Richard T. Lee (-11), Bjorn Hellgren (-6) and Anthony Kim (-5) have secured playing rights for LIV Golf for 2026. They were the top three in the LIV Golf Promotions that concluded this Sunday at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida. Additionally, Lucas Bjerregaard (-3), Jeunghun Wang (-3), Sarit Suwannarut (-3), Kieran Vincent (-3), Oliver Bekker (-2), Jazz Janewattananond (-2), Takanori Konishi (-2), Matt Jones (-2), Cory Crawford (-2) and Christopher Wood (-2) gain access to all International Series tournaments in 2026.
Anthony Kim is back. In every sense. Literally and metaphorically. He has returned to LIV Golf after losing his membership this year. He has done it through hard work. He has done it in the most meritocratic way possible. Through the School. Getting his hands dirty. No privileges. A standing ovation for the American. He has shown that he is more than just a showpiece to be used for propaganda. He claimed he felt better, that he still feels he can compete with the best, and he wasn’t bluffing. Three rounds under 70 shots catapult him back to the Saudi league. A third chance in his career. And something tells us he might make a splash this time…
Kim signed a card of 69 shots in this fourth and final round. Don’t think it was a walk in the park. He struggled and had to roll up his sleeves. He started with a bogey right off the bat, on the first hole, but responded well with two birdies on holes 7 and 9. It seemed everything was back on track and that no one would take his spot in LIV, but a bogey on the 10th put it in doubt again. Nothing better to dispel doubts than another birdie on the 11th. The situation was under control, but tight. A birdie on the 16th secured the path. The bogey on the 18th was within expectations, as the job was done.
Anthony Kim is also back metaphorically because his recent performances indicate so. He has made the cut in his last three world ranking tournaments and finished 5th in his last appearance before the School. It was at the Saudi International won by Josele Ballester. Yes, he’s back. How far will he go? We’ll see. But he looks like he could be a factor in some LIV tournaments in 2026. Will he be able to qualify for a Major? It’s his big goal and, without a doubt, it would be one of the big stories of this year.
Beyond Kim, absolute honours go to Canadian Richard T. Lee. He won the School with -11 over two days, making a bogey on his penultimate hole. His total over the four days, as he was not exempt in the first round, was -21. Sensational. It wasn’t an easy course, but this player, coming from the Asian Tour, played a different game. Meanwhile, Hellgren staged the comeback of the day with a fantastic card of 64 shots this Sunday. It’s amazing how this player’s life has changed in recent weeks. He achieved his first victory in the Asian Tour in the final event of the circuit in Saudi Arabia and now secures LIV Golf rights.
Let’s remember that these three players will compete individually next year, as will the two coming from the International Series. Two of the three who secured the card were exempt from the first round, as were eight of the 14 who made it into the International Series.
Surely, the biggest disappointment was Matt Jones, who misses out on LIV and will have to make a living on the Asian Tour and the International Series, just like Irishman Max Kennedy. He was fully in the fight to enter LIV and ultimately ended up out of everything with a card of 76 shots.
