Niemann, Gooch Share 54-Hole Lead With Korea Title In Sight
Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch, who have combined for 11 LIV Golf individual titles, share the 54-hole lead at 9 under par heading into Sunday's final round of LIV Golf Korea at Asiad Country Club. Scott Vincent of HyFlyers GC sits one stroke back at 8 under, while Cameron Smith and Charles Howell III are tied for fourth at 7 under.
Niemann, the Torque GC captain and the circuit's all-time individual wins leader with seven, steadied his round with three long birdie putts on the back nine Saturday, capping the stretch with a 34-foot breaking putt at the 14th hole en route to 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 Chilean. "It did love me a lot. I did love it a lot, too." Niemann enters final rounds with at least a share of the lead for the sixth time on the LIV Golf circuit; he converted four of the previous five into victories. He has yet to win in 2026 after claiming five titles last season.
Gooch, in his first season as OKGC captain, held the solo lead entering Saturday after a second-round 63 that featured eight birdies. He managed just one birdie in round three - a par-5 conversion at the 15th - for a bogey-free 69. "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." The Oklahoma native, a four-time LIV Golf winner, is entering a final round with at least a share of the lead for the seventh time, having converted three of the previous six into wins. Sunday will mark the first time Niemann and Gooch have been paired together in a LIV Golf final round since LIV Golf Boston in the league's inaugural 2022 season.
Vincent, a Zimbabwe-born reserve filling in for injured HyFlyers captain Phil Mickelson, shot a 3-under 67 and is positioned to claim his first individual title after registering top-10 finishes in each of his first two starts with the team. "Winning out here is not easy," Vincent said. "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, runner-up at LIV Golf Korea last year, carded a 68 but absorbed a four-putt double bogey from 35 feet. Smith hit 12 of 14 fairways on Saturday - the best driving accuracy mark in the field - in a steady 68. Eight of the top 10 players on the leaderboard have won at least one LIV Golf title, accounting for a combined 25 victories.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who won last year's Korea event, shot a 1-over 71 after two late bogeys and dropped into a share of sixth at 6 under alongside Dustin Johnson and Ben Campbell. Johnson produced the round of the day, a 6-under 64, and is seeking his first LIV Golf title since the league's third season. In the team competition, DeChambeau's Crushers GC lead at 16 under, one shot clear of OKGC, with Ripper GC a further three back in third. Reigning two-time individual champion Jon Rahm, who entered the week as the season-long points leader, saw his streak of consecutive rounds under par end at 40 after a 1-over 71 Saturday; he enters the final round tied for 25th at 1 under. The final round at Asiad Country Club is scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. local time Sunday.
