https://www.scmp.com/rss/517900/feed The latest stories and features on golfer Sergio Garcia, including professional golf news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Josh Ball Josh Ball Soft fairways and receptive greens mean players will need a fast start at LIV Golf Hong Kong on Thursday, and while all eyes may naturally be on the likes of Jon Rahm and Anthony Kim, this could be the week Lucas Herbert finally breaks through. The Australian has made a strong start to the season, finishing ninth and sixth in the individual contest at the first two tournaments in Riyadh and Adelaide. In the two weeks between competing in front of home fans and arriving in Asia, he headed to the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345439/liv-golf-hong-kong-form-lucas-herbert-hoping-fast-start-will-help-him-break-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345439/liv-golf-hong-kong-form-lucas-herbert-hoping-fast-start-will-help-him-break-through?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:14 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter Imagine pulling up a palm‑lined drive where classic Cadillacs are parked and the likes of Patrick Schwarzenegger, Abby Champion, Iman, MGK, Lionel Richie, Sergio Pérez and Park Soo-joo are lounging on a red, white and blue pool deck. What you have is Tommy Hilfiger’s Palm Beach fantasy recut for 2026 – an ultimate, cross-generational spring party, where music legends mingle effortlessly with race drivers and TikTok-era names in a celebration of classic American cool. “For 40 years, I built my... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3344812/style-edit-tommy-hilfigers-spring-2026-collection-recuts-classic-american-prep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3344812/style-edit-tommy-hilfigers-spring-2026-collection-recuts-classic-american-prep?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:23 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball The 2026 LIV Golf season gets under way in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, and for Sergio Garcia it marks the start of a 27th year on tour, not that another trip around the sun has dulled the Spaniard’s desire. Garcia finished in a tie for fourth in the Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour last weekend, a stroke behind winner Freddy Schott, and goes into his latest LIV campaign seeking another fast start. His Fireballs GC won three of the first four events of the 2025 season, in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3342229/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-looking-be-little-bit-mentor-younger-players-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3342229/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-looking-be-little-bit-mentor-younger-players-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:31:43 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has said he hopes Hong Kong remains “on the calendar forever” after the league announced it had signed a multi-year deal with the city. The new agreement, which starts in 2026 and runs for an initial two years, with sources saying there was an option for two more, could keep the tournament at Hong Kong Golf Club until 2029. Speaking to the Post ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, O’Neil said he was “thrilled” that LIV was returning to “one of the elite cities of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3325960/liv-golf-chiefs-hope-hong-kong-event-joins-sevens-art-basel-city-mainstay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3325960/liv-golf-chiefs-hope-hong-kong-event-joins-sevens-art-basel-city-mainstay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:41:34 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball LIV Golf will return to Hong Kong in 2026 and beyond, after the Saudi-backed league announced on Wednesday that it had signed a new multi-year deal with the city. The agreement, which runs for an initial two years, and according to sources has an option for two more, could keep LIV at Hong Kong Golf Club until 2029. Next year’s tournament will return to Fanling from March 6 to 8, the week before LIV Golf Singapore. In what is shaping up to be a busy month for the league, a debut event in South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3325815/liv-golf-signs-new-2-year-deal-hong-kong-hsbc-becomes-first-title-sponsor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3325815/liv-golf-signs-new-2-year-deal-hong-kong-hsbc-becomes-first-title-sponsor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 08:00:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball LIV Golf has reapplied to be included in the Official World Golf Ranking and hopes to have approval ahead of the “2026 major season”, the league said in a statement on Friday. Responding to the OWGR’s announcement that it had started the review process to determine if the 54-player circuit would be included, Scott O’Neil, the LIV CEO, said he was confident the new application addressed the “outstanding questions” that scuppered the first attempt. Among those had been accusations that LIV was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3317938/liv-reapplies-world-ranking-points-19-members-prepare-open-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3317938/liv-reapplies-world-ranking-points-19-members-prepare-open-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:54:39 +0000 Hong Kong hosted two leading events this past week that simultaneously demonstrated its strong potential for establishing itself as an international sports hub, and shined a spotlight on the work that needs to be done if it hopes to succeed. At one, record crowds thronged the 135-year-old Hong Kong Golf Club to watch Sergio Garcia win the LIV Golf individual title and lead Fireballs to team victory. It will be all the more impressive should the tournament be made an annual event. Rosanna Law... