After a hotly contested first round of play at LIV Golf Korea, Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC squad jumped out to the early advantage. They carded a remarkable cumulative total of 10 shots under par. Their score puts them one shot clear of DeChambeau and Crushers GC, who are right on the heels of the leaders. Koepka himself helped cause his demise, failing to break par with a paltry 66 on Thursday.
Talor Gooch From Smash GC, the unquestioned MVP of his squad, Gooch shouldered the load for his team and led them to a commanding lead. Gooch earned his victory with an impressive display of skill and determination down the stretch. He astounded by making an incredible streak of three straight birdies on an 8-hole stretch!
Richard Bland from England was the clubhouse leader at 6 under and Louis Oosthuizen was tied for third. Joaquín Niemann, winner of LIV Mexico, is one of four players tied for fifth. His all-around steady play is still having an effect even deep into the tournament.
Stinger GC now sits in fourth place in the team scoring standings, just behind Rangegoats GC. The race is still on though, as a number of candidates continue to put up a head turning performance. At the challenging 208-yard par-3 13th hole, Dean Burmester recorded the best kind of desert low – a hole-in-one. At the same time, Marc Leishman joined Jones on scoring a 1, acing the 172-yard par-3 fifth hole.
Looking back on his season, Gooch admitted it was a tough go at the beginning of the year.
“Yeah, it was a tough start to the year,” – Talor Gooch
He was hopeful for the rest of the long season, giving himself credit for his just-turned-corner recent streak.
“The game was pretty rusty. It’s been nice these past couple events to show some life and get some good golf going again. Hopefully this round kind of kick-starts a good rest of the season and we can kind of channel some of that 2023 season again.” – Talor Gooch
As the tournament unfolds, fans will be treated to a fascinating showcase of skill and intensity between the participating nations. With Koepka’s crew now in the driver’s seat, the next few rounds hold the potential for some heart-stopping action in this greatest of all contests.
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