DeChambeau Holds Commanding Lead at LIV Golf Korea

Incheon: The two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is alone at the top of the leaderboard at LIV Golf Korea with 18 holes to play. DeChambeau, the American star who captains the Crushers Golf Club (GC), shot six-under 66 on Saturday to reach 13-under after two rounds of action at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul. He leads Richard Bland of the Cleeks GC by four strokes heading into Sunday's final round. DeChambeau has not made a bogey this week.According to Yonhap News Agency, this is the first LIV Golf tournament in South Korea. Each LIV tournament is played over 54 holes with US$25 million up for grabs in prize money for 54 players -- 52 players attached to one of LIV Golf's 13 teams, plus two nonaffiliated wild card players. The individual winner takes home $4 million and the top team earns $3 million. There is no cut at LIV Golf tournaments.DeChambeau shared the opening-round lead at seven-under with Talor Gooch, who shot an even-par 72 on Saturday and is now tied for sixth place. In the second round, DeChambeau had three birdies each on the front nine and the back nine at the 7,376-yard layout. He is now chasing his first LIV victory since September 2023.DeChambeau stated he overcame "adverse" weather conditions on a chilly day, emphasizing his strategy of giving himself plenty of chances. He remarked, "Just giving myself plenty of chances, and if I continue to do the same, it will be a great Sunday. So got to focus on having fun and playing like a kid." The four-shot lead is the biggest DeChambeau has had entering the final round of a LIV Golf event. He said the key to staying in front is to "have a lot of fun, be smart, and execute like you know how to."The tournament also features two South Koreans in the field this week. Kim Min-kyu, a DP World Tour player serving as a temporary injury replacement for Ben Campbell of the RangeGoats GC, shot 72 on Saturday with three birdies, one bogey, and one double bogey. At three-under overall, Kim is tied for 2 1st. Jang Yu-bin, who joined the Iron Heads GC last December to become the first South Korean national in LIV Golf, shot 71 to move to three-over for the tournament, putting himself in a tie for 43rd.Kevin Na, Korean American captain of the Iron Heads, is tied for 18th at four-under after his second straight round of 70. His Incheon-born Kiwi teammate Danny Lee made three double bogeys en route to a 77 and fell to six-over for the tournament. He is in 52nd place. Anthony Kim, once a PGA Tour hot shot of Korean descent and a wild card entry here, is at nine-over after carding 74 on Saturday. Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, joined LIV Golf as a wild card last year, ending years of hiatus from professional golf.