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3302486/dream-hong-kong-sports-and-pleasure-hub-rests-use-common-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3302486/dream-hong-kong-sports-and-pleasure-hub-rests-use-common-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:15:07 +0000 Li Haotong rolled back the years with an impressive opening round at the International Series Macau, and said he was surprised to have finished Thursday with the early lead. Once the great hope of Chinese golf, Li had an awful 2023, missing nearly every cut and struggling with all parts of his game, and last won at the 2022 BMW International. But the 28-year-old has already had a top 10 this year, at the Dubai Desert Classic, and in a field including 19 LIV golfers shot a seven-under-par 63 to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255414/chinas-li-haotong-rolls-back-years-macau-grabs-early-lead-international-series-event-ahead-liv-pair?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255414/chinas-li-haotong-rolls-back-years-macau-grabs-early-lead-international-series-event-ahead-liv-pair?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:00:24 +0000 The Asian Tour’s expansion will not be constrained by traditional or geographic boundaries as it deepens its ties with LIV Golf, and the head of its International Series confidently predicted it would “grow and grow”. With 10 elevated tournaments taking players to England, Africa, as well as across Asia this year, Rahul Singh told a small gathering of reporters talks were already under way about holding future events in North and Central America, Europe and elsewhere. And players from rival... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255368/asian-tour-eyes-us-europe-and-deepens-liv-golf-ties-international-series-head-says-event-will-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255368/asian-tour-eyes-us-europe-and-deepens-liv-golf-ties-international-series-head-says-event-will-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:00:25 +0000 One of Taichi Kho’s early meetings with Ian Poulter was at the 2011 Hong Kong Open, when the Englishman was defending his title and the Hongkonger was a star-struck 10-year-old. Kho grabbed a picture that day at Hong Kong Golf Club, and on Tuesday he sat next to his hero at the Wynn Palace hotel in Macau for a press conference ahead of this week’s International Series event in the city, in which they are both playing. It is not the first time the pair have been in the same field; they were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255117/international-series-macau-star-struck-taichi-kho-torn-between-respecting-his-golfing-heroes-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3255117/international-series-macau-star-struck-taichi-kho-torn-between-respecting-his-golfing-heroes-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:31:34 +0000 The International Series gets under way in Oman this week, the first of 10 elevated events expected to happen over the course of the Asian Tour’s 2024 season. Officials have confirmed six of those tournaments so far, with stops in Macau, Morocco, Indonesia, Qatar and Hong Kong also on the schedule. At least one more is likely to be held in the UK, while Thailand, Vietnam and mainland China all hosted the series in 2023, and the Tour has said there were a “significant number of important... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3252662/asian-tour-international-series-oman-offers-glimpse-what-liv-golfs-future-could-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3252662/asian-tour-international-series-oman-offers-glimpse-what-liv-golfs-future-could-look?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 05:50:37 +0000 Taichi Kho begins his second season as a professional golfer this week, carrying a “deep, inner-rooted confidence” in his ability to compete at the highest level. With a schedule built around the Asian Tour and its International Series, Kho will also have several opportunities to play on the DP World Tour this year, and having experienced the Open Championship once is focused on returning to the game’s biggest stage of all. The Hongkonger has already won on the Asian Tour, the first golfer from... