May 31, 2026
Gooch lost on the first playoff hole to
Joaquin Niemann at LIV Golf Korea to finish the tournament solo second.
ANALYSIS
Gooch sat comfortably at the top of the leaderboard following a seven-under 63 in the second round, but he gained just one stroke the next day and entered Sunday tied with Niemann for first. Gooch and Niemann were neck-and-neck for most of the final round, with both players carding four birdies over the final eight holes. After dropping two shots, Gooch forced a playoff with a birdie on the 16th, but he was unable to match Niemann's birdie on the first playoff hole. Although he couldn't close things out in Korea, it was still the best finish of the season for Gooch, who sits ninth in the LIV Golf individual season standings. LIV Golf Andalucia is next week, where Gooch has won two of his three career titles on the breakaway tour (2023, 2025).