Tag: Asian Tour

A day after shooting 59, LIV Golf’s Patrick Reed wins for first time in nearly 4 years on Asian Tour

Reed hasn’t won in 33 events since joining LIV Golf, though he has a pair of runner-up finishes.

It has been nearly four years since Patrick Reed was in victory lane, but he got across the finish line Sunday in Hong Kong.

Reed won the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open for his first professional victory since the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. On Saturday, he shot a 59 (with preferred lies) to vault him into the lead, and Sunday, he brought it home with a 4-under 66 to finish at 22 under for the week.

He won by three shots over defending champion Ben Campbell.

“Kind of going out there and forgetting about the 59 and going out, even though I had a three-shot lead, to try to expand on that,’ Reed said. “And the goal was to go out there and make a couple birdies early quickly, get up on top, so then on the back nine I could just kind of hit fairways and middle of the greens.”

Reed hasn’t won in 33 events since joining LIV Golf, though he has a pair of runner-up finishes. He earned $360,000 from the $2 million purse for the victory.

The 2018 Masters champion plans to play in the Asian Tour’s next two events, which are the final two on the 2024 schedule for the tour.

Details announced for 2024 LIV Golf Promotions event, only one spot up for grabs in 2025

Only one spot in the LIV Golf League is up for grabs.

Last year, three players earned their way onto the LIV Golf League thanks to the LIV Golf Promotions event. This year, only one golfer will have the opportunity to do that.

LIV Golf announced details Thursday for its Promotions event, which is set for Dec. 12-14 in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Golf Club. Four rounds of golf will be contested over three days, with the winner earning a roster spot for the 2025 LIV Golf season.

That one player will have a chance to earn a spot on one of LIV Golf’s 13 teams, but they may also be a wild card player for the 2025 season.

The total purse will be $1.5 million, while the top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into all 2025 events on the Asian Tour’s International Series. LIV Golf has continued to invest in the Asian Tour, and this is an effort to continue growing the relationship between the two, with the Asian Tour becoming somewhat of a feeder series for LIV Golf in the future.

There will be four rounds of stroke play. After the first 18 holes, only the top-20 and ties advance to the second round. Scores will be reset, then the top 20 will advance to the final two rounds, with ties to be determined by a playoff. Then the scores will be reset again before the third and final round, where the leader after 36 holes will earn a spot in the LIV Golf League.

Every player who advances to the second round will receive at least $10,000. Those who play in only the first round will get $5,000. Amateurs will get $1,000 regardless of finishing position.

Who’s eligible for the 2024 LIV Golf Promotions event?

It’s a long list, and LIV Golf is giving plenty of spots to the top amateurs in the world, should they choose to play.

The following are eligible to play in the first round: members of the 2023 Walker Cup and 2024 Palmer Cup Teams; winner and runners-up of the latest playing of these amateur events: U.S. Amateur, Amateur Championship, Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin America Amateur, European Amateur, African Amateur, NCAA Championship (Individual) and the Eisenhower Trophy (Individual); the leading 15 available players from within the top 40 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of Nov. 19, (excluding players exempt into the second round); the leading 25 available players from within the top 40 on the final 2024 International Series Rankings (excluding those exempt into the second round); leading five available players from inside the top 10 from each of the following professional Tours as of Nov. 19: Japan Golf Tour, KPGA Korean Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia; the top 30 available players from within the top 300 of The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of Nov. 19; and invitations as determined by LIV Golf League.

Exemptions into the second round are reserved for more accomplished players: the leading two available players from within the top 15 on the WAGR rankings as of Nov. 19; players ranked 2 to 8 on the final 2024 International Series rankings; the top three players from each of the following professional Tours as of Nov. 19: Japan Golf Tour, KPGA Korean Tour, Sunshine Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia; the leading five available players from within the top 30 of the final 2024 DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour rankings; winners of International Series and Asian Tour sanctioned tournaments in 2024; winners of Japan Golf Tour, KPGA Korean Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia sanctioned tournaments in 2024; winners of PGA Tour and DP World Tour sanctioned tournaments in 2023-24; Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup participants from 2019-24; major winners from 2019-24; leading 15 available players from within the top 150 of The Universal Golf Rankings (TUGR) as of Nov. 19; players relegated or without a contract for the following season from the final 2024 LIV Golf standings; and invitations as determined by LIV Golf League.

