BUSAN: Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, LIV Golf’s winningest individual golfer, added to his record total on Sunday at LIV Golf Korea 2026 while Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC became the league’s outright leader with the most team victories.
Niemann beat OKGC Captain Talor Gooch with a birdie on the first playoff hole for his eighth career LIV Golf individual title, three more than any other player in league history. The win is Niemann’s first in 2026 after winning five times last season.
“It was fun out there,” said the 27-year-old Niemann, the league’s youngest captain. “I really enjoy the feeling of winning again.”
Niemann and Gooch, who shared the 54-hole lead, each finished at 12 under at Asiad Country Club. Niemann had four birdies in a five-hole stretch on his front nine to take the lead, but Gooch made an 8-meter birdie putt on the 16th hole to tie for the lead during their tense back-nine battle.
In the playoff, Niemann’s approach from 137 meters finished inside 1.8 meters from the pin to set up his winning birdie putt. “I feel like every hole was kind of like a match play,” he said.
Said a disappointed Gooch, who was seeking his fifth LIV Golf individual title: “It’s frustrating when you have a chance to win. That doesn’t come too often in this game, so you want to capitalize on it.”
Crushers GC defended their LIV Golf Korea 2025 title won on a different course last year in Incheon, shooting a collective 23 under to beat OKGC by three shots.
With their second win of this season, the Crushers now have 10 regular-season victories, breaking a tie with Legion XIII and 4Aces GC for most by any team.
“Just grateful, super grateful that I’ve got amazing guys, an amazing team,” said DeChambeau, who finished solo third individually at 11 under, one shot out of a playoff. “We all click in different ways, but we all work to make our team the best out here.”
Those 10 wins have come in 50 regular-season starts since the core group of DeChambeau, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri and Paul Casey were established. Sunday’s win, however, was the first with a lineup adjustment, as reserve player Travis Smyth filled in for the injured Casey.
Smyth was critical for the team’s success, finishing in a four-way tie for eighth that also included Howell. The Australian becomes just the second reserve player to celebrate any kind of LIV Golf trophy.
Smyth said: “It's just been a whirlwind of a week … I didn’t want to be the fill-in guy that disappoints the team and stops them from standing on the podium. “I’m over the moon. I’m super-proud of myself, super-proud of these guys, and couldn’t have asked for a better first week.”
