For LIV Golf players, whose tournaments don’t award Official World Golf Ranking points, securing spots in the majors becomes a truly difficult mission. They have to study every possible pathway in depth and, when they find one, be sharp enough not to let it slip away. That looked to be in their hands this week on the Asian Tour, but it could end up getting complicated at the last minute…
Over the first two rounds of the Link Hong Kong Open—an event that this year hands out a direct ticket to both the Masters Tournament and The Open Championship—Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin (-20), Jon Rahm’s teammate on the Saudi tour’s Legion XIII, dominated with an iron fist, opening with a tremendous 10-under on Thursday and staying on top while extending his lead on Friday with a five-under. But moving day has brought dangerous challengers to the fore…
And not only for him, but also for players such as Peter Uihlein (-18), Charles Howell III (-16), or Louis Oosthuizen (-16)—the standouts after 54 holes among the sizeable LIV Golf contingent in the tournament, in some cases because of a contractual obligation to play a series of Asian Tour events and, in most cases, because this Hong Kong Open offered a fast-track passport to two of the 2026 majors, just as the Spanish Open did a month ago.
McKibbin, with seven birdies and two bogeys to match the 65 he signed yesterday, just about managed to keep the solo lead at the buzzer. However, his cushion is down to a single shot over one of the “intruders” in the Saudi-tour pack, American M.J. Maguire (-19), a player who, after stints on PGA Tour Latinoamérica and the Korn Ferry Tour, is building his career on the Asian Tour, which he reached via Q-School.
The veteran Scott Hend (-17), as well as Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-17)—a true “machine gun” when it comes to pulling the trigger—are pressing their chances of leaving the petro-dollars circuit boys without those coveted spots for Augusta National and Royal Birkdale. All of them are chasing the double jackpot, along with the aforementioned Howell III and Oosthuizen—the only player in the field already assured of a place in The Open and whose goal this week is the Masters.
For the Spaniards, the fight for major passports at this Hong Kong Open is already a mission impossible. David Puig (-12) climbed a couple of spots on Saturday with a 66 (six birdies, two bogeys) but is far from the lead. A top-10—three shots away—could be his target tomorrow. The same goes for Josele Ballester (-11), who, after yesterday’s stall, regained momentum with a 65. Eugenio Chacarra (-8), for his part, is near the bottom among those who made the cut, close to the defending champion Patrick Reed (-9), who is not having his best week.
