LIV Golf Korea Round 2: Talor Gooch Fires a 63 to Lead as OKGC Overtakes the Crushers

Talor Gooch has made a habit of turning LIV Golf leaderboards upside down in a single round, and Friday in Busan was another entry for the file.

The OKGC captain shot a 7-under 63 at Asiad Country Club, the low round of the week by two shots, to move to 8 under and take a one-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau after 36 holes of LIV Golf Korea. Five players are three back at 5 under. In the team race, OKGC used the captain's round to leapfrog the Crushers and lead by one.

Gooch Goes Low

Gooch began the day four behind the leaders after an opening 69 and got moving almost immediately, chipping in for birdie at the par-4 ninth, the second hole of the round. The real damage came late. Gooch birdied six of the final eight holes, finishing with eight birdies in all, and turned a solid round into the best score anyone has posted here this week.

It is the eighth round of 63 or better of Gooch's LIV Golf career and the seventh time Gooch has held a 36-hole lead. The rare part was the diagnosis afterward. "The game still doesn't feel great, but we're working hard, and we're working in the right direction," Gooch said.

Gooch was also a fan of the venue, a par 70 that does not overwhelm anyone with length. "It's a fun course, and it's just another example that a course doesn't have to be 8,000 yards to be a good test," Gooch said.

DeChambeau Hangs On

DeChambeau started the day tied for the lead and never really found the ball-striking that carried him on Thursday. The Crushers captain hit 8 of 14 fairways and only 10 greens in regulation, then went 11 pars in the final 12 holes. A 68 from those numbers is a small heist, and the reason was obvious: 22 putts, tied with Yosuke Asaji for the fewest in the field.

"My putting saved me today," DeChambeau said. It also kept the defending champion one shot from the top heading into the weekend.

The Crowd at 5 Under

The group three back is deep and dangerous. Cameron Smith, fresh off a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship, shot 68 to reach 5 under. Joaquin Niemann added a 69 and led the field by hitting 15 of 18 greens. Thomas Pieters also shot 69, while Thursday co-leaders Scott Vincent and Charles Howell III both slowed down with level-par 70s. Howell did produce the longest drive of the day, a 334.8-yard rocket on the 11th that is the longest of the veteran's LIV career.

Sergio Garcia and Korean Golf Club's Doyeob Mun sit four back at 4 under. Mun followed his debut 68 with another 68 and has the home crowd dreaming. "I've actually never imagined that I would win, but if I do, this week would definitely be magical," the KPGA Tour points leader said.

Jon Rahm is six back after a 68 that extended a streak of 40 straight rounds at par or better. Not every star had a Friday to remember: Matthew Wolff shot 78, and nobody in the 57-player field managed a bogey-free round.

OKGC Flips the Team Race

The all-four-count format turned on one big card. Gooch's 63 alone was worth 7 under, and with Harold Varner III shooting 69 and Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell holding steady at 70 and 71, OKGC posted 7 under for the round and climbed to 14 under. The team played as Smash GC until LIV Golf Virginia, and the new name now sits on top in Busan.

The Crushers slipped to second at 13 under after a 3-under day. Reserve Travis Smyth, in for the injured Paul Casey, rebounded from Thursday's 72 with a 66 that kept the group within one, but Anirban Lahiri's 73 took a bite out of the total.

Ripper GC had the best team round of the day at 9 under. Smith and Marc Leishman each shot 68, Lucas Herbert matched the day's second-best score with a 66, and Elvis Smylie added a 69 to lift the Australians to third at 11 under. HyFlyers GC sits fourth at 5 under and Fireballs GC fifth at 4 under. Korean Golf Club drifted back to even par, and Torque GC is 2 over despite its captain sitting three off the individual lead.

Weekend Stakes

With 36 holes still to play, seven players are within three shots of the lead, and the team race is a three-horse sprint between OKGC, the Crushers and Ripper, separated by three shots. A $4 million winner's check and a $3 million team prize are waiting at the end of Sunday.

Gooch has the lead and the low round. DeChambeau has the short game working and the title defense on the line. Smith and Niemann are lurking. Saturday is when this tightly packed board starts to separate.

For the hole-by-hole detail, see the LIV Golf Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab). Catch up on Thursday with our LIV Golf Korea Round 1 recap.

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 2 recap, leaderboard), FOX Sports, Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Pedro Salado/LIV Golf.