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3251689/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-ready-embrace-discomfort-year-opportunity-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3251689/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-ready-embrace-discomfort-year-opportunity-home-and-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:16 +0000 Joaquin Niemann opened his 2024 season on Friday with the round of every golfer’s dreams. The Chilean captain of Torque GC fired a 12-under-par 59 on the first day of LIV Golf Mayakoba, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The sparkling performance put Niemann five shots clear of the field. Patrick Reed of 4 Aces is second after a bogey-free 64, and Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia opened with a six-under 65 to take third place. Niemann began his round on the second hole at El Camaleon Golf Course and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3250817/liv-golf-mayakoba-joaquin-niemann-opens-new-season-amazing-59-mexico-rahm-leads-legion-xiii-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3250817/liv-golf-mayakoba-joaquin-niemann-opens-new-season-amazing-59-mexico-rahm-leads-legion-xiii-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Feb 2024 04:15:42 +0000 As rumours surrounding the future of Jon Rahm and several other high-profile PGA Tour players swirl, some of golf’s lesser-known talents are in Abu Dhabi this week battling it out to potentially join the Spaniard in the LIV League next season. Rahm has been linked with a move to the Saudi Arabia-backed outfit in 2024, and his continued silence has only fuelled speculation that he will take the US$600m reportedly on offer to make the switch. A report in The Telegraph in the UK has also suggested... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3244101/liv-golf-riches-grabs-abu-dhabi-players-battle-places-3-will-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3244101/liv-golf-riches-grabs-abu-dhabi-players-battle-places-3-will-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 11:47:24 +0000 Omega’s history is deeply entwined with that of the high-performance world of professional golf. The Swiss luxury watchmaker has long been a partner and supporter of the sport, sponsoring top tournaments and stars of the game such as Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Danielle Kang, as well as repeatedly taking inspiration from golf to produce watches worn by many of those leading competitors. The links between the two run deep. Both high-level golf and luxury horology emphasise the importance of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/article/3235474/style-edit-return-golfs-omega-masters-switzerland-won-rising-star-ludvig-aberg-underlines-brands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/article/3235474/style-edit-return-golfs-omega-masters-switzerland-won-rising-star-ludvig-aberg-underlines-brands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 02:00:18 +0000 Mito Pereira chipped in for eagle on 18 to finish with a six-under-par 66 at the St Andrews Bay Championship, joining the top of a congested leaderboard at the International Series event in Scotland. On a relatively calm day in the home of golf, Spainard David Puig, Indians Anirban Lahiri and Veer Ahlawat, South African Jaco Ahlers, and Andrew Dodt from Australia, all matched that score at the Fairmont St Andrews course. Another eight players are two shots further back and after romping to a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3232235/asian-tour-pereira-eagle-propels-him-share-lead-st-andrews-bay-championship-hong-kong-trio-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3232235/asian-tour-pereira-eagle-propels-him-share-lead-st-andrews-bay-championship-hong-kong-trio-have?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Aug 2023 01:54:07 +0000 Confidence has never been an issue for those responsible for LIV Golf; certainly the belief needed to take on the world’s established tours required it 13 months ago, and on the evidence of last week’s event in London it has only increased since then. Roaring successes in Adelaide and Valderrama this season, and the crowds who watched Cameron Smith win at Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead, have given the league a very public boost, while the impending partnership between Saudi Arabia’s Public... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227301/liv-golf-opts-policy-quiet-confidence-its-team-format-here-stay-despite-pga-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227301/liv-golf-opts-policy-quiet-confidence-its-team-format-here-stay-despite-pga-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2023 08:54:42 +0000 Scott Vincent has no idea what the future might hold for him in LIV Golf, and he’s OK with that. With more than half the season gone, the Zimbabwean was on the edge of the protected places heading into this week’s event in England, with the top 24 players at the end of the year guaranteed to come back in 2024. Most of the rest of the field will face a battle in November or December to retain their spots, despite the uncertainty surrounding the game’s immediate future. That uncertainty has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227012/liv-golf-london-vincent-happy-make-most-incredible-journey-future-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3227012/liv-golf-london-vincent-happy-make-most-incredible-journey-future-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Jul 2023 06:22:00 +0000 Dustin Johnson and Jason Kokrak share the lead at the LIV Golf Andalucia, but only one of the American golfers had played the course before Friday. Kokrak put up a 67 in the first round at Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, to put a shiny bow on what he called a “kind of a crazy situation”. The summary of events goes like this: starting in Detroit on Monday, Kokrak encountered multiple airport delays, resulting in missed connections and personalised clubs, trackable with location AirTags, never... