The International Series Rankings race has taken on added significance after it was confirmed that the 32 highest-ranking players will be eligible to compete in the LIV Golf Promotions event which will take place at the Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia from 12-14 December.
The innovative stroke-play tournament will provide one golden ticket to the LIV Golf League 2025 season for the victor after a shootout-style four rounds in three days. The winner will join The International Series Rankings champion on the LIV Golf League roster next season.
Following the conclusion of the season, players ranked two to eight on The International Series Rankings will automatically receive a bye into the second round of the qualifying event, along with all tournament winners on The International Series and Asian Tour in 2024.
The next 25 eligible players from nine to 40 in the rankings will qualify for the first round.
Leading professionals and elite amateurs from around the world will also be eligible for entry into the tournament via a number of categories.
The promotions event will also offer a lifeline to the players relegated from the LIV Golf League at the end of the season, and for players who finished in the Open Zone on the standings, from 25th to 48th place, without a team commitment.
Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series, said: “The International Series has firmly established itself as the pathway onto the LIV Golf League, with the winner of The International Series Rankings gaining a place on the LIV Golf League roster. With this additional place being on offer to over 30 eligible players, it creates another exciting route to the LIV Golf League.
“Rankings points have added significance for players as one good performance or run at any stage between now and the end of the season could well see a surge up the rankings table. There is plenty to fight for, with five tournaments and over 13,500 points still on offer, as we head towards the conclusion of another successful season.”
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent earned a place on the Iron Heads GC team for two seasons in 2022 by finishing top of The International Series Rankings and American Andy Ogletree clinched victory at International Series England and Qatar last year, on his way to the rankings title and a place in the HyFlyers GC.
In last season’s inaugural LIV Golf Promotions event, a number of regulars on The International Series were in the mix before Scott’s brother Kieran Vincent and Jinichiro Kozuma won out in a play-off and clinched a life-changing place on the roster along with Kalle Samooja of Finland, who won the tournament outright.
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Vincent went on to play for the newly formed Legion XIII team including two-time major champion Jon Rahm, while Japan’s Kozuma joined Iron Heads GC and Samooja was snapped up by Cleeks GC.
The promotions event brought heartbreak for several stalwarts of The International Series, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. South Africa's Jaco Ahlers narrowly missed out on the playoff by just a single shot, while the Thai duo of Poom Saksansin and Suradit Yongcharoenchai found redemption, finishing in the top 10 and securing automatic exemptions into next season’s schedule.
High-profile champions on The International Series such as Ben Campbell, Wade Ormsby and Gaganjeet Bhullar also fell agonisingly short.
The lucrative LIV Golf League offers life-changing opportunity to the players battling it out on The International Series, and the golden ticket is highly sought after among the cream of the Asian Tour and players from all over the world.
LIV Golf features many of the world’s best golfers, with 13 teams and 54 players competing across the 2024 schedule for big-money prizes at stunning destinations across a 14-tournament schedule.
The tournament
The LIV Golf Promotions event consists of four rounds of 18-hole stroke play. The top 20 and ties from round one will advance to round two, where scores will automatically be reset and the field will be joined by the category of players with first-round byes which includes players ranked from two to eight on the rankings, winners of The International Series and winners from other Tours globally, and those relegated from the LIV Golf League or in the Open Zone without a team.
Following the second round, the top 20 will advance to the final day of competition, with a play-off if necessary to eliminate any tied players. The scores will reset once again for an intense 36-hole shootout on the final day.
Following Saturday’s conclusion, the winner will earn $200,000 and a lucrative spot in the LIV Golf League for 2025.
Players finishing second and third will earn prize money of $150,000 and $100,000 respectively, with players finishing second to 10th receiving full exemption for all 2025 events on The International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO of the Asian Tour said: “The Asian Tour was well represented last season at the inaugural LIV Golf Promotions event and we look forward to another strong turnout this season.
“The pathway and opportunities offered by The International Series are crucial for us in attracting quality golfers from all over the world, and giving the Asian Tour a much more global outlook and profile.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