The tournament will be available to watch on LIV Golf Plus, the LIV Golf YouTube channel and broadcast partners around the world, with live coverage Thursday, Dec. 12-Saturday, Dec. 14.

Bubba Watson will make his first ever pro appearance in this Southeast Asian country

Although Watson has made eight previous appearances on the tour, this will be his first in Indonesia.

Bubba Watson’s season highlight on the course in 2024 came at Augusta National, where he appeared poised to make the cut during the second round before imploding. The two-time Masters was 2 over for the tournament when he made the turn on Friday, and that’s where it went downhill. There was a double bogey at 10. A quadruple bogey at 11. And then another double bogey at 12.

From 2 over to 10 over in a heartbeat. From a weekend tee time to a missed cut in a three-hole stretch.

And after being relegated off his own team in LIV Golf, Watson’s playing opportunities have been few and far between. However, the 12-time PGA Tour winner has been announced as a participant in the BNI Indonesian Masters next week, an event on the Asian Tour. The tournament is being held at Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Although Watson has made eight previous appearances on the tour, this will be his first showing in the International Series, as well as his first in Indonesia.

2023 Masters Par 3 Contest
Bubba Watson celebrates his hole-in-one on the fourth hole during the Par 3 Contest at The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network

“As everyone knows I have really enjoyed playing in tournaments overseas and so I am really excited about playing in Indonesia for the first time,” Watson said via a release from LIV Golf. “I enjoy coming to Asia and soaking in the sights and sounds and also seeing the diverse mixture of players out here.

“The BNI Indonesian Masters plays a big part in The International Series, which provides a pathway onto the LIV Golf League. I’m a big believer in LIV Golf, and I’m proud of the impact it has had on the game of golf worldwide.”

Watson won’t be the only LIV Golf member in the event, as Richard Bland of Cleeks GC and Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC will also be in the field, as well as John Catlin, who is fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings. Also, Arizona State product Wenyi Ding, who just turned professional, will also be on hand.

This American carded the lowest score in Asian Tour history on Saturday, shooting 59

“It’s pretty crazy. It hasn’t totally sunk in yet.”

John Catlin has three wins on the DP World Tour and four Asian Tour wins. But his latest feat is why his name will be known by more golfers now than ever.

Catlin, a 33-year-old American, shot 11-under 59 after holing a 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole Saturday at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau event in China. He became the first player to break 60 in Asian Tour history, and his bogey-free performance helped him take the lead heading into the final round at Macau Golf & Country Club.

“Yeah, I’m pretty much speechless,” Catlin said, who later said all of his passwords end with 59. “It’s pretty crazy. It hasn’t totally sunk in yet. Wow. Yeah, the emotions are hitting me for sure. Just everything I’ve been through over the last two years. To be here. It’s pretty special.”

Catlin sits at 18 under for the tournament, beating LIV Golf’s Jason Kokrak by two shots. Kokrak and Lucas Herbert each shot 62 on the par-70 layout.

The purse is $2 million at the second International Series event of the year.

Anthony Kim misses first cut in 12 years at Asian Tour event in China

Kim missed the cut by eight shots.

In Anthony Kim’s first event back with a 36-hole cut, he didn’t make the weekend.

After back-to-back weeks playing for the no-cut events at LIV Golf in Jeddah and Hong Kong, Kim teed it up this week on the Asian Tour at the International Series Macau in China, continuing his return to professional golf. However, a 4-over 74 in the opening round followed by an even-par 70 on Friday resulted in Kim sitting T-130 after two rounds and missing the cut by eight shots.

It’s Kim’s first missed cut in more than 12 years (sarcasm font).

His final-round 65 in LIV Golf Hong Kong was an encouraging sign, but his comeback is going to take longer than a handful of rounds. He wasn’t the only LIV golfer to miss the cut at Macau, as did Harold Varner III, Graeme McDowell and Eugenio Chacarra.

On the flip side, LIV’s David Puig leads at 11 under after opening in 65-64. He’s tied on top with Jbe Kruger. Mito Pereira and Bjorn Hellgren are T-3 at 10 under.

Anthony Kim will tee it up in a non-LIV Golf event next week

That’s one way to knock off competitive rust.

Anthony Kim is going to play three straight weeks in his return to professional golf.

On Saturday, the 38-year-old carded his best round with LIV Golf, a 2-over 72 at LIV Golf Hong Kong. He sits 8 over, tied with Phil Mickelson, heading into the final round. Kim’s second round included four birdies, his most in his five rounds yet.

