'Opening Pathways': LIV Golf CEO Announces Expanded 2026 Opportunities
2026 LIV Golf League to Feature 57 Players, Including 13 Teams and Five Wild Card Players
Wild Card Spots to Be Awarded to Top Three Finishers at LIV Golf Promotions, January 8-11, 2026, at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida
More than 80 Players Representing 24 Different Countries Confirmed to Compete for Coveted Spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League and International Series
NEW YORK – LIV Golf today announced it has increased its regular season field size and enhanced the qualifying opportunities for 2026 in the third edition of LIV Golf Promotions, set for January 8–11, 2026, at the acclaimed Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida. The four-day, 72-hole stroke play event presents one of the most dynamic entry points into the global golf ecosystem, offering coveted spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League and The International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Beginning this February, LIV Golf’s regular season field size will increase to 57 players, with 13 four-player teams and five Wild Card players competing throughout the League’s global schedule. LIV Golf Promotions will now reward the top three finishers with full-season Wild Card spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League, an increase from the two spots previously announced. The top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into the 2026 International Series, the set of elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour. The move further enhances the pathways into LIV Golf from 2025 to 2026, with an increase in exemptions from one to two players through The International Series and an increase from one to three players through LIV Golf Promotions. The five qualifying players will compete independently as Wild Cards in 2026 with guaranteed spots in the League’s 13 regular season events.
"LIV Golf is committed to moving the sport forward by expanding opportunity and access," said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil. "We are opening pathways—creating more chances for top talent to compete in the world’s golf league. Adding another qualifying spot strengthens our field and adds excitement to a season built on opportunity, competition, and growth."
The top three finishers in LIV Golf Promotions will enter the 2026 LIV Golf League alongside Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, who sealed their spots as the top two players in the final rankings of the 2025 International Series, which concluded last month at the 2025 PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Riyadh Golf Club.
Highlighting the global aspect of the LIV Golf League, leading players from all over the world are eligible to participate in LIV Golf Promotions, with 83 players representing 24 countries registered to compete. This year’s field features a strong blend of emerging global talent and proven professionals, with an average age of 30 years old, including former top-50-ranked players, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup participants, winners on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour, and additional rising stars in the game. Forty-seven of the 87 players have won an event in the past two years, including 32 different tournament winners in 2025 (all events eligible with the Official World Golf Ranking / World Amateur Golf Ranking).
LIV Golf Promotions will consist of four rounds of 18-hole stroke play. Starting Thursday, January 8, those who finish in the top 20 and ties from round one will advance to Friday’s round two, where scores will reset, and the field will be joined by a category of players who automatically qualified for day two of competition. The top 20 players and any ties following round two will advance to the third day of competition, with scores reset once more. An intense two-day, 36-hole shootout will commence, and at Sunday’s conclusion, the top three finishers will earn three highly coveted spots in the LIV Golf League for 2026, as well as $200,000 for first place, $150,000 for second place, and $100,000 for third place. The top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into the 2026 International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour. LIV Golf Promotions offers a total prize purse of US $1.5 million.
The current field features many standout names, including:
Chris Wood (England): 2016 Ryder Cup player and three-time European Tour winner
Pablo Ereno (Spain): 2025 Palmer Cup player and former sixth-ranked player in World Amateur Golf Rankings
Miguel Tabuena (Philippines): Two-time Olympian and third-ranked player in 2025 International Series standings
Christopher Wood (Australia): Current top-ranked player on the PGA Tour of Australasia
Alex Levy (France): Five-time DP World Tour winner
LIV Golf League players without a 2026 team commitment who finished the season in the Open Zone (25th-48th), as well as relegated players (49th-54th), also have an opportunity to secure their playing rights for the 2026 season.
Several returning LIV Golf players are entered in the field, including Ben Campbell, who competed with RangeGoats GC and finished the season ranked 36th in the LIV Golf standings; Matt Jones, formerly of Ripper GC, who concluded the year in 40th place; and Anthony Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner and former world No. 6 who was a member of the victorious 2008 United States Ryder Cup team, finishing the season ranked 55th. Each will be competing to regain their League status for 2026.
This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.
