'Field and Screen Star' Kim Hongtaek Aims for LIV Golf This Time

83 Players from 24 Countries Compete in LIV Golf Promotion
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Kim Hongtaek, 19-Time Winner Across Field and Screen, Takes on Challenge for Second Year

'Field and Screen Star' Kim Hongtaek Sets Sights on LIV Golf.

LIV Golf will hold its promotion event (with a total prize fund of 1.5 million dollars) over four days starting January 8 (local time) at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida, USA. The competition is fierce. A total of 83 players from 24 countries will compete for just three tickets. Sixty-three players will play in the first round, which serves as a qualifier, and the top 20 finishers (including ties) will advance to the second round.

In the second round, the survivors from the first round will compete alongside 20 players who received exemptions from qualifying. The top 20 players (including ties) will move on to the third and fourth rounds. The players who make it through will be ranked based on their combined scores over 36 holes in rounds three and four. The top three finishers will earn a spot in the 2026 LIV Golf season. Additionally, the top 10 finishers (including ties) will receive entry to the 2026 Asian Tour International Series.

Hongtaek Kim aims for a tour card by participating in the LIV Golf promotion. Photo by KPGA

This is Kim Hongtaek's second consecutive year taking on the challenge. He is a player who competes on both the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour and the G Tour, a screen golf tournament. Kim has accumulated 16 career wins on the G Tour and has also secured three victories on the KPGA Tour since 2017. In total, he has achieved 19 wins across field and screen golf.

If he finishes in the top three at this tournament, he will have the chance to secure a major financial windfall. This year, LIV Golf has set a total prize fund of 30 million dollars for each tournament (including 10 million dollars in team prize money). Even without a top finish, simply participating can bring substantial earnings. Last year, Jang Yubin played full-time on the LIV Golf tour and, despite never finishing inside the top 20, earned about 1.7 million dollars (2.46 billion won).

Including Kim Hongtaek, a total of eight Korean players will compete. Park Sungguk, Jeon Garam, and Kim Jaeho, all winners on last year's KPGA Tour, will participate. Kim Youngsoo, who has not won on the KPGA Tour, made the field as an invited player. Wang Junghoon, Lee Soomin, and Hwang Doyeon will advance directly to the second round thanks to their high rankings in the Asian Tour International Series and other qualifications.