Bryson DeChambeau wins LIV Korea with back-9 birdie binge

Bryson DeChambeau won both the individual and team titles at LIV Golf Korea, holing a 48-foot birdie putt on No. 17 en route to a 66 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 19-under 197.

The individual win was DeChambeau's third on the LIV circuit but his first on the season. He had to hold off Charles Howell III, his Crushers GC teammate, who shot a 9-under 63 to finish second, two shots back.

"Charles and I had a great battle out there," said DeChambeau, who won $4 million. "He never wavered today. It was fun and we had a great time today, but it was intense. Super-intense."

DeChambeau hadn't had much luck in Sunday rounds lately. He held 36-hole leads at the past two LIV Golf events -- first in Miami, then in Mexico City -- and was atop the leaderboard at the Masters with 16 holes left, but hadn't been able to capture a trophy.

Howell played the first nine on Sunday at 4 under, reducing DeChambeau's lead to a single stroke at the turn.

But after muddling through the front nine at even par, DeChambeau closed with six birdies. That was what he needed to thwart the charge from Howell, who made birdie on five consecutive holes from Nos. 11 through 15 -- leaving them tied at 17 under with three holes to go.

Howell bogeyed the par 5 No. 16 and finished with a birdie on the final hole, but DeChambeau's 48-foot birdie putt on No. 17, followed by a birdie on the final hole, gave him the win.

"I feel like I've been playing some great golf, but I just haven't gotten the job done," DeChambeau said. "That was a lot of tension. Just glad I was able to step up to the plate and get it done."

Howell made his first appearance on the podium since he won LIV Gold Mayakoba in 2023.

"I knew today would be a tough day to catch Bryson and even to try to beat him, but I gave it my best," Howell said. "I definitely would've thought 9-under would have done it, and clearly it didn't. ... Any time you shoot 9-under par in the last group and you still don't win, it's a tough day."

The Crushers also were aided by Paul Casey (67 on Sunday) and Anirban Lahiri, who recovered from a disastrous 79 on Saturday to shoot 72. The team was 20 under par on Sunday as a group and defeated Smash GC by nine shots.

"Charles and Bryson won this for us," Casey said. "Our job was to not mess it up, if I'm being honest."

Back on the individual side, Talor Gooch shot a 6-under 66 to finish 14 under and in third place.

Thomas Pieters (68) and Patrick Reed (65) tied for fourth, nine strokes off the pace.

Matthew Wolff was alone in sixth place after a round of 67, sitting 10 strokes behind DeChambeau.

DeChambeau will join what is likely to be 13 other players from LIV Golf in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 15-18. DeChambeau was runner-up to Xander Schauffele in the PGA Championship last year.

The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.