It began with a crowded field and the promise of something special at Riyadh Golf Club.
By the end of Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Promotions, the action had thinned to a streamlined pack of 21 survivors who showed their mettle against a demanding course and a pressure-packed format.
Among them: a former college roommate of Jon Rahm, emerging pros from Brazil and Hong Kong, and a competitor forced to rely on borrowed equipment.
If the LIV Golf Promotions First Round Leaderboard is any indication, things are just getting interesting.
Those 21 now brace themselves for a new challenge. They’ll be joined by 28 exempt players rolling into Friday’s second round, with everyone’s scorecard wiped clean.
The field starts from scratch, and the top 20 (no ties, please) will progress to Saturday’s 36-hole finale.
For one champion, a spot in the 2025 LIV Golf League awaits. Meanwhile, those finishing inside the top 10 with ties can pencil in a travel schedule next year on the International Series circuit. In short, it’s a carrot on a stick that few can resist.
Korea’s Jeunghun Wang snared the opening-round spotlight by birdieing his last hole to seize a 7-under 64.
That landed him atop the LIV Golf Promotions First Round Leaderboard. “Some lucky shots went in, including some long putts, which helped me play well heading into tomorrow,” Wang said.
With that, he provided a tidy summation of his day’s work. Behind him, five players found their way to 65, and nine landed at 66, all scrambling to catch fire before the re-rack.
Speaking of 66, it seemed like the magic pass number. Six players sneaked through on 4-under 67, including some who likely walked off the final green with the subtle relief of a near-miss.
Meanwhile, the rest of the field—43 of them—found themselves on the sidelines, left to wonder what might have been.
This is the kind of drama that makes the LIV Golf Promotions First Round Leaderboard such a story worth following.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho provided a thrilling performance, carding a 6-under round fueled by a monstrous 355-yard drive at the par-5 15th, setting up an eagle that helped secure his place in the next stage.
It was a near replay of last year’s effort when Kho advanced from the first round before falling short later.
This time, he’s fully aware of the tournament’s unique restart format. “Last year I couldn’t get past the fact that it was a clean reset after round 1,” Kho said.
“Going into tomorrow, it’s important for me to just understand it’s a completely new day.”
Germany’s Max Rottluff also fired a 6-under effort, rallying with five birdies over his last seven holes.
Rottluff’s college days at Arizona State placed him alongside luminaries like Jon Rahm, the Legion XIII captain and 2024 Individual Champion. Another Sun Devil roommate, Alberto Sanchez, now caddies for Fireballs GC’s David Puig.
Rottluff’s connections run deep, and the idea of joining them at the professional team level has lit a spark.
“We still talk quite a bit and whatnot, so it would be a dream come true to join those guys,” he said. A
s Rottluff explained a week spent with Rahm at the tail end of 2022 reaffirmed his belief in his own game: “I was considering giving it up … and I spent a week with him, and that really kind of straightened out my head.”
Among those shooting 65 was South Africa’s Ian Snyman, who once joined Cleeks GC during LIV Golf’s debut season. Snyman keeps a line open to his fellow South Africans.
“I’ve been talking to Charl [Schwartzel] and Gracey [Branden Grace] and asking how things have changed over the last two years,” he said.
“That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re giving it a shot, and we’ll see what happens.”
The intrigue continued with Mexico’s 22-year-old Jose Islas, who took the phrase “use what you’ve got” to a new level.
Without his own clubs—lost somewhere en route—he borrowed a set from his caddie’s friend.
Different model, different feel, but he still shot 66, thanks to five straight birdies. “I think it’s not about the clubs, it’s more about how I thought the shots that I was going to hit,” Islas said. “I think that’s why it really worked.”
Others made their mark quietly. Brazil’s Fred Biondi, a recent NCAA Individual Champion from Florida’s title-winning team, posted a bogey-free 66.
Spain’s Luis Masaveu, just 21 and a former U.S. Amateur semifinalist, also nailed 66.
Over in one particularly electric trio, Ireland’s Mark Power (66), Spain’s Borja Virto (66), and England’s David Horsey (67) all advanced.
“The round has a nice feeling,” Virto said. “Everyone is in good spirits,” added Power.
For the Americans, Bo Hoag rolled out a bogey-free 65 in his first overseas competitive adventure.
“I’ve actually never played overseas,” he admitted after tackling the long haul to Riyadh.
