Talor Gooch grabbed the 36-hole lead at LIV Golf Korea on Friday in Busan after firing a 7-under 63 in the second round, leaving him at 8 under and one shot ahead of Bryson DeChambeau. The move put Gooch in front heading into the weekend, with five players tied for third at 5 under and the leaderboard tightening behind him.
That is the position Gooch wanted after a week that had not been especially smooth. He entered the event ranked 29th in points, was projected to jump to fifth with a win and was trying to turn a run of four top-20 finishes to open the 2026 season into something bigger after back-to-back finishes of T43 and T39. He said the game still did not feel great, but the work was moving in the right direction, and his second-round surge gave that claim some weight.
Gooch made eight birdies on the day and closed with six birdies over his last eight holes, a burst that separated him from a field that had plenty of company near the top but no one matching his finish. He also said Asiad Country Club was a shot-maker’s course, and the scorecard backed him up: the layout was playing more like a test of control than raw power, even though Gooch also noted it was fun and did not need to stretch to 8,000 yards to be a good test.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, stayed close despite an uneven round that leaned on recovery rather than precision. He shot a 2-under 68, made 11 pars in his final 12 holes, and still sat just one back after hitting only 8 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation. He said his putting saved him and that his driving had gone sideways after looking strong the day before, a reminder that he remains very much in the mix even when his ball-striking is not clean.
The team race moved just as sharply. OKGC led by one stroke at 14 under, Crushers GC were one back and Ripper GC sat third, giving the weekend rounds added weight for both individual and team standings. Gooch’s side was playing only its second tournament since a name change and rebrand, and the early lead gave it a chance to turn a fresh identity into an immediate result.
Doyeob Mun was the other name making use of the day. He shot his second consecutive 68 and was tied for eighth with Sergio Garcia, having made the most of an opening that came after a roster shakeup created a spot for him. Home favorites Korean Golf Club were alone in seventh, but the larger story in Busan was already set: Gooch has the lead, DeChambeau is still breathing down his neck, and both the individual and team titles are there to be won over the final two rounds.
