Korean professional golfer Wang Jeung-hun plays during the final round of Men's Golf of the Rio Olympics at the Barra Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 14, 2016. Joint Press Corps
Korea's Wang Jeung-hun has advanced to the next phase in the qualifying tournament for the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf after leading all players in the opening round in Riyadh.
Wang fired a seven-under 64 at Riyadh Golf Club on Thursday (local time) to finish first in the first round of LIV Golf Promotions.
"Some lucky shots went in, including some long putts, which helped me play well heading into tomorrow," said Wang, who has won three times on the European Tour (currently DP World Tour).
The top 20 players and ties all qualified for Friday's second round, where they will be up against 28 players who earned exemptions into that stage.
Lee Jung-hwan was the only other South Korean to survive the first round, thanks to his 66. Lee ranked eighth on the KPGA Tour's money list in 2024.
Scores will be reset for the second round, and the top 20 players — no ties — will advance to the 36-hole final stage Saturday.
Only the winner will earn a spot for the 2025 season, and the top 10 and ties will earn exemptions into the International Series, which is made up of 10 Asian Tour tournaments with elevated prize money.
Among those who will begin their play in the second round are some of the top players on the KPGA Tour: Kim Hong-taek (third on the money list this year), Cho Woo-young (fourth) and Lee Dai-han (ninth). Ham Jeong-woo, the 2023 KPGA Tour Player of the Year, will be playing in his second straight LIV Golf Promotions.
LIV Golf is bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It had its first season in 2022, featuring 54-hole, no-cut tournaments, massive purses and team competitions.
LIV Golf has faced criticism for being part of Saudi Arabia's "sportswashing," referring to an effort by the country long accused of human rights violations to cleanse its public image through sports.
LIV Golf has shelled out big money to lure some of the PGA Tour's biggest names, including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm.
On Tuesday, LIV Golf announced that Jang Yu-bin, the 2024 KPGA Tour Player of the Year, will play on Iron Heads Golf Club, one of the tour's 13 teams, in 2025. Jang, who had been set to play in the PGA Tour's qualifying tournament this week, became the first South Korean national to join LIV Golf. (Yonhap)
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