Howell had seven birdies through 10 holes to take control on Sunday at El Camaleon, then had some help when Peter Uihlein had to hit three tee shots on the 12th hole in a triple bogey that removed any drama from the final round.

Finishing at 16-under par, Howell won in his sixth start in LIV Golf and picked up $US4 million ($A5.9 million), with an additional $US1 million ($A1.5 million) for leading his team, Crushers GC, to a nine-shot victory.

Cameron Smith finished in a share of fifth after a four-under 67 left him 10 shots off the lead at six-under for the tournament, while his all-Aussie Ripper GC team finished in fifth fourteen shots in arrears of the Bryson DeChambeau led Crushers.

LIV Golf's opening event in a 14-tournament schedule was a happy time for Howell, who won only three times in 23 seasons and 607 starts on the PGA Tour.

"It's great," Howell said. "It's a big win and we got the team win."

It was a solid start to the season for Cam Smith who finished inside the top-10 in Mexico. PHOTO: Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images.

Two of his three PGA Tour wins were in play-offs, and the other was a two-shot win.

Howell had a bogey-free card, and most of his birdies were in the 8-foot to 15-foot range as he ran off four in a row and rarely made any mistakes.

The 42-year-old from Augusta, Georgia played 13 times at Mayakoba when it hosted a PGA Tour event from 2007 until last November, with his best finish a tie for fourth.

"I've played here many times, so I had an idea what to expect," Howell said. "Around this place, there's double bogeys everywhere, so you never know."

He left that to Uihlein, who began the final round sharing the lead with Talor Gooch.

Uihlein was still in the mix at the 12th when he snap-hooked his drive into the woods. He hit a provisional for a lost ball and sent that one into the trees on his right, leading to his triple-bogey.

Branden Grace had a 67 and finished third, with $US1.5 million ($A2.2 million). Gooch shot a 76 and finished out of the top-10.