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3226207/liv-andalucia-jason-kokrak-finds-missing-clubs-grabs-share-lead-alongside-dustin-johnson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3226207/liv-andalucia-jason-kokrak-finds-missing-clubs-grabs-share-lead-alongside-dustin-johnson?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 01:25:09 +0000 The region’s best golfers will gather for the Korea Open in the next few days as the Asian Tour resumes after a six-week break, with the deal to merge the PGA Tour and LIV Golf likely to still be the main topic of conversation. While rumour and self-proclaimed experts on social media have filled the large void left by a lack of information, the question of what it means for the Asian Tour, LIV Golf and the game in general remains unanswered. Such is the state of play that Jon Rahm’s brief... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3224565/pga-liv-merger-where-does-asian-tour-stand-after-deal-ended-golfs-civil-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3224565/pga-liv-merger-where-does-asian-tour-stand-after-deal-ended-golfs-civil-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:10 +0000 The Asian Tour must not be sidelined in any negotiations regarding the future of golf, commissioner Cho Minn Thant said on Friday. After overseeing a rapid rise in the organisation’s standing within the game globally, the Tour has grown to the extent it could be considered on a par with its European counterpart, the DP World Tour. Much of that is down to the significant amount of money pumped into the Asian game by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which on Tuesday announced its shock... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223593/asian-tour-boss-says-circuit-must-have-proper-seat-table-when-golfs-future-decided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223593/asian-tour-boss-says-circuit-must-have-proper-seat-table-when-golfs-future-decided?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jun 2023 11:43:58 +0000 After two years of insults, infighting and bad blood, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf have agreed to merge in a landmark agreement. In an announcement late on Tuesday, the three organisations issued a statement saying they were moving to “unify the game of golf, on a global basis”. Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, has been named CEO of the new unnamed organisation. The deal, which saw the American and European tours agree to work with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223184/pga-tour-and-liv-golf-merge-unify-golf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223184/pga-tour-and-liv-golf-merge-unify-golf?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:33:28 +0000 Alex Yang Hiu-wai will be the first Hong Kong men’s golfer to play in a major after he qualified for this month’s US Open. The Stanford University student took one of two spots on offer at Tacoma Country and Golf Club on Monday during a mammoth day, where hundreds of golfers competed on courses across the US for the places up for grabs. Yang finished three-under for his 36 holes, and tied at the top of the 54-player field alongside Canadian Jesse Schutte, a 34-year-old journeyman... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223089/us-open-qualifying-hong-kongs-alex-yang-incredibly-happy-after-winning-place-years-third-major?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3223089/us-open-qualifying-hong-kongs-alex-yang-incredibly-happy-after-winning-place-years-third-major?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:09:27 +0000 The DP World Tour has stepped up its war with the Asian Tour, levying another series of hefty fines on golfers who have competed on both circuits over the past year. Having previously handed out penalties of £100,000 (US$126,000) to 17 LIV Golf members who played in the league’s first two events without obtaining release forms, European bosses are now going after another 26 golfers, with fines ranging from £12,500 to £100,000 for each tournament played without permission. In a statement released... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3220320/golf-war-intensifies-dp-world-tour-fines-asian-tour-players-over-liv-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3220320/golf-war-intensifies-dp-world-tour-fines-asian-tour-players-over-liv-events?