Next week, though LIV Golf doesn’t have an event, he will join roughly 20 other golfers from the circuit at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau. Also in the field are Patrick Reed, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia, among others.

International Series Macau will be at Macau Golf and Country Club in China. It’s the second International Series event of the year, with Carlos Ortiz winning the first two weeks ago in Oman.

LIV: Best photos from Hong Kong

The Asian Tour has a 10-year, $300 million partnership with LIV Golf. The circuit also awards world ranking points. Last year, Andy Ogletree earned a season-long exemption into LIV for winning the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.

Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, returned to professional golf last week after more than a decade away. After not beating anyone last week, he is ahead of only Hudson Swafford heading to the final round in China.

LIV Golf players flock to Asian Tour event in search of world ranking points

The 2024 Masters is less than two months away, and the race for the OWGR top 50 is on.

We’re less than two months away from the first men’s major championship of the year, and the race to qualify via the Official World Golf Ranking is heating up.

One way to play into the 2024 Masters field is to secure a spot inside the top 50 of the OWGR the week before the event at Augusta National, April 11-14. PGA Tour players have seven more events to earn points, while the DP World Tour has five events on its schedule before the Masters. LIV Golf players, however, are running out of time.

This week, 21 of the 54 current players in the league led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have entered the Asian Tour’s first International Series event of the year in Oman. The International Series consists of 10 events – funded by LIV Golf – that offer significantly less prize money than LIV events. So why play? Under the Asian Tour wing, International Series events dish out OWGR points.

LIV Golf hasn’t been granted OWGR points despite numerous attempts (remember the MENA Tour alliance?), which has caused its players to plummet in the rankings over the last two years. Patrick Reed is 100th, Bryson DeChambeau is 169th and Dustin Johnson is 238th, to name a few.

Of the 21 LIV players in the Oman field, just three are currently inside the top 100: Lucas Herbert (80), Joaquin Niemann (81) and Dean Burmester (95).

“I think I have a different mindset for this year,” said Niemann after he won LIV’s season opener in Mexico earlier this month. “It kind of hurt me a little bit not being in the majors and I think also helped me to get motivation to kind of earn my spot back into the majors.”

Both Niemann and Burmester played their way into the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon via their Open Qualifying Series wins at the end of 2023, but a trip down Magnolia Lane may be out of reach. LIV has three events in the next seven weeks leading up to the Masters – Jeddah (March 1-3), Hong Kong (March 8-10) and Miami (April 5-7) – which makes any sort of top-50 push for the Masters not necessarily impossible, but certainly improbable.

The U.S. Open and Open Championship feature top 60 and top 50 exemptions, respectively, and while the PGA Championship doesn’t explicitly grant exemptions based on the OWGR, special exemptions are often given to players inside the top 100 to those who aren’t qualified through a set category.

Long story short, this week’s event in Oman is just the start of what will be a busy year for LIV players not already qualified for the majors.

LIV players in International Series Oman field

Player Current OWGR Ranking
Lucas Herbert 80
Joaquin Niemann 81
Dean Burmester 95
Louis Oosthuizen 137
David Puig 141
Mito Pereira 154
Abraham Ancer 165
Anirban Lahiri 309
Charl Schwartzel 329
Matt Jones 395
Eugenio Chacarra 411
Scott Vincent 413
Kieran Vincent 422
Sebastian Munoz 428
Jinichiro Kozuma 522
Peter Uihlein 629
Danny Lee 643
Branden Grace 715
Matthew Wolff 1,113
Carlos Ortiz 1,286
Hudson Swafford 1,786

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19-year-old Denwit Boriboonsub wins first Asian Tour title by three shots over LIV Golf’s Henrik Stenson

The phenom from Thailand shot 7-under 64 to win the Saudi Open on Sunday.

Denwit Boriboonsub of Thailand made his first Asian Tour title Sunday his third win in three weeks.

The 19-year-old shot 7-under 64 to win the Saudi Open on Sunday to finish at 18 under and win by three shots over LIV Golf’s Henrik Stenson. The season-ending tournament was held at the at the Riyadh Golf Club.

Boriboonsub won the Aramco Invitational two weeks ago on the Asian Development Tour and then claimed the Thailand Open.

“It is an unbelievable feeling because it is incredible winning three weeks in a row. It is like magic,” Boriboonsub said.

