Gooch grabs 36-hole lead at LIV Golf Korea as DeChambeau lurks

American golfer Talor Gooch shot a second-round 63 Friday to move to 8-under par and claim the 36-hole lead at LIV Golf Korea, leaving defending champion Bryson DeChambeau one shot back at Asiad Country Club in Busan.

The result sets up a winner-take-all final round with $4 million on the line for the individual champion — a contest drawing keen interest from Korean and Korean-American golf fans watching from afar.

Gooch, a four-time LIV Golf winner chasing his first victory since July 2025, delivered his best golf late in the round, making five birdies across his final seven holes. He finished with eight birdies against a single bogey on the par-70, 7,024-yard Asiad layout, according to The Korea Times.

"I hit a lot of shots close and made a bunch of putts," Gooch said. "It was one of those days where everything was clicking."

Gooch also credited improvement from his opening round: "I played well yesterday. I just didn't get the putter going, so it was good to get the putter going. It's a fun course and it's just another example that the course doesn't have to be 8,000 yards to be a good test."

DeChambeau, the reigning champion, stayed within striking distance with a 68 — three birdies, one bogey and eight consecutive pars — to sit at 7-under heading into the final day. Five players share third place at 5-under, including Sergio Garcia and 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith.

Korean rookie Mun Do-yeob, who joined the field replacing Danny Lee, finished as the top domestic player at 4-under. He was bogey-free through 14 holes before two late dropped shots trimmed his position.

Gooch's team OKGC leads the team standings at 14-under overall, putting the squad on course to contest the $3 million prize split among four players.

The final round is scheduled for Saturday at Asiad Country Club in Busan, with Gooch and DeChambeau set to battle for the $4 million individual prize and OKGC eyeing the team title as well.