LIV Golf recently added a new player through the Promotions event

LIV Golf added a new member.

The league held a 36-hole shootout final at its Promotion event on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, crowning one of the 92-player qualifiers. Chieh-po Lee, a 30-year-old Asian Tour pro who goes by the name “Max,” was the man on the ground on the day, beating an international crowd that included a mix of former LIV pros, Asian Tour talents and well. – a well-known American former PGA Tour pro.

The field has been cut to 20 players for Saturday’s back-to-back rounds at Riyadh Golf Club, and Lee shot a seven-under 64 in the morning to take a two-stroke lead. He then shot three under for the afternoon, tying things up with a birdie on the par-3 17th to earn his way to LIV for the first time. He will be the first Taiwanese player in LIV.

“It means a lot to me because I’ve been playing on the Asian Tour for many years, with LIV Golf, I think that’s the goal of every player, the goal of every player,” said Lee. LIV maintained a relationship with the Asian Tour, sponsoring its associated international series and promoted the winner of that series to LIV. “On the LIV Tour, every player I think is very strong. I think I have something to learn. I will learn something.”

LIV’S NOT DIFFERENT

Lee’s promotion marks the end of the road – for now, at least – for several players relegated to the LIV division. Branden Grace, Kieran Vincent, Scott Vincent, Kalle Samooja and Bubba Watson were cut at the end of the LIV season but had a chance to return for the Promotion event. Grace came closest, finishing T2 eight under par. Each will receive an exemption from the International Series on the 2025 Asian Tour.

“Business Case”?

There is still one lifeline available for at least two of those heroes, however. LIV admitted that, if the team made a “business case” to keep the outfielder, he could return next season. It is thought that Watson, who did not play in the Promotions event, will return as captain of the Range Goats — Masters champions tend to be good at business. But LIV also mentioned in their post-Promotions release that Grace may return for a business case, too. Time will tell for the two-time PGA Tour winner, who has played in the South African Stinger GC.

OLLIE’S BIDI

The week also marked a close call for Ollie Schniederjans, the American champion who spent many years as an emerging talent on the PGA Tour. Schniederjans last played on Tour in 2019 – where he will be remembered as the owner of a good stinger, and the rare champion who played without a helmet – has been coming out again on the Korn Ferry Tour for the past few seasons and showed he still has a lot of game to play on the way to Saturday and finish T4 with five under section.

“I’m very confident about where everything is going, but to come out and do it – I had to hit a lot of cool putts under pressure, so it was really nice to see that,” Schniederjans said. “It gave me more confidence. But I am very optimistic about my future.”

He will have the option to play in the International Series due to his top ten finish. Australia’s Brett Coletta and Jack Buchanan, who tied for fourth at five-under, Germany’s Max Rottluff, who finished solo at seventh at four-under and Korea’s Soomin Lee and David Horsey of England, who finished T-8 at three-under will also receive an exemption from the International Series.

It’s unclear which LIV team Lee will land on; it’s been a quiet start to the free league season.

WHY LIV CENTERS NOW?

It is also unclear what the future of the Promotions event will be. It was first contested last season, apparently as a way to appease criticism from the Official World Golf Ranking that LIV was a closed shop. There were three spots available last season but, after LIV left the OWGR points quest, one this year. Two of last year’s promoted pros – Kalle Samooja and Kieran Vincent – were defeated at the end of the year, while a third, Jinichiro Kozuma, finished 45th in the Order of Merit. LIV’s rosters are mostly filled with free agency, so mixing in these advanced talents can make team building difficult.

As LIV’s sponsor, the Saudi PIF, continues negotiations with the PGA Tour, the league is preparing for its 2025 season. The first event will return to Riyadh Golf Club on Feb. 6-8.