A Frenchman and a Ryder Cup player at the LIV cards

Unlike last year when three spots were up for grabs, there will only be one place up for grabs on the lucrative LIV Golf circuit in the 3-day qualifying tournament organized this week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The footbridge to access the LIV looks like a very narrow little street, a bottleneck from which only one player among the 93 entered from 30 countries will escape.

The Format

Players eligible for Category A will compete in the first round on December 12, with the top 20 and ties advancing to the second round.

On the 2nd day, they will join the category B players exempt from the first round. The scores will be reset and the 20 best players (after the play-off if necessary) advance to the third and final round where the scores will be reset to zero again.

There will be 36 holes to play this Saturday, December 14. The winner will take home $200,000 and a coveted spot in the 2025 LIV Golf League with the possibility of being signed by a team.

Additionally, the top 10, including ties, will receive a full exemption for all 2025 events on the International Series calendar, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.

The only “French”

Among the players on the starting line, a Frenchman, the native of Marseille Martin Trainer while there were three last year (Trainer, Bourdy and Stalter). He is also the only player to have completed a full season on the PGA Tour in 2024. He finished 157th in the FedEx Cup after coming very close to victory in doubles with Chad Ramey at the Zurich Classic.

DP World Tour tournament winners

Also note the presence of some renowned players from the DP World Tour.

As a reservist John Catlinthree-time winner of the DP World Tour, the American played six tournaments on the LIV circuit last year and wants to secure a starting place.

Another player well known to fans of the European circuit, the Englishman David Horsey who has not won for 10 years and who has just had a season on the Challenge Tour during which he simply achieved 2 top 10 finishes.

Another Englishman who has disappeared from the radar Tom Lewis. The previous best amateur at The Open was in 2011 at Royal St George's. counts among his feats of arms a 2020 season on the PGA Tour where he finished second behind Justin Thomas in a world championship stage (WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational). The Briton tried to regain his playing rights on the DP World Tour this year but without success.

Other past tournament winners Ross McGowan, Adri Arnaus and the great hope of Italian golf Renato Parator are also on the departure list.

A Ryder Cup player

But the most “flashy” name is certainly that of Chris Wood (photo). The English giant scored two consecutive top 5 finishes in The Open, in 2008 (5th) and 2009 (3rd). He also has three victories on the DP World Tour including a BMW PGA Championship which earned him a place on Darren Clarke's team for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

Wood took a year off in 2023 and has since opened up about his mental health struggles. Anxiety and exhaustion. He was in France this summer for the two Challenge Tour tournaments of the 2024 season.

Failures

Finally, the 5 relegated for lack of results from LIV 2024, will also try to regain a place on the circuit financed by the PIF (Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund). It is about Branden Grace, Call Samoa, Hudson Swafford and brothers Vincent, in Kiera et Scott.

© Photo Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images