LECANTO, FL. – Three players will earn spots on the lucrative LIV Golf tour this weekend, and they know it won’t be easy.
Promotion to the Saudi-backed circuit is demanding. The qualifier started with 60 players from 24 countries on Thursday. The low 20 and ties – it turned out to be 29 players – advanced to Friday’s second round where they were joined by 18 players who earned exemptions off their play on the International Series or Korean, Japan, Asian, Australasia and Sunshine tours.
Another cut followed that round, and the top 20 and ties advanced to the final 36 holes Saturday and Sunday at the Tom Fazio-designed Ranch course at the 45-hole Black Diamond facility. Jeunghun Wang, of Korea, was low on Friday with a 65.
“For everyone out there striving for three cards it’s going to be a life-changer to be out there in LIV Golf and performing at the highest level,’’ said Richard T. Lee, who hopes to become the first player from Canada on the circuit. He survived with a 66 on Friday and Anthony Kim, who played on the circuit last year, also kept his hopes alive with a 69. That was the day’s cut number.
Lee just hopes to be in contention for LIV dollars, and he performed well for the first 36 holes in the Promotions event. In Round 1 he was low man by two shots after shooting a under-par 64. In Round 2 he posted a 66. Lee played the second round paired with Chase Koepka, brother of Brooks Koepka – a five-time winner in golf’s major championships who opted to drop off the Saudi circuit for its upcoming fifth season.
Citing family reasons for his decision , Brooks was the captain of the Smash team on the LIV circuit the last four years and Chase was a member of the four-man team the first two years. Then he encountered shoulder problems and didn’t play the last two years. He hoped to return to the circuit through the Promotions event but came up a shot short of advancing to the weekend rounds after shooting a 70 on Friday.
Koepka rallied with birdies at Nos. 11, 12 and 13 to get to 1-under-par — the cut number – but he made bogey on the last hole, which kept him from advancing.
Chicago was the site of LIV tournaments the last four years –the first two at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove and the last two at Bolingbrook Golf Club. Chicago’s not on the schedule for 2026 – at least not yet.
LIV has two tournament dates still to be filled. One, in the spring, will be held on foreign soil and the other – in the summer – will be a U.S. stop. That’s the only possibility for Chicago to retain a place on the LIV circuit.
The rival PGA Tour hasn’t had tournaments in Chicago on a regular basis in recent years, but the Presidents Cup will be played at Medinah in September.
