Charles Howell III holed a 108-yard approach for eagle on the par-4 second hole Thursday, and the day only escalated from there. By the time the sun dropped over Asiad Country Club, Howell and his Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau were tied atop the individual leaderboard at LIV Golf Korea, sharing the lead with HyFlyers GC's Scott Vincent at 5 under par.

The visit to Busan marks LIV Golf's second consecutive stop in Korea. Last year's event took place at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, where DeChambeau closed with two late birdies to take the individual title while Howell pushed him all the way. The league, which launched in 2022 with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as its primary financial backer, has built an international schedule stretching from Asia to the Americas. According to the Associated Press, the tour has continued expanding its broadcast presence and commercial footprint as it moves into new markets.

DeChambeau and Howell III Pick Up Where They Left Off in Korea

DeChambeau held the solo lead for most of Thursday, birdieing six of his first 10 holes before bogeys at 13 and 15 pulled him back to the field. A chip-in birdie on the eighth stood as one of the round's defining moments. Howell's eagle two ignited his card early, and he built from there. Vincent, for his part, was the only player in the field to finish without a bogey.

"Yeah, the support was fantastic out there," DeChambeau said. "We had a great crowd for Thursday. Really impressed, and can't wait to see what Korea brings out this weekend."

Howell was direct about his comfort level with the layout. "This golf course does suit my eye well," he said. "It's a really neat golf course. The two nines are quite a bit different from each other, and it's in wonderful shape."

Tied for fourth at 4 under are Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann, Majesticks GC co-captain Ian Poulter, and 4Aces GC's Thomas Pieters. Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, and Laurie Canter are bunched together at 3 under, creating a leaderboard where 12 players sit within three shots of the top heading into Friday.

Korean Golf Club Draws Its Loudest Home Crowd of the Season at Asiad Country Club

The local response to Round 1 was hard to ignore. Younghan Song and newcomer Doyeob Mun each shot 68, placing Korean Golf Club in a tie for fifth in the team standings at 3 under. Korean celebrities and athletes filled the gallery at Asiad Country Club, and the atmosphere showed in how the home players described their rounds.

Mun, competing in his first LIV Golf event on home soil, was direct about what the crowd meant. "I think the fact that I played my first tournament of LIV Golf here in my home ground was really, truly an honor," Mun said. "Looking at the fans, I really felt less nervous, more comfortable. I really want to thank them for coming out today."

Song was already tracking the energy building toward the weekend. "Considering we're in Busan where the people are known for being passionate," Song said, "I'm looking forward to seeing all those passionate Busan people come out to cheer us on."

In the team race, Crushers GC sits at 10 under, three shots ahead of OKGC at 7 under. HyFlyers GC and Fireballs GC are tied for third at 5 under. The Crushers are playing without regular member Paul Casey, who was sidelined by injury before the event began. Reserve Travis Smyth carded a 2-over 72 in his place, while Anirban Lahiri contributed a 2-under 68.

Round 2 gets underway Friday at 1:05 p.m. local time. DeChambeau, Howell III, and Vincent are grouped together off hole one in the shotgun format, meaning the individual race will be settled alongside the team standings in real time. The Crushers have defended their Korea position before. Whether the leaderboard holds over the next 36 holes is the story Busan is watching.