In the midst of LIV Golf Promotions Round two, a fierce lineup of hopefuls faced a tough assignment on Friday at Riyadh Golf Club.
No one emerged more determined than Scott Vincent, who fired an 8-under 63 to lead the charge.
While Vincent’s round stole the spotlight, Ollie Schniederjans also refused to be overlooked, surviving a sudden-death scenario that could make for the kind of sporting drama fans will be buzzing about for years.
Come Saturday, 20 players will battle through 36 gruelling holes. The leaderboard gets wiped clean before the third round’s shotgun start, then re-paired for a final round launching from both the first and 10th tees.
At stake is nothing short of a place in the 2025 LIV Golf League for the winner. Those finishing inside the top 10 and ties gain entry into every International Series event next year—a golden ticket if ever there was one.
Vincent is no stranger to the LIV Golf scene, having earned and retained status through The International Series since 2022.
After two solid seasons inside the top-24 Lock Zone, he found himself relegated this year. His old team, Iron Heads GC, may have moved on, but Vincent is looking to earn his way back onto the big stage with a strong finish.
As Vincent put it: “It would be amazing,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and compete and give it my absolute best, but I’m going to be just fine either way. That’s the approach I’m using.”
Ben Campbell from New Zealand nearly matched Vincent’s fireworks, carding a 7-under 64. He’s the highest-ranked International Series player in the field and finished just shy of an automatic LIV Golf spot this year.
Campbell made a handful of appearances as a LIV Golf reserve in 2024, and he knows the stakes could not be higher: “It would be massive to get over the line tomorrow,” said Campbell, “but there’s a lot of golf.”
Meanwhile, Vincent’s younger brother, Kieran, also survived to see Saturday. He’s familiar with this turf, having secured a LIV Golf roster position last year after Promotions.
Now, both brothers are lodged together in Riyadh, hoping to share final-day leaderboard airspace.
“We love each other. We want the best for each other,” said Kieran, who shot a 6-under 65.
“We want to compete at the highest level. If it’s not you, it’s him, that kind of attitude.
Obviously, it’s super-cool to be playing out there looking at leaderboards and seeing your brother up there. You can’t script it any better than that.”
Scott shares the sentiment, to a point: “Of course I want him to do really well,” he said, “but at the same time I want to be just one step ahead of him, and I’m sure he wants the exact same thing.”
Branden Grace, formerly of Stinger GC, also advanced after a 66, while fellow relegated player Kalle Samooja (Cleeks GC) bowed out following a 72.
Samooja’s early exit is a stark reminder that this is no walk in the park, even for previous standouts.
Hudson Swafford, playing on a LIV Golf Wild Card, also found himself watching from the sidelines after missing the cut.
For players like Campbell, the finality of the situation looms. He finished third in the season-long International Series race, barely missing an automatic invite. Now it’s do-or-die: can he thread the needle this weekend?
Elsewhere, Jack Buchanan of Australia clawed his way into the final day with a late surge of three straight birdies after a bogey at the 14th.
His approach shot out of sandy lies on 18 became a nail-biter, but he found a way to save par and avoid a playoff at 4-under.
Asked about what a Promotions victory would mean, Buchanan did not mince words: “It would mean everything. I don’t even know how to explain it. It would change your life a bit.”
Canada has a stake in this too, as Richard T. Lee hovers in the mix after posting a 67.
He knows what a victory could mean for his home country: “It’s crossed my mind for sure,” Lee said. “If I do make it, I think it would make a big impact on Canada.”
Max Rottluff, Germany’s contribution to this showdown and a former college roommate of Jon Rahm at Arizona State, gave himself a lifeline by sinking a 60-foot birdie putt on 18 to also shoot 67.
He chose not to peek at leaderboards, trusting his instincts until that last hopeful stroke dropped.
“I didn’t look at the leaderboard prior to hole 18,” Rottluff said, “… but I had a feeling that 4-under is probably going to put me in a better spot than 3-under.”
Not everyone could dodge the playoff. Korea’s Hongtaek Kim dropped a critical shot late in his round, missing a must-have birdie at the end that would’ve spared him extra stress.
Instead, he joined a tense six-for-one playoff scramble with Koreans Junghwan Lee and Wooyoung Kho, Americans Schniederjans and MJ Maguire, and Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli.
Two made birdies immediately—Schniederjans and Maguire—extending the tension.
They proceeded to match each other’s brilliance until the third playoff hole. Schniederjans finally emerged victorious after a nerve-shredding wedge shot and a clutch birdie putt.
