Former South Korean tour money winner Lee Soo-min tied for eighth in the qualifying tournament for the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf, missing out on direct qualification for the lucrative circuit.
Lee finished the four-round LIV Golf Promotions at three-under 281 to tie for eighth place, after shooting a one-over 72 at Riyadh Golf Club in Riyadh on Saturday.
Golfers played 36 holes on Saturday. Lee had been tied for third at four-under after carding a 67 in the third round, three shots off the leader, Lee Chieh-po of Chinese Taipei.
With only the winner earning a spot in LIV Golf for 2025, Lee Soo-min, the 2019 KPGA Tour money leader and 2015 Rookie of the Year, couldn't overcome the gap over the final 18 holes, as Lee Chieh-po ended up winning the qualifying event at 10-under.
Lee Soo-min and other top-10 finishers earned exemptions into the International Series, which is made up of 10 Asian Tour tournaments with elevated prize money.
Among other South Koreans in the final stage, the 2023 KPGA Tour Player of the Year Ham Jeong-woo finished tied for 12th at two-under par, while Wang Jeung-hun, a three-time European Tour winner, was another stroke back in a tie for 14th. Lee Dai-han finished in 17th place at even par.
LIV Golf is bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It had its first season in 2022, featuring 54-hole, no-cut tournaments, massive purses and team competitions.
LIV Golf has been criticized for being part of Saudi Arabia's "sportswashing," referring to an effort by the country long accused of human rights violations to cleanse its public image through sports.
LIV Golf has shelled out big money to lure some of the PGA Tour's biggest names, including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm.
Last Tuesday, LIV Golf announced that Jang Yu-bin, the 2024 KPGA Tour Player of the Year, will play on Iron Heads Golf Club, one of the tour's 13 teams, in 2025. Jang is the first South Korean national to join LIV Golf. (Yonhap)
