Former NCAA champ, PGA Tour pro among 29 players to advance into second round of LIV Golf Promotions event

The inaugural LIV Golf Promotions event is underway.

As if there hasn’t been enough LIV Golf news the past 24 hours, the LIV Golf Promotions event teed off Friday in Abu Dhabi, where three spots are up for grabs for the 2024 season.

And after the first round, there are 42 players battling it out for those spots.

Twenty-nine players advanced after the first 18-hole round, with Kerry Mountcastle leading the pack after an 8-under 64 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The cut, which was top-20 and ties, came at 2-under 70, and included players like Braden Thornberry, the 2017 NCAA individual champion, and Martin Trainer, who has 131 starts on the PGA Tour.

In addition to the 29 players who advanced from the first round, the 13 exempt players into the second round will join the competition come Saturday, where scores will reset. The top 20 players (no ties) after Saturday’s 18-hole round will advance to Sunday’s 36-hole final, with the top three earning status for the 2024 LIV Golf season.

Some of those golfers to miss the cut include Chris Stroud, who voiced his displeasure with the PGA Tour last week. He bogeyed two of his last three holes to miss by one. Jeff Overton, Turk Pettit and Jazz Jannewattananond are others who are also heading home empty handed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=451198867]