Stenson is a former champion of the tournament.

“I came in with two months off, so it was a good opportunity for me to kind of see where we’re at and what needs to be worked more on when we start preparing for next year in the middle of January,” he said.

Travis Smyth of Australia finished third.

Abraham Ancer outlasts Cameron Young to win 2023 PIF Saudi International

Ancer won wire-to-wire to claim his fourth professional victory.

Another LIV Golf and PGA Tour duel played out on Sunday, this time on the Asian Tour and with a little less hostility.

The field at this week’s PIF Saudi International featured a heavy dose of LIV Golf, as well as a few PGA Tour players who were granted releases to play. Cameron Young – who has expressed his interest in LIV in the past – gave chase in the final round but came up short of LIV’s Abraham Ancer, who won wire-to-wire by two shots at 19 under. Lucas Herbert, also a player on Tour, finished third at 15 under.

Ancer, 31, shot 64-68 on the weekend at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City for his fourth professional win. The Mexican-American previously claimed the PGA Tour’s 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational as well as the PGA Tour of Australasia’s 2019 Emirates Australian Open and 2015 Nova Scotia Open on the Korn Ferry Tour before he joined LIV Golf last year. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is LIV’s financial backer, as well as the title sponsor of the Saudi International.

The Saudi International was created in 2019 by the regime’s Public Investment Fund and offered lucrative appearance fees to attract PGA Tour stars like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, who all later jumped to LIV. The tournament was originally a DP World Tour stop, but the European circuit, like the Tour, is also now being sued by LIV, which invested more than $200 million in the Asian Tour last year.

The LIV Golf League makes its 2023 season debut later this month at Mayakoba in Mexico while the Asian Tour returns to play next week with the International Series Oman.

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Exclusive: Rookie of the year, recent winner among PGA Tour players given OK for controversial Saudi event

The reigning Rookie of the Year is among the players granted permission to compete at an event in Saudi Arabia next month.

The PGA Tour’s reigning Rookie of the Year and a winner last season are among the players granted permission to compete at a controversial tournament in Saudi Arabia next month.

While the Tour has declined to reveal the exact number or the names of those who requested releases for the PIF Saudi International, multiple sources have told Golfweek that Cameron Young, Lucas Herbert and Cameron Champ are among the members who obtained waivers to compete in Saudi Arabia. Three Korn Ferry Tour players also received releases.

Young was named the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year after earning more than $6 million during a debut campaign in which he finished second five times, including at the Open Championship in St. Andrews. Herbert won the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in October 2021 and finished the season with more than $2.5 million in official prize money.

Herbert’s agent, Davis Holman, confirmed that the 27-year-old Australian plans to compete at King Abdullah Economic City on Feb. 2-5. Representatives for Young and Champ, a three-time winner on Tour who has emerged as a leading voice for racial equality, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. While sources say both Young and Champ obtained releases to compete in the Saudi International, it is not known if they actually intend to do so.

A Tour spokesperson declined to comment on specific players who have obtained releases.

PGA Tour members are required to obtain conflicting event releases to play events on other tours. In 2022, the Tour denied waivers to members for a Saudi-sponsored event near London, which was the first tournament staged by the rival LIV Golf league. The Tour and LIV Golf are now locked in an antitrust lawsuit that has bitterly divided players on both circuits.

The Saudi International was created in 2019 by the regime’s Public Investment Fund, which is also bankrolling LIV Golf. Offering lucrative appearance fees, the event attracted many high-profile PGA Tour stars who later jumped to LIV, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.

The tournament was originally a DP World Tour stop, but the European circuit is also now being sued by LIV. The 2023 Saudi International is not officially part of LIV Golf’s schedule but is instead listed as an event on the Asian Tour, in which LIV invested more than $200 million last year. That distinction accounts for why the PGA Tour did not reverse precedent and deny releases to members, who are independent contractors.

The number of Tour members seeking waivers to play the Saudi International is down sharply from 2022, even allowing for the players who have since signed with LIV Golf.

Asked why Herbert has opted to play the event and whether he is concerned that doing so will alienate fellow PGA Tour members given the ongoing litigation, his agent Holman said: “He has played the event in the past, enjoys the golf course and it fits well into his playing schedule following the Dubai Desert Classic.”

Herbert has competed in the Saudi International for the past three years, with his best finish a tie for 21st in 2022. Young and Champ have never previously competed in the tournament.

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