Bryson DeChambeau will take a four-shot lead into the final round of LIV Golf’s event in South Korea on Sunday, where he’ll face off against U.S. Senior Open champion Richard Bland
Tom Blow Deputy Sports Editor
04:44, 04 May 2025
Bryson DeChambeau is chasing a win in South Korea(Image: Getty Images)
Richard Bland is all set to challenge Bryson DeChambeau at the LIV Golf event in South Korea, determined to “turn over” the two-time U.S. Open champion on Sunday.
At the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, the final round is shaping up to be a memorable one. Bland, who clinched the U.S. Senior Open last year, is trailing by four shots and ready for a historic clash with DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion. It’s unique for the holders of the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) two men’s majors to battle each other for a title.
Bland conveyed his gratitude to the fans when he chatted with the press post-Saturday’s round, saying: “Thanks for all your support, guys. I’m going to do my best tomorrow. Hopefully the older Senior U.S. Open champion might turn over the young U.S. Open champion.”
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Yet the 52-year-old couldn’t help but lavish praise on DeChambeau, despite issuing a playful heads-up: “It’s going to be tough, I know that. Bryson is one of the best players in the world, so he ain’t going to back down. Hopefully I can give him a run for his money.”
For DeChambeau, victory in South Korea would spell the end of a winless streak. The 31-year-old hasn’t savored tournament success since his triumph at Pinehurst and seen his form dip during the finsl round at both the Masters and the recent LIV event in Mexico City.
DeChambeau, sitting pretty at 13-under-par, spilled the beans on his strategy for securing a victory this Sunday: “It’s just to play like a kid,” he confided.
Richard Bland is also in the hunt at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea(Image: Getty Images)
“Have a lot of fun, be smart, execute like you know how to, and just solidify the motion, make sure I’m moving through it right, and keep playing the golf that I know how to play.”
Not alone in his quest, DeChambeau shares the spotlight with fellow LIV Golf competitors setting their sights on glory in South Korea.
Charles Howell III, Jason Kokrak, Dean Burmester, and Talor Gooch are hot on his heels at eight-under-par, Carlos Ortiz and Louis Oosthuizen trail by just one more shot, and there’s a chasing pack of five – Lucas Herbert, Thomas Pieters, Bubba Watson, Jinichiro Kozuma, and Jon Rahm – all on six-under-par.
On five-under-par are David Puig, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, and Cam Smith, all gearing up for a Sunday surge.
Bland is well-aware of DeChambeau’s firepower. “I heard he hit 9-iron into the last, and that doesn’t make me feel good,” Bland noted when asked about his rival’s length off the tee.
“It’s tailor-made for him around here. I kind of feel like I’m a pretty decent driver. I know where it’s going to go. You feel like there’s four or five holes around here you couldn’t miss a fairway if you tried.
“So for him, he’s one of those, he can find that extra 10mph club head speed. That’s something that I can’t do. I can’t just find 10 miles an hour. There are holes where he can make it look very, very easy.”