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 May 2023 06:12:10 +0000 LIV Golf quartet Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Richard Bland have resigned from the European tour instead of facing fines of £100,000 (US$125,000) for playing in the league without permission. The foursome were among those who played the inaugural LIV Golf event outside London last June and violated the conflicting tournament regulation policy. In a statement, the DP World Tour thanked the four players for their contributions – particularly Westwood, Garcia and Poulter for their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3219326/ryder-cup-heroes-lee-westwood-sergio-garcia-ian-poulter-resign-dp-world-tour-over-liv-golf-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3219326/ryder-cup-heroes-lee-westwood-sergio-garcia-ian-poulter-resign-dp-world-tour-over-liv-golf-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 May 2023 02:13:33 +0000 The International Series reached Vietnam last week, the fourth event in a season that is taking the Asian Tour to the Middle East, the UK and many places in between. Adding a tournament in St Andrews weeks after confirming that the Hong Kong Open would be one of the elevated events, means there are now 10 stops on the schedule for 2023. The expansion will not stop there, and officials have previously said they would like as many as 14 tournaments, while Cho Minn Thant, the Tour CEO, hailed the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217266/asian-tours-growing-popularity-sign-golfs-status-quo-changing-foothold-europe-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3217266/asian-tours-growing-popularity-sign-golfs-status-quo-changing-foothold-europe-just-beginning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:17 +0000 The collapse of Credit Suisse leaves many sports stars, teams and tournaments with a big question mark hanging over their lucrative sponsorship deals. Among those backed by the Swiss bank, which is being taken over by rival UBS, are the country’s national football team and its top football division, tennis great Roger Federer, golf star Sergio Garcia and Zurich’s new stadium. UBS took charge in a hastily arranged deal on Sunday after Credit Suisse’s share price plunged. Golf and equestrian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3214536/credit-suisse-collapse-leaves-sports-stars-roger-federer-and-sergio-garcia-limbo-over-sponsorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3214536/credit-suisse-collapse-leaves-sports-stars-roger-federer-and-sergio-garcia-limbo-over-sponsorship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2023 04:48:26 +0000 Takumi Kanaya secured a convincing victory in the International Series Oman on Sunday, recording his first professional victory outside Japan in the process. The 24-year-old from Hiroshima shot a final round one-under-par 71 to finish on 10 under and beat American Berry Henson and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana by four strokes. England’s Steve Lewton finished fourth one shot further back, while Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann, both in with 74s, tied for fifth at three under. The stunning scenic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209971/asian-tour-kanaya-comes-age-international-series-oman-win-first-win-outside-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209971/asian-tour-kanaya-comes-age-international-series-oman-win-first-win-outside-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 16:22:15 +0000 A refreshed Sergio Garcia shot a five-under-par 67 in the first round of the International Series Oman on Thursday, and only a bogey on the last stopped the Spaniard grabbing an early share of the lead at Al Mouj Golf Club. There looked to be little danger of Garcia finishing at the top midway through his round, but a run of five birdies in six holes on the back nine changed all that. Canadian Yonggu Shin made the most of the calm early morning conditions to finish with a bogey-free 66, a stroke... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209681/asian-tour-refreshed-garcia-chasing-first-win-2-years-shin-grabs-early-lead-international-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209681/asian-tour-refreshed-garcia-chasing-first-win-2-years-shin-grabs-early-lead-international-series?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Feb 2023 13:17:30 +0000 John Rahm has called them laughable, Cameron Smith believes they are in danger of becoming obsolete, and Asian Tour boss Cho Minn Thant has said he was “shocked” by the way golf world ranking points were allocated this week. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am traditionally has one of the weaker fields on the PGA Tour’s calendar, and this week the likes of Kurt Kitayama, world No 43, and Brandon Wu, world 197, are rubbing shoulders at the top of their respective leader boards with NFL quarterback Aaron... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209100/pga-tour-pebble-beach-pro-am-highlights-shocking-state-golfs-world-ranking-system-asian-tour-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209100/pga-tour-pebble-beach-pro-am-highlights-shocking-state-golfs-world-ranking-system-asian-tour-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Feb 2023 09:00:14 +0000 The Asian Tour has taken a step towards removing golf’s slightly stuffy image by allowing players to wear shorts during tournaments, starting at this week’s PIF Saudi International. While the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have maintained a strict dress code, LIV Golf’s more relaxed approach to the game saw the likes of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Brooks Koepka get more comfortable on the course. Now, the Asian Tour’s player’s committee