“I thought for sure I needed probably to birdie it two in a row,” said Schniederjans. “I actually felt fortunate that only two of us birdied the first go. So, once it got to two-for-one, I was more nervous at that point.”
It’s a pivotal moment for Schniederjans. Once a top-ranked amateur dealing with various injuries, he’s eager to prove he’s still got the game to compete at the highest level: “I want to play against the best players in the world again,” he said.
“I think I’m coming back to I’m fully healthy. I’ve been through a lot, and I just want to prove myself again and get that opportunity.”
He’ll have no shortage of motivation as he grinds through 36 holes on Saturday, aiming to join the 2025 LIV Golf League roster.
Saturday promises an early start and a punishing test of stamina. With two rounds on the menu, nobody can afford to fade.
The prize, after all, is immense: a guaranteed spot in next year’s LIV Golf League. Kieran Vincent knows the drill, having braved Promotions before.
“Fortunate enough to be in this situation previously,” he said. “We’ll try and draw on some of that, try and conserve energy for tomorrow because it’s a long day, action-packed, so anything can happen.”
There’s no understating the physical toll of a 36-hole marathon. Taichi Kho of Hong Kong noted his college golf experience has him well-prepared: “36 holes is something I’m very comfortable with,” he said.
“I played four years of college golf at Notre Dame, and we played a lot of 36-hole days.” He knows a balanced approach pays dividends: manage the highs, minimise the lows, and keep a steady head.
England’s David Horsey and Steve Lewton also remain alive, though they’ll need every ounce of grit to handle a long day on firm ground. “It’ll be interesting,” said Horsey.
“Especially the legs. It’s quite firm ground and you find the legs ache a bit, the calves a bit. Walking on the sand between tees and fairways is quite heavy. Hopefully the legs will hold up.”
On Saturday, LIV Golf Promotions Round two concludes, and some dreams will be realised while others drift away.
Whoever emerges will have navigated playoffs, pressure, and leg-burning endurance to claim a coveted place in next season’s LIV Golf League.
| Player | Country | Score | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Vincent | Zimbabwe | 63 | Played full-time on LIV Golf the first three years, the last two with Iron Heads GC. |
| Ben Campbell | New Zealand | 64 | Highest-ranked player (3rd) in field from The International Series final standings. |
| Kieran Vincent | Zimbabwe | 65 | Played for Legion XIII after earning a LIV Golf spot at the 2023 Promotions tournament. |
| Jeongwoo Ham | Korea | 66 | Four professional wins, including three on the DP World Tour; Rookie of the Year winner in 2016. |
| Gunn Charoenkul | Thailand | 66 | Has 12 professional wins across five different tours; finished T14 in last year’s Promotions tournament. |
| Branden Grace | South Africa | 66 | Won LIV Golf’s first U.S.-based tournament in 2022; finished 2nd and 9th in individual points in first two seasons. |
| David Horsey | England | 66 | Has six career wins, including four on the DP World Tour. |
| Daihan Lee | Korea | 66 | Won Korean Tour’s KPGA Tour Championship in November. |
| Jack Buchanan | Australia | 67 | Two-time winner this year on PGA Tour of Australasia; fourth on Order of Merit. |
| Brett Coletta | Australia | 67 | Has three career wins, including two since 2023 on PGA Tour of Australasia. |
| Taichi Kho | Hong Kong | 67 | Became first player from Hong Kong to win on the Asian Tour with victory at the World City Championship in 2023. |
| Richard T. Lee | Canada | 67 | Won Asian Tour’s BNI Indonesian Masters in November; 5th in International Series points. |
| Lee Chieh-Po | Chinese Taipei | 67 | Won International Series Thailand in October; 7th in International Series points. |
| Soomin Lee | Korea | 67 | Won Korean Tour’s KJ Choi Invitational in October; has six career wins. |
| Steve Lewton | England | 67 | Won Asian Tour’s Mandiri Indonesian Open in September; finished 20th in last year’s Promotions tournament. |
| Suteepat Prateeptienchai | Thailand | 67 | Won twice on Asian Tour and once on Thailand Tour in 2024. |
| Max Rottluff | Germany | 67 | Has four professional wins, including two in 2023 on the Challenge Tour. |
| Borja Virto | Spain | 67 | Has four career pro wins, including two on Challenge Tour in 2015; played collegiately at Iowa State. |
| Ollie Schniederjans | USA | 68 | Former top-ranked amateur from Georgia Tech who has one professional win. |
They’ve made it this far; now it’s time to see who has the finishing kick.
