead at LIV Golf Korea

Bryson DeChambeau and Talor Gooch share the lead at 7-under at LIV Golf South Korea after the opening 18 on Friday.

DeChambeau was bogey-free on the Jack Nicklaus Golf Membership in Incheon, South Korea, dropping a birdie putt on the ultimate gap to finish the primary spherical atop the leaderboard alongside Gooch, the 2023 particular person champion on the circuit who has been rounding into type of late.

Gooch rode separate streaks of three consecutive birdies over an eight-hole stretch and helped Smash GC seize the group lead. The Brooks Koepka-led crew posted a cumulative rating of 10 below to guide DeChambeau and Crushers GC by one shot.

“Yeah, it was a tricky begin to the yr,” Gooch mentioned. “The sport was fairly rusty. It has been good these previous couple occasions to indicate some life and get some good golf going once more. Hopefully this spherical form of kick-starts a very good remainder of the season and we are able to form of channel a few of that 2023 season once more.”

DeChambeau described his spherical as “grueling,” however he wielded a scorching putter to make up for what he felt was shaky iron play.

“I am excited for the weekend,” DeChambeau mentioned after watching his sixty fifth shot of the primary spherical, a 10-foot putt, discover the underside of the cup. “It’ll be a enjoyable battle.”

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen is tied for third place. He shot 66 on Thursday, and his Stinger GC is fourth in group scoring behind Rangegoats GC.

Additionally at 6 below is England’s Richard Bland. They’re two pictures away from LIV Mexico winner Joaquín Niemann (Torque GC) of Chile, who’s a part of a four-way tie for fifth.

Two gamers carded holes-in-one Friday: South Africa’s Dean Burmester on the 208-yard par-3 thirteenth and Australia’s Marc Leishman on the 172-yard, par-3 fifth gap.