Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Bryson DeChambeau and Charles Howell III battled to the end last year at LIV Golf Korea and they have picked up where they left off with Sam Vincent joining them for the ride.
The three players each recorded a five-under-par 65 to spring the top of the leaderboard of this season’s Korea event at Asiad Country Club in Busan, South Korea on Thursday.
Australia’s Cameron Smith was handily poised just two shots behind the leaders in a tie for seventh place.
The joint leaders have a one-stroke lead over Ian Poulter, Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters, with four players two shots back and a packed group of 12 at two-under-par.
Vincent built his round on five birdies, including two of his final three holes, while defending champion DeChambeau and Howell had some ups and downs.
DeChambeau made the turn at five-under and added a birdie at No. 10. But he played the final eight at one-over with bogeys at holes 13 and 15 and a birdie at 16.
Howell, DeChambeau’s Crushers GC teammate, played the first five holes at even par and followed with an adventure of an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys to reach three-under. He made birdie on the final two holes to finish in the three- way tie.
Although DeChambeau could not keep the pace of his sizzling first 10 holes, he nonetheless was pleased with his play on an unfamiliar course. LIV Golf Korea was held at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon in 2025.
“I guess Charles and I love Korea. We both played well today, played well last year,” DeChambeau said.
“It’s a tricky golf course. … If you’re strategic and you execute good shots, you can make some birdies. Your ball-striking has to be premier; you can’t fake it around here.”
DeChambeau said his round was impacted by the bogeys on the par-three 13th hole, where his drive overshot the green and left him to three-putt and at 15. At that par-five, 601-yard hole, his second shot landed in the water.
“I felt like being six-under through 10, I felt like something special was happening, and I simmered off, but still played some great golf. Surprised that I didn’t go deeper,” he said.
Behind DeChambeau and Howell, Crushers took the team lead at 10-under, three strokes ahead of OKGC. That was a mixed blessing for Howell.
“Well, team-wise, it’s wonderful. Individual-wise, it’s terrible. Team-wise I love him up there at the top. Individually I wish he was at the bottom,” Howell said.
“Obviously Bryson, more weeks than not, he plays extremely well, and if my name is near his, I’m usually doing something pretty good.”
Vincent shot the only bogey-free round of the day to give him a share of the lead for the first time in his LIV career.
Aussie Marc Leishman finished one-under, four shots off the front-runners, with compatriots Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie one over.