has adopted a similar stance, deciding that the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209020/asian-tours-fashion-forward-approach-brings-shorts-course-new-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3209020/asian-tours-fashion-forward-approach-brings-shorts-course-new-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:55:53 +0000 Playing in the PIF Saudi International is not how Matthew Cheung expected to be spending the days leading up to his first wedding anniversary, but a late invite to the Asian Tour’s season opener changed all that. The 27-year-old had been preparing to play in a local club competition in Hong Kong this week, instead on Thursday he carded a one-over-par 71 in the first round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. Wife Kaitlin, meanwhile, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday by caddying for her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208903/saudi-international-royal-celebration-hong-kong-pair-after-late-invite-changes-first-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208903/saudi-international-royal-celebration-hong-kong-pair-after-late-invite-changes-first-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:30:14 +0000 Cameron Smith believes golf’s world rankings are on the verge of becoming meaningless, and said while having them “would be nice” they were not essential. The Australian is still ranked No 4 despite his switch to LIV Golf, and could add a healthy number of points to his total at this week’s PIF Saudi International. Smith is one of 12 major winners in the strongest field ever assembled for an Asian Tour event, with the likes of Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208791/saudi-international-open-champion-cameron-smith-says-golfs-world-rankings-danger-becoming-obsolete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208791/saudi-international-open-champion-cameron-smith-says-golfs-world-rankings-danger-becoming-obsolete?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Feb 2023 02:30:09 +0000 A fit-again Sergio Garcia has not given up on his chances of playing in this year’s Ryder Cup, but knows he will need to be one of captain Luke Donald’s picks if that is to happen. The Spaniard has won more points, 28½, than anyone in the competition’s history, and said Donald would need the strongest team available if he wanted to beat the US in Rome in September. Garcia was a member of the side that was hammered 19-9 at Whistling Straits Golf Course two years ago, a victory the Americans... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208775/sergio-garcia-holding-ryder-cup-dream-says-europe-captain-luke-donald-will-need-his-strongest-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208775/sergio-garcia-holding-ryder-cup-dream-says-europe-captain-luke-donald-will-need-his-strongest-team?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 17:01:14 +0000 Cameron Smith will spearhead the strongest and deepest field in Asian Tour history when the PIF Saudi International gets under way on Thursday. The Open champion and world No 4 is one of 12 major winners in a tournament that also includes two of the best young amateurs in the game, Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat and Ding Wenyi, and Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung. Cheung received a late invite after earning his tour card in some style little more than a week ago, when he went 10-under over the last two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208571/asian-tour-cameron-smith-head-strongest-field-date-hong-kongs-cheung-gets-late-saudi-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3208571/asian-tour-cameron-smith-head-strongest-field-date-hong-kongs-cheung-gets-late-saudi-international?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:42:58 +0000 Augusta National will open their doors to LIV Golf’s biggest names, confirming that players from the breakaway tour will be eligible to compete in the 2023 Masters if they meet the established qualifying criteria. The decision will be viewed as a major victory for the Saudi-backed series with the PGA Tour having suspended players jumping across to the rebel circuit. LIV Golf has lured away some of the US-based PGA Tour’s top players with huge sums of money, leading to a simmering feud within the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3204058/liv-golf-players-eligible-2023-masters-augusta-national-chairman-honouring-tradition-having?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3204058/liv-golf-players-eligible-2023-masters-augusta-national-chairman-honouring-tradition-having?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2022 02:10:34 +0000 Next year’s Phoenix Open, Heritage tournament, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship will have purses boosted to US$20 million and guaranteed appearances by top golfers, the US PGA Tour announced Wednesday. The moves complete a PGA revamp to combat the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series that was announced by tour commissioner Jay Monahan in August at the Tour Championship. Star PGA players such as four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196577/pga-boosts-2023-purses-four-events-liv-fight-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196577/pga-boosts-2023-purses-four-events-liv-fight-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 04:15:10 +0000 The disruptive new LIV Golf circuit could pay for television coverage temporarily as it tries to build a long-term presence, its president said, adding that the tour’s Saudi backers were looking a decade ahead or more. LIV, whose luring of top players with record purses has enraged golf’s establishment, is currently on a “roadshow” of US and international broadcasters, president and chief operating officer Atul Khosla said at the Jeddah Invitational. Responding to a report that LIV will buy... