On paper, it’s good news. At least, it’s good news for those who want the entry doors to LIV Golf to be a bit more open than they are now and, above all, based on meritocracy rather than handpicked contracts.
The Asian Tour announced this Monday that the top two ranked players in the International Series at the end of this year will earn playing rights in LIV Golf for 2026. This increases the number of spots compared to what has been offered since 2022.
A step forward that not only aims to enhance the relevance of these tournaments integrated into the Asian Tour calendar but is also a new nod towards the world ranking so that LIV Golf is considered a circuit that can receive points. Remember that one of the main obstacles for the Saudi league to be recognised by the world ranking was precisely the limited promotion and/or relegation options available.
As it stands, the International Series are in luck, as they become directly a more attractive competition with more incentives for those who compete in it. However, it remains to be seen if there’s a catch behind this decision. What do we mean? Well, the distribution of points for this series of tournaments throughout the year.
Right now, the two players who would receive those exemptions for LIV Golf in 2026 are Scott Vincent and Miguel Tabuena, first and second in the ranking, respectively. However, the current ranking is of little use if, as happened last year, the final International Series of the season, the PIF Saudi International, awards more than a thousand points to the champion. At the moment, after seven International Series events, the Zimbabwean has accumulated 325.59 points and the Filipino has 221.19. Only two remain to be played: the Moutai Singapore Open and the PIF Saudi International. In Singapore, the winner will receive 180 points, the same as McKibbin in Hong Kong, while in Saudi, if last year’s situation holds, the champion will take around a thousand. In other words, whatever happens during the year, the winner of the last tournament will be the ranking winner. It seems at least very unbalanced.
That’s what happened last year. Niemann only played two International Series and won the ranking after winning the last tournament. Needless to say, a very good part of the LIV Golf stars are present at the final event in Saudi. In other words, there is a high probability that the two spots will not be awarded and will end up in the hands of LIV players. At least if things remain as they were last year, since the Asian Tour has not yet revealed how the points will be distributed in Saudi Arabia this year.
If the PIF and the Asian Tour truly want the International Series to be a promotion circuit to LIV Golf, the solution is quite simple: either the same points are given in all tournaments throughout the year, and those two spots are awarded to the top-ranked players who do not already have their rights secured in LIV for the next year. It’s simple. We’ll see what they do this year.
Anyone could say: yes, but in the last tournament in Saudi Arabia, where so many points are distributed, there are not only LIV players. Come on, the rest should step up, win the tournament, and thus earn promotion. It’s very true, but the sporting injustice is undeniable, since the player who already has their spot in LIV secured for the next year competes that week with much more tranquillity, beyond the fact that, until proven otherwise, in general, the level of LIV Golf players is higher than that of the Asian Tour players. Taking it to the DP World Tour, it’s as if the PGA Tour cards didn’t count among those who already have the rights to the American circuit. The 10 cards would be a fallacy, since year after year a handful of players who already have that card end up at the top of the Race to Dubai.
In 2022, when barely any LIV players competed in the International Series, Scott Vincent earned promotion to LIV. In 2023 it was Andy Ogletree. And in 2024 it was left vacant due to what we just explained about Joaquín Niemann.
