10 Players to Watch: LIV Golf Promotions 2026

LIV Golf Promotions 2026 is set to take place Jan. 8-11 at the challenging Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida. The 72-hole event has a field of 80 players battling for a coveted spot on LIV Golf for the 2026 season.

Additionally, the top 10 (and ties) will receive exemptions into next year's International Series events on the Asian Tour.

Here are 10 players poised to make a run at a life-changing LIV Golf spot:

1. Anthony Kim

Age: 40 
Nationality: American 
How they got here: 2025 LIV Golf player, former Ryder Cup player

Kim is a fascinating story entering the Promotions event. He struggled for the majority of his time on LIV Golf, which was expected to be the case given his 12-year absence from the professional game. However, the former Ryder Cup star showed flashes of a career resurgence after the 2025 LIV Golf season commenced. He finished T5 at the PIF Saudi International, which was his first finish in the top-20 finish at any event since his return to golf. 

2. Chris Wood

Age: 38 
Nationality: English 
How they got here: Former Ryder Cup player, Former top 50 in OWGR, 3-time DP World Tour winner

Wood has one of the most impressive résumés of any player in the field this week. He's a three-time DP World Tour winner, with the biggest coming at the 2016 BMW PGA Championship, which the flagship event at Wentworth and one of the tour's most prestigious titles.

The Englishman is coming in hot after a win last month at the Rolear Algarve Classic on the MENA Tour. He's been candid about his mental health battles over the years, and if he punches his ticket to LIV Golf this week, it'd be one of the best feel-good stories in golf.

3. Miguel Tabuena

Age: 31 
Nationality: Filipino 
How they got here: International Series rankings 

Tabuena finished 3rd in the 2025 International Series rankings, just missing automatic promotion. The two-time Olympian will receive a bye into the second round of the tournament and should be considered one of the favorites to emerge from the pack.

4. Pablo Ereno

Age: 22
Nationality: Spanish
How they got here: 2025 Palmer Cup participant

Ereno was formerly the sixth-ranked amateur in the world and is the youngest participant in the field. He played four years of golf at UCLA and was a standout performer for the Bruins both on the golf course and in the classroom. He earned first-team Academic All-American honors as a senior and Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar awards in three consecutive years.

The Spaniard has the pure talent to go low this week and would be a great addition to LIV Golf as an exciting young player. 

5. Alex Levy

Age: 35
Nationality: French
How they got here: Former top 50 in OWGR, 5-time DP World Tour winner

Levy has an incredibly strong pedigree with five DP World Tour titles. When he was just 26 years old, he became the youngest Frenchman to reach three DP World Tour wins when he claimed the 2016 Porsche European Open.

He recently overcame a serious lower back injury that sidelined him for nearly 10 months in 2022-2023 and has shown signs of form on the DP World Tour in 2025. His most recent indication of career resurgence came in October when he finished T9 at the Open de España.

6. Lucas Bjerregaard

Age: 34
Nationality: Danish
How they got here: Former top 50 in OWGR, 2-time DP World Tour winner

The Dane who once beat Tiger Woods in match play and cracked the world top 50 once felt like a surefire star on the rise. Bjerregaard has two wins on the DP World Tour including at the famous St. Andrews at the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Links. Since then, he's been inconsistent, but there’s no denying he has the pedigree and length off the tee to compete in a scoring contest like this.

7. Travis Smyth

Age: 31
Nationality: Australian
How they got here: International Series rankings

Smyth was an early LIV Golf participant in 2022, playing three events in the inaugural season. The Aussie has been a consistent performer in the International Series, finishing in the top 30 in three consecutive seasons. Smyth recently made it to the final stage of Korn Ferry qualifying and is an exceptional ball-striker capable of earning his spot on LIV Golf.

8. Tom Lewis

Age: 34
Nationality: English
How they got here: Former top 50 in OWGR, 2-time DPWT winner

Lewis was once one of the most promising amateurs in the world and has had plenty of professional success with two DP World Tour victories. The Englishman was named after his father’s golf hero, five-time Open champion Tom Watson. In a wild twist of fate, they were paired together for the first two rounds of his debut at the 2011 Open Championship.

Lewis can get hot in a hurry and is a prolific birdie maker, which will suit him perfectly for the format this week.  

 9. John Catlin

Age: 35
Nationality: American
How they got here: Former LIV Golf player

Catlin already has LIV Golf experience, teeing it up five times in the 2024 season. He also performed well in the International Series in 2024, ranking 4th in the standings. The American is known for going low. In March 2024, he shot a 59 (11 under) at the International Series Macau, posting the first sub-60 round in Asian Tour history.

10. Jazz Janewattananond

Age: 30
Nationality: Thai
How they got here: International Series rankings

The charismatic Thai star, known simply as Jazz, has racked up seven Asian Tour titles and once cracked the world top 50 after a hot 2019 season, which included a T14 at the PGA Championship.

Janewattananond comes into the week in peak form having finished in the top-20 in six of his last eight starts on the Asian Tour. Most recently, he finished 6th at the Saudi Open presented by PIF in December.