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196208/liv-golf-president-not-hung-paying-tv-airtime?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3196208/liv-golf-president-not-hung-paying-tv-airtime?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Oct 2022 05:51:37 +0000 Spanish rookie Eugenio Chacarra secured the biggest payday of his young career, bagging US$4 million in the LIV Golf Invitational in Bangkok on Sunday. Chacarra, who only turned professional in June, had not finished inside the top 20 previously at a LIV event but landed a monster cheque after carding a final round three-under 69 to hold off former US Masters champion Patrick Reed by three strokes at Stonehill golf club. The 22-year-old followed up his opening two rounds of 65 and 63 to finish... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3195377/eugenio-chacarra-lifts-livs-lively-debut-maiden-tour-win-bangkok-takes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3195377/eugenio-chacarra-lifts-livs-lively-debut-maiden-tour-win-bangkok-takes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Oct 2022 00:30:15 +0000 Taichi Kho will resume his second round of the Mandiri Indonesia Open on Saturday morning just two shots off leader Itthipat Buranatanyarat, after another impressive performance in the Asian Tour event. The Hong Kong amateur, who is three-under-par through 14 holes and 11-under overall, lies in a three-way tie for third at Pondok Indah Golf Course, alongside Berry Henson and Minkyu Kim. Taiwan’s Chang Wei-lun sits alone in second at 12-under, although like Kho he still has to complete his second... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187913/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-keeps-touch-leaders-indonesia-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3187913/asian-tour-hong-kongs-taichi-kho-keeps-touch-leaders-indonesia-open?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:02:00 +0000 The 48 players in the LIV Golf League will compete in 14 tournaments with US$405 million in combined purses in 2023. Organisers announced the plans for next year on Wednesday, the day before the start of the upstart league’s third-ever tournament, this one in Bedminster, New Jersey. The controversial Saudi-backed series is holding eight tournaments with US$255 million in prize money this year, its inaugural season. Sergio Garcia to ‘hold off’ on plan to resign from DP World Tour Star players... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186840/liv-golf-reveals-14-event-plan-us405m-purses-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186840/liv-golf-reveals-14-event-plan-us405m-purses-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 02:11:12 +0000 Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, one of the more high-profile players to join LIV Golf, has for now shelved plans to resign from the DP World Tour so that he can remain eligible for Ryder Cup competition, ESPN on Monday reported him saying. The 42-year-old Spaniard said after the British Open two weeks ago that he was probably going to leave his home European circuit where he was “not feeling loved” but the Ryder Cup stalwart has reportedly had a change of heart. “When I finished the Open... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186587/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-hold-plan-resign-dp-world-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3186587/liv-golfer-sergio-garcia-hold-plan-resign-dp-world-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jul 2022 02:54:32 +0000 The 150th Open Championship tees off on the Old Course at St Andrews on Thursday with organisers keen for the focus to remain on the historic tournament despite the ongoing fallout caused by the breakaway LIV Golf series. A clutch of players who joined the Saudi-backed tour are taking part in this week’s Open after the R&A opted not to ban the rebels, in contrast to moves made by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Former Open champion Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Sergio... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3185213/150th-open-championship-tournament-gets-under-way-amid-ongoing-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3185213/150th-open-championship-tournament-gets-under-way-amid-ongoing-fallout?