Crushers Captain Bryson DeChambeau, winner of last year\u2019s LIV Golf Korea when it was held outside Seoul, suffered two late bogeys to drop into a share of sixth with 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson and RangeGoats GC\u2019s Ben Campbell. Johnson produced the lowest round of the day, a 6-under 64.<\/p>\n
On the team leaderboard, the Crushers \u2013 winners last season in Korea\u2013\u00a0are at 16 under, one shot ahead of OKGC, which is playing just its second tournament since rebranding from their previous Smash GC name. Ripper GC is solo third at 12 under.<\/p>\n
The individual leaderboard is stacked with winners, as eight of the top 10 have won at least one LIV Golf title. Niemann is the league\u2019s all-time individual wins leader with seven, including five last season. He\u2019s yet to win this season, though, but that might change if his putter remains as hot as it was on the back nine Saturday when he rolled in three long birdie putts, including a big breaker from 34 feet at the 14th hole, to shoot a 4-under 66.<\/p>\n
\u201cPutter did behave a lot better today than the first two days, so pretty happy about that,\u201d said the 27-year-old Niemann, the league\u2019s youngest captain. \u201cIt did love me a lot. I did love it a lot, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gooch has four career LIV Golf wins, including two at LIV Golf Andalucia, the next tournament on the 2026 schedule set for next week in Spain when he will defend his title from last year. He entered Saturday as the solo leader after a second-round 63 in which he produced eight birdies, but he started his third round with 14 consecutive pars before posting his lone birdie at the par-5 15th for a bogey-free 69.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’ve got to stay patient and just wait for your time and hope that it comes, and it unfortunately didn’t come much today,\u201d Gooch said. \u201cBut that’s why we stay patient. Maybe tomorrow it’ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although both Niemann and Gooch have extensive history playing in the final group in a LIV Golf final round \u2013 this will be Gooch\u2019s 16th time and Niemann\u2019s 14th \u2013\u00a0Sunday will be the first time they\u2019ve been in the same final group in nearly four years, since LIV Golf Boston in the inaugural season in 2022.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livgolf.com\/assets\/patterns\/box-corner.svg\"\/)
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e965802b441cf23ca6b5ae2278b5375e5c170510-5575x3717.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Talor Gooch hits a shot on the fourth hole during Round 3 of LIV Golf Korea. (Photo by Mateo Villalba\/LIV Golf)<\/p>\n
Vincent is the third member of the final group, and he continues to thrive since joining HyFlyers GC as a reserve filling in for captain Phil Mickelson. The Zimbabwean shot a 3-under 67 and is now in position to chase his first individual title.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning out here is not easy,\u201d said Vincent, who has finished top 10 in each of his first two starts with the HyFlyers after starting the season as a Wild Card player. \u201cI think just big picture-wise, just putting myself in this position is just great for me, try and get better and develop as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n
Howell was the runner-up to DeChambeau last year, and he\u2019s given himself another chance in Korea, thriving on this shot-maker\u2019s course. He was a bogey-free 4 under through his first 13 holes before suffering a double-bogey in which he four-putted from 35 feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, this place is tricky,\u201d Howell said. \u201cIf you miss the fairway, it is really hard around here. Hole locations are quite difficult here on these corners. It’s tough to make birdies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson had six of them in his bogey-free round. LIV Golf\u2019s first season-long Individual Champion in 2022 posted at least one win in each of the league\u2019s first three seasons before going winless last year. He\u2019s anxious to get back into the winner\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n
So is Niemann, despite all the success he had last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year was an exceptional year. Winning five times, it was pretty cool,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 It’s obviously a nice feeling to win, and we’re out here for that. But I’m just more focused on what I’m doing now and the way I’m hitting the ball, just trying to keep chasing that trajectory that I’m seeing in my head, so that’s what I need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS <\/p>\n
Individual Top 10<\/p>\n
T1 (-9) \u2013 Joaquin Niemann, Torque (66-69-66); Talor Gooch, OKGC (69-63-69)<\/p>\n
3 (-8) \u2013 Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (65-70-67)<\/p>\n
T4 (-7) \u2013 Charles Howell III, Crushers (65-70-68); Cameron Smith, Ripper (67-68-68)<\/p>\n
T6 (-6) \u2013 Ben Campbell, RangeGoats (69-69-66); Dustin Johnson, 4Aces (70-70-64); Bryson DeChambeau, Crushers (65-68-71)<\/p>\n
T9 (-5) \u2013 Harold Varner III, OKGC (68-69-68); Marc Leishman, Ripper (69-68-68)<\/p>\n
Team Top 3<\/p>\n
1 (-16) \u2013 Crushers GC (DeChambeau 65-68-71, Howell III 65-70-68, Lahiri 68-73-70, Smyth 72-66-68; Rd. 3 total: -3)<\/p>\n
2 (-15) \u2013 OKGC (Gooch 69-63-69, Kokrak 68-70-69, McDowell 68-71-73, Varner III 68-69-68; Rd. 3 total: -1)<\/p>\n
3 (-12) \u2013 Ripper GC (Smith 67-68-68, Leishman 69-68-68, Herbert 71-66-69; Smylie 71-69-74; Rd. 3 total: -1)<\/p>\n