Bryson DeChambeau put an end to a series of disappointing Sundays by clinching victory at LIV Golf Korea, setting the stage for the upcoming PGA Championship. The American golfer triumphed in a fierce contest with Crushers teammate Charles Howell III at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, winning the $20 million tournament by two strokes at 19-under-par.
Despite starting the round four shots ahead of Richard Bland, it was Howell who posed the greatest challenge, shooting an impressive nine-under-par 63. However, DeChambeau, a two-time US Open champion, secured the win with a six-under-par 66.
DeChambeau had previously led after 36 holes in the last two LIV events in Miami and Mexico City, and he also played alongside Rory McIlroy in the final group at the Masters last month. On each occasion, he missed out on his first win of 2025, but this time he seized the opportunity, bagging the $4 million top prize and reaffirming his status as a serious contender ahead of the PGA Championship, which begins at Quail Hollow in just 11 days.
DeChambeau made headlines following his drop to fifth place at Augusta National, where McIlroy held on to secure his fifth major title and complete the career grand slam. The American seemed frustrated when he disclosed that McIlroy did not converse with him during the final round.
DeChambeau inadvertently snubbed McIlroy during his winner’s press conference in Incheon by ignoring his title credentials for the upcoming PGA Championship, despite the latter being the standout player of 2025 with three significant victories.
“My goal is to win every tournament that I show up to,” claimed DeChambeau. “Scottie is on a great run. Joaquin Niemann is on a great run. Jon Rahm has been playing well. There’s a lot of star-studded talent out there right now that’s going to be in the PGA Championship. We’re going to be battling it out.”
Declaring his recent victory as just the beginning, he added: “Glad to have pushed through in this victory and won this event, but there’s a lot more work to be done this year. There’s three more majors, and my eyes are focused on that with all the other LIV events, doing my absolute best in every single event I show up to.”
On Sunday, DeChambeau didn’t kick off with his best performance, remaining even par at first, which allowed Howell, who started the day eight shots under par, to close in on him after the front nine. However, when Howell achieved a streak of birdies, it led to a tie at the top as they approached the 15th.
Howell suffered a bogey at the 16th hole, an error that opened the door for DeChambeau, who finished with two birdies to clinch a crucial win. The champ acknowledged feeling the heat as Howell was gaining ground.
The victory was a hard-fought one, with DeChambeau acknowledging the tenacity of his teammate. “Chucky and I had a great battle out there,” DeChambeau said.
“He never wavered today, it felt like, until 16. It felt like he was just pushing forward and he was going to shoot 10, 11-under today. I thought, my goodness, I don’t know if I could beat that today.”
DeChambeau also spoke about his own mental state, admitting that nerves got to him on the front nine. He said: “I was personally pretty nervous on the front nine for whatever reason. That putt I made on 8 was great, two-putt on 9. After the 9th hole, I don’t know what hit me, I just said, you know what, just play like a kid again, and I started doing that on the back nine and striped a 3-wood on 11, gave me a lot of confidence.
“It kind of evened itself out by the end of it and played some great golf. Proud of the team overall and proud of the way I stood fast in there.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror US