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2022 02:45:13 +0000 Phil Mickelson, a chief recruiter for a Saudi-funded rival league to the PGA Tour, is ending his four-month hiatus by adding his name to the 48-man field for the LIV Golf Invitational that starts Friday outside London. Mickelson will be joining Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and three other former major champions in a 54-hole tournament at Centurion Golf Club with $25 million in prize money and $4 million going to the individual winner. “I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3180667/phil-mickelson-joins-saudi-backed-liv-golf-invitational-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3180667/phil-mickelson-joins-saudi-backed-liv-golf-invitational-series?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:57:18 +0000 Greg Norman has hailed the start of “free agency in golf” as it emerged that former world No 1 Dustin Johnson was one of several major winners who had agreed to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event next week. Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen were named on a list of 42 players for the first tournament of the Saudi-backed league at Centurion Club in England from June 9 to 11. Their decision sets them on a potential collision course with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3179942/liv-golf-invitational-major-winners-johnson-garcia-defy-pga-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3179942/liv-golf-invitational-major-winners-johnson-garcia-defy-pga-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jun 2022 02:25:28 +0000 The PGA Tour is denying releases to golfers who asked to play in the first of a series of Saudi-funded tournaments next month in England, a bold move by Commissioner Jay Monahan in trying to quash Greg Norman’s latest bid to start a lucrative rival league. The first LIV Golf Invitational is scheduled for June 9-11 at Centurion Golf Club outside London, with a 48-man field competing for a $20 million purse over 54 holes. The winner gets US$4 million – to date the richest prize in golf – and last... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3177259/pga-tour-raises-stakes-fight-saudi-backed-event-denies-players-releases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3177259/pga-tour-raises-stakes-fight-saudi-backed-event-denies-players-releases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2022 01:46:33 +0000 Phil Mickelson sparked intrigue about his possible return to golf on Monday after applying for a release to play in the first event of a lucrative Saudi Arabia-backed golf tour in June. Mickelson’s management company confirmed in a statement that the 51-year-old six-time major winner was seeking approval to play in the June 9-11 LIV Golf Invitational outside London – but stressed he had not yet confirmed his participation. The former world number one has not played since triggering uproar in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3175504/phil-mickelson-seeks-pga-release-saudi-backed-series-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3175504/phil-mickelson-seeks-pga-release-saudi-backed-series-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Apr 2022 01:20:14 +0000 Lee Westwood believes the Asian Tour has given its European and American rivals a taste of their own medicine by going global with a new international series. Speaking on Wednesday, ahead of the PIF Saudi International, the Englishman said he thought the DP World Tour and PGA Tour saw their Asian counterpart’s new enterprise, which includes a stop in London, “as a threat” and compared the ongoing animosity to “a game of poker”. Westwood is one of several high-profile golfers playing in the Asian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165606/asian-tour-giving-pga-tour-and-dp-world-tour-taste-their-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165606/asian-tour-giving-pga-tour-and-dp-world-tour-taste-their-own-medicine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Feb 2022 12:30:21 +0000 The Asian Tour has signalled its intention to take on its more established European and American rivals on their own turf, with the creation of an international series that will know no boundaries. An initial 10-tournament series this year will include stops in London, mainland China, Hong Kong, and across Asia and the Middle East, with up to US$2 million in prize money at each event. Additional events are likely to follow in the future, with Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165518/asian-tour-signals-intent-become-global-power-golf-new-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165518/asian-tour-signals-intent-become-global-power-golf-new-international?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:03:26 +0000 Taichi Kho returns to the Arabian Peninsular this week for the next stop on his golfing journey at the star-studded PIF Saudi International, believing he can compete against the best in the world. Kho, who is in his final year of college at Notre Dame, will be in a field alongside the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood in the Asian Tour’s first event of the 2022 season. And the world’s best, drawn by the promise of a US$5 million prize fund, will present a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165394/asian-tour-hong-kong-golfer-taichi-khos-journey-continues-next-stop-pif?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3165394/asian-tour-hong-kong-golfer-taichi-khos-journey-continues-next-stop-pif?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Jan 2022 06:15:13 +0000