Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Golf Korea in playoff

By Yoo Jee-ho

BUSAN, May 31 (Yonhap) -- Joaquin Niemann captured LIV Golf Korea in a playoff for his eighth career victory Sunday.

Niemann edged out Talor Gooch of the United States with a birdie on the first playoff hole at the par-70 Asiad Country Club in the southeastern city of Busan. The Chilean grabbed US$4 million in the winner's prize.

The two finished regulation tied at 12-under. They went back to the 18th to begin the sudden-death affair, and Niemann put his second shot to about three feet from the hole and sank the putt for the clinching birdie.

Niemann won for the first time since notching five victories in 2025.

In the team standings, Crushers Golf Club, captained by Bryson DeChambeau, won its second straight LIV Golf Korea title with a combined score of 23-under by its four players and took home US$3 million.

Korean Golf Club finished 10th. Song Young-han led the way at six-under, followed by Mun Do-yeob, who joined the team just before the tournament, at two-under.

Captain An Byeong-hun finished at one-over, and Kim Min-kyu finished at six-over.

Korean Golf Club came into this tournament ranked last for the season among 13 teams. It had finished last at four of the past five tournaments before its homecoming.

Niemann and Gooch shared the 54-hole lead at nine-under and remained tied through four holes Sunday with a birdie apiece between them. Meanwhile, defending champion DeChambeau and Ben Campbell were making noise ahead of them with three birdies over their first six holes to reach nine-under. Cam Smith also got to nine-under early before taking himself out of contention with a double bogey at the par-3 sixth, where he found water off the tee.

Gooch grabbed the sole possession of the lead at 11-under with a birdie at the fifth. Gooch and Niemann both birdied the par-3 sixth, with Niemann draining a 32-foot putt to stay within one of the American.

Niemann pulled even with Gooch at the par-4 seventh with a birdie. And DeChambeau kept the pressure on the leaders with a birdie at the eighth that took him to 10-under.

On the eighth green moments later, Gooch and Niemann made matching birdies to reach 13-under, pulling away from DeChambeau.

Gooch blinked first with his first bogey of the day at the ninth hole, where Niemann picked up a par for a one-shot lead entering the back nine.

DeChambeau inched closer to Niemann with a birdie at the 11th before falling back to 10-under with a bogey at the next hole.

Then it was Niemann's turn to cough up a shot, as he found deep stuff off the tee at the 11th en route to his first bogey of the day. He and Gooch were now tied at 12-under.

Gooch three-putted for bogey at the 12th to drop to 11-under, and DeChambeau joined him there with a birdie at the par-5 15th.

Both Niemann and Gooch settled for par at the 15th, with Niemann staying in front by one with three holes to play.

Then Gooch dialed in for a birdie from 27 feet on the par-3 16th to reach 12-under -- his first birdie since the eighth hole -- and Niemann wasn't able to match that, as the two found themselves deadlocked with two holes to go.

With DeChambeau having finished his round at 11-under, Niemann and Gooch traded pars over the final two holes to send the tournament to the playoff.

Niemann had a chance to clinch the win in regulation, but his 20-foot birdie attempt rolled just wide right of the hole.

He finally got the birdie at the 18th in the playoff after leaving himself with a much shorter putt than in regulation.