Course knowledge could be key in search for LIV Golf golden ticket

With one golden ticket to the LIV Golf League up for grabs at the LIV Golf Promotions event this week, the 93-strong field will be looking for any advantage they can get going into the innovative three-day, four-round tournament at Riyadh Golf Club from 12-14 December.

With The International Series and Asian Tour season-ender taking place last week at the same venue, a number of players will line up for a shot at glory in confident mood, having had a full tournament week to study the course.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond carded a final-day 65 last week to finish T34 at the $US5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, won by Joaquin Niemann, while Chinese rising star Sampson Zheng shot a 64 as he finished T29.

Jazz, a seven-time Asian Tour winner at just 29, qualified for this week’s event thanks to a 34th-placed finish on The International Series Rankings. He said: “Playing a course back-to-back is always a little different. It feels like we don't really get to do that often, but it definitely helps from the standpoint where we already played and some players didn't get to play last week.

“We definitely have an advantage there. But at the end of the day we go out there and we have to hit the shots. It's all out there in front of you anyway no matter what. Even if you play it for the first time, you can still compete with the guys who played last week.”

Sampson, who turned pro earlier this year, added: “I think having played the course six times already, I was able to take the last few days off and just condition my body, so in terms of that there's definitely a little bit of an advantage.”

The 23-year-old, who finished T4 at International Series England earlier this year, added: “I think once I go out there - because I've played the course so much - it's more doing and less thinking. Everything is just clear-cut and right in front of you.”

Taichi Kho from Hong Kong didn’t quite hit the same heights last week, finishing T59 on eight under.

But last year’s Asian Tour Rookie of the Year, who managed a T10 this season in England and a T6 recently at the Link Hong Kong Open, added: “At least for me, I play a practice round or two practice rounds per week. Even though I have the strategy in place for each week, as the tournament goes along, I learn more and more about the golf course. By the time I get to day four, I feel like I know the most about the golf course.

“This time we have the benefit of playing the same course two weeks in a row. I feel like my knowledge of spots to hit, and where to be aggressive or not is definitely to our advantage, and this level of detail that I know about the golf course almost feels like a home course. So I definitely think it's a big advantage.”

All three have experienced the exciting format for the LIV Golf Promotions event, with cuts on day one and two, reset scores and a gruelling 36-hole final day.

Jazz is hoping for a better performance after lasting just one round in Abu Dhabi last year, where he finished a disappointing four over to miss the cut. He said: “It's kind of go big or go home.

“Even if you don't have your best stuff on the golf course that day, you have to grind it out and just do your best, try to get to the next round because you don't need to win on the first day, you just need to get into that top 20 and just recuperate and go from there.”

Last year Taichi carded a finished T3 in his first round, but missed the play-off to get into the final-day top 20 for a 36-hole shoot-out by three shots.

He’s hoping for better this year, saying: “It's a fun format because the objective is clear and you just go out there and play your best. It's refreshing, really. It's a format that we don't really see anywhere else, and to have it this week for such a big opportunity, it raises the stakes, and I really enjoy that.”

Last year Sampson made it to the final day by finishing five under and T6 on round two. His T11 finish overall was impressive considering his amateur status at the time.

He said: “It's a different format from last week, and I think because it's a qualifier, everybody is going to be playing more aggressive. I think the common goal is to win, so I truly believe that the player who wants it the most at the end of the day is going to end up getting a spot.”

‍