DeChambeau wins LIV Golf Korea

The two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau was crowned the inaugural winner of LIV Golf Korea on Sunday.

DeChambeau shot six-under 66 in the final round at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, to finish at 19-under after 54 holes at the first LIV Golf tournament held in South Korea.

DeChambeau, who has two U.S. Open titles and now captains the Crushers Golf Club (GC), held off his Crushers teammate Charles Howell III by two strokes for his first LIV Golf victory since September 2023.

DeChambeau grabbed US$4 million as the individual winner, and his Crushers GC received $3 million for being the top-scoring team.

DeChambeau began the final round with a four-stroke lead over the field, and Howell III sat five shots back.

Howell III made five straight birdies, starting at the 11th, to catch DeChambeau at the top. But after Howell III made bogey at the 16th, DeChambeau finished with two straight birdies for the victory. He had seven birdies, six of them on the back nine, in the final round, along with one bogey — his only bogey of the tournament.

DeChambeau said he was “pretty nervous on the front nine for whatever reason.”

“After the ninth hole, I don’t know what hit me. I just said, ‘You know what, just play like a kid again,’” he said. “And I started doing that on the back nine and striped a 3-wood on 11, gave me a lot of confidence.”

DeChambeau said he was happy with the way he played the 16th hole, even though he only made par, and said he knew “something was coming.”

“Finally on 17, just the bubble burst, and I felt really good,” he said. “Then the drive on 18, I hit a perfect drive on 18, and the wind just pumped it off left. Went in the hazard, and lucky it stayed up, but also kind of unlucky it wasn’t in the middle of the fairway, too. It kind of evened itself out by the end of it, and played some great golf. Proud of the team overall and proud of the way I stood fast in there.”

DeChambeau said throughout the week he’d become a fan of Korean food during his first trip to this country, especially “galbi,” or beef ribs. He was looking forward to having more of them in celebration Sunday night.

“I’ve got to tell you that galbi beef is amazing. I love it. I’ve had it pretty much every night,” he said. “The people … it was unbelievable this week, the response. Every single hole, there’s people wanting to get high fives and whatnot. That just makes me feel comfortable and at home. Hopefully, I’ve inspired a few people here in Korea to play golf and get a little bit better, and enjoy this great game of golf. I’ve got to say I’m looking forward to coming back. The people are great, and love the food here, too.”

Kim Min-kyu, a DP World Tour player playing as a temporary injury replacement this week, was the top South Korean player in a tie for 42nd at two-over par overall, after shooting 77 on Sunday.

Jang Yu-bin, who joined the Iron Heads GC in December as the first South Korean national in LIV Golf, couldn’t get out of his seasonlong slump as he finished tied for 48th. In seven tournaments as a LIV Golf rookie, Jang, the 2024 KPGA Korean Tour Player of the Year, has yet to finish higher than 23rd.

This was the first LIV Golf tournament held in South Korea since the Saudi Arabia-funded tour’s launch in 2022.