‘Entry into LIV Golf’... ‘The Lucky Winner Has Been Decided’

3 Players Confirmed at LIV Golf Promotion Tournament
Samoya, Vincent, Gozma Secure 1st to 3rd Place Tickets
All Korean Players Eliminated, Fail to Enter LIV

Kalle Samooja (Finland) will join LIV Golf next year.

Samooja finished with an 8-under-par 136 in the 36-hole final round of the LIV Golf Promotion Tournament (total prize money $1.5 million) held on the 10th (local time) at Abu Dhabi Golf Club (par 72, 7,632 yards) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), securing the victory. He turned professional in 2010 and has mainly competed on the DP World Tour. He won his first title last June at the Porsche European Open. His world ranking is 286th.

Jinichiro Gozuma, Kale Samoya, and Kieran Vincent (from left) pose biting their medals after finishing in the top three at the LIV Golf Promotion Tournament.
[Photo by LIV Golf]

The remaining two spots were decided after a playoff. Jinichiro Kozuma (Japan), Kieran Vincent (Zimbabwe), and Rory Canter (England) were tied at 7-under-par 137 and entered a playoff. In the second playoff hole played on the 18th hole (par 5), Vincent made a birdie while Kozuma made par, securing the last two spots. Canter collapsed with a double bogey after hitting his second shot into the water. All Korean players, including Ham Jeong-woo and Lee Jeong-hwan, unfortunately missed out.

The tournament was played as a 72-hole stroke play event. The top 20 players tied after the first round advanced to the second round, where scores were reset, competing against players who directly entered the second round. After the second round, players finishing within the top 20 tied competed in a 36-hole final round on the last day with scores reset again. The top three players earned the right to participate in LIV Golf next year. Players ranked 4th to 10th will compete in tournaments co-hosted by LIV Golf and the Asian Tour.