Aug 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC reacts to making his putt on the 18th green in a playoff hole during the finals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
DeChambeau and Charles Howell III faced off at last year’s LIV Golf Korea, and on Thursday they resumed their rivalry alongside Sam Vincent.
Each shot a 5‑under‑par 65, propelling them to the top of the Korean event at Asiad Country Club in Busan. They hold a one‑stroke advantage over Ian Poulter, Joaquin Niemann and Thomas Pieters, while four competitors sit two strokes behind and a group of twelve is tied at 2‑under.
Vincent anchored his round with five birdies, two of them on his final three holes, whereas defending champion DeChambeau and Howell experienced a series of highs and lows.
He reached the turn at 5‑under and birdied the 10th, but the final eight holes yielded a 1‑over stretch featuring bogeys at the 13th and 15th and a birdie at the 16th.
Howell, DeChambeau’s Crushers GC teammate, opened with five even‑par holes, then navigated an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys to move to 3‑under, sealing the round with birdies on the last two holes and joining the three‑way tie.
Although DeChambeau could not sustain the momentum of his opening ten holes, he expressed satisfaction with his performance on an unfamiliar course; LIV Golf Korea was staged 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 noted that bogeys on the par‑3 13th — where his drive overshot the green and forced a three‑putt — and on the 15th, a 601‑yard par‑5 that sent his second shot into the water, disrupted his rhythm.
“I felt like being 6‑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 seized the team lead at 10‑under, three strokes ahead of OKGC, 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 posted the only bogey‑free round, sharing the lead for the first time in his LIV career. He is currently filling in for the HyFlyers as captain Phil Mickelson is absent.
“I don’t know what it is, but the second I joined them (HyFlyers), my game just went up,” Vincent, of New Zealand, said. “It’s been amazing.”
The three leaders will be paired together on Saturday.
The group that stands two shots back includes Sergio García of Spain and Australia’s Cam Smith.
Jon Rahm of Spain finished at even par Thursday in a tie for 27th.