Tom McKibbin and Graeme McDowell are well placed after the opening round of LIV Golf Korea at Asiad Country Club, while Bryson DeChambeau is part of a three-way tie for the lead.
McDowell, who started on the fifth, birdied the 10th – his sixth hole – but found himself on one-over with four to play after back-to-back bogeys on 13 and 14. He then produced a grandstand finish, birdieing the first, third and final hole to climb into a share of 11th place where he joined fellow Irishman Tom McKibbin.
The Holywood man has struggled for consistency this season, but he too made four birdies – including one on the 17th which was his final hole, and two bogeys and both men are just three shots off the lead on a tightly packed leaderboard.
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 in Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, with DeChambeau finishing with two late birdies to seal the win.
Although a different course and location this week, the two again find themselves at the top of the LIV Golf Korea leaderboard after Thursday’s first round at – only this time they have company.
DeChambeau and Howell share the first-round lead with HyFlyers GC’s Scott Vincent after they each shot a 5-under 65. Three players are tied for fourth, one shot back – Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, Majesticks GC Co-Captain Ian Poulter and 4Aces GC’s Thomas Pieters. Four players are 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.
The home favorites Korean Golf Club produced one of their best performances of the season. Younghan Song and newcomer Doyeob Mun each shot 68 to join a large group tied for 11th while the team is tied for fifth at 3 under.
DeChambeau had the solo lead for most of the round as he birdied six of his first 10 holes. But he fell back to the pack with bogeys at the 13th and 15th holes.
“After I birdied 10 I was thinking to myself, okay, this could be special if I keep it going,” DeChambeau said. “I just got cool. I hit a great shot on 13. Just flew a lot longer than I wanted and three-putted consequently. Hit some good shots on the next hole, didn’t get rewarded, and then same thing on 15, the par-5, that really derailed me a bit.
“But I stuck it back at it on 16 and just kept pushing through, persevered. Made birdie on 16. Two good swings on 17, two okay swings on 18 and just didn’t really have anything else happen and just kind of simmered down.
“It’s always fun when you get going hot because then you think to yourself, could this be another 59, 58 round.
“It was still a great round of golf and very happy with the way I played.”
Howell’s round was ignited by an eagle 2 from 108 yards on the par-4 second, while Scott Vincent posted the only bogey-free round of the day.
Crushers GC won the team title last year in Korea and are on top of the team leaderboard again after shooting a cumulative 10 under. The team is playing without one of its regular members, Paul Casey, who suffered an injury and has been replaced by reserve Travis Smyth. Smyth shot a 2-over 72 while Anirban Lahiri shot a 2-under 68.
The recently rebranded OKGC is solo second at 7 under, with the HyFlyers GC and Fireballs GC tied for third at 5 under.
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