Ollie Schniederjans survived right at the cut with a 67, forging ahead into the unknown.
If someone like Hoag can rise to the top by week’s end, he’ll trade his current U.S.-only schedule for a global ticket in 2025. “I think it would be fun,” he said, anticipating the next step of his career.
With the first day in the books, the reset button now beckons. The LIV Golf Promotions First Round Leaderboard was merely the opening curtain.
Twenty players have a chance to push through to that final day, and with it, a foot in the door of a circuit defined by competition, camaraderie, and the chance to make their mark on the evolving landscape of professional team golf.
PLAYERS ADVANCING FROM ROUND 1
| Score | Player(s) |
|---|---|
| 64 (-7) | Jeunghun Wang (Korea) |
| 65 (-6) | Max Rottluff (Germany), Taichi Kho (Hong Kong), Kazuki Higa (Japan), Ian Snyman (South Africa), Bo Hoag (USA) |
| 66 (-5) | Jose Islas (Mexico), Brett Rankin (Australia), Mark Power (Ireland), Borja Virto (Spain), Luis Masaveu (Spain), Stefano Mazzoli (Italy), Junghwan Lee (Korea), Gunn Charoenkul (Thailand), Fred Biondi (Brazil) |
| 67 (-4) | David Horsey (England), Ross McGowan (England), D. Horsey (England), Gaganjeet Bhullar (India), Chase Hanna (USA), Luis Carrera (Mexico), Ollie Schniederjans (USA) |
ROUND 2 EXEMPT PLAYERS
| Player | Achievement |
|---|---|
| William Bruyeres (Australia) | Won PGA Tour of Australasia’s PNG Open in August. |
| Jack Buchanan (Australia) | Highest-ranked player in field (4th) from PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. |
| Ben Campbell (New Zealand) | Highest-ranked player (3rd) in field from The International Series final standings. |
| Phoenix Campbell (Australia) | Won PGA Tour of Australasia’s Queensland PGA in November. |
| John Catlin (USA) | Won two Asian Tour events; 4th in International Series points; made five LIV Golf starts as a reserve in 2024. |
| Wooyoung Cho (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s The Charity Classic in October; 5th in Korean Order of Merit. |
| Brett Coletta (Australia) | Won PGA Tour of Australasia’s Vic Open in February. |
| Daniel Gale (Australia) | Won PGA Tour of Australasia’s Webex Players Series Hunter Valley in February. |
| Branden Grace (South Africa) | Won LIV Golf’s first U.S.-based tournament in 2022 as a member of Stinger GC. |
| Matthew Griffin (Australia) | Won PGA Tour of Australasia’s Heritage Classic in January. |
| Jeongwoo Ham (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s Golfzon-Toray Open in September. |
| Chanwoo Kim (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s KPGA Classic in May. |
| Hongtaek Kim (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s Maekyung Open in May. |
| Ryosuke Kinoshita (Japan) | Won Japan Tour’s Mizuno Open in May. |
| Jbe Kruger (South Africa) | Won Asian Tour’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters in October. |
| Lee Chieh-po (Chinese Taipei) | Won International Series Thailand in October; 7th in International Series points. |
| Daihan Lee (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s KPGA Tour Championship in November. |
| Dongmin Lee (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s Dong-A Membership Exchange Group Open in November. |
| Soomin Lee (Korea) | Won Korean Tour’s KJ Choi Invitational in October. |
| Richard T. Lee (Canada) | Won Asian Tour’s BNI Indonesian Masters in November; 5th in International Series points. |
| Steve Lewton (England) | Won Asian Tour’s Mandiri Indonesian Open in September. |
| MJ Maguire (USA) | Won Asian Tour’s Black Mountain Championship in October; 8th in International Series points. |
| Suteepat Prateeptienchai (Thailand) | Won twice on Asian Tour and once on Thailand Tour in 2024. |
| Kalle Samooja (Finland) | Earned medalist honors at 2023 Promotions and played for Cleeks GC this season. |
| Hudson Swafford (USA) | Played the 2024 LIV Golf season as a Wild Card. |
| Kieran Vincent (Zimbabwe) | Played for Legion XIII after earning a LIV Golf spot at the 2023 Promotions tournament. |
| Scott Vincent (Zimbabwe) | Played full-time on LIV Golf the first three years, the last two with Iron Heads GC. |
| Rattanon Wannasrichan (Thailand) | Won Asian Tour’s SJM Macao Open in October. |
