LIV Golf scenarios for top contenders at PIF Saudi International

The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers stands as the flagship event of the Asian Tour schedule and the ninth and final event of the Tour’s International Series. At the conclusion of the week, two career-changing tickets to the 2026 LIV Golf League will be awarded to the first- and second-ranked players in The International Series’ season-long standings, not including players already on LIV Golf.

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The PIF Saudi International will take place at Riyadh Golf Club with an elevated points allocation of 324 points awarded to the winner, which could drastically shake up the International Series standings. There are also points to be had for finishers up to 80th place, which awards 2.16 points. For those currently positioned outside the bubble, a victory or at least a very high finish is mandatory.

Here are the current International Series standings:

*Current LIV Golf player

Here are the point allocations for the top 10 finishers:

PROMOTION SCENARIOS FOR TOP CONTENDERS

1. Scott Vincent (Current Rank: 1)

What he needs: Outside of a win, which would obviously secure Vincent the top spot, a top-5 finish is the safest bet to lock up his promotion spot. A fourth- or fifth-place finish would award him enough points to push his total comfortably over the 400-point safety threshold, keeping him out of reach of most of the field. If he finishes with 400 points and a LIV Golf player wins, he will almost certainly be promoted.

2. Yosuke Asaji (Current Rank: 2)

What he needs: A top-5 finish (4th or 5th place) is required to guarantee his spot. A 5th-place finish, for example, awards approximately 70 points, pushing his total over 355 points. This level of performance makes it mathematically impossible for three players below him to all jump ahead.

3. Miguel Tabuena (Current Rank: 3)

What he needs: Tabuena is currently on the outside looking in and therefore must outperform at least one of the top two to leapfrog them. The Filipino requires at least a top-3 finish to be reasonably confident. A third-place result awards 113.4 points, bringing his total to approximately 345.7 points. While this total is strong, it still leaves a small chance of elimination if both Schniederjans and Ormsby finish first and second. A second-place finish (198 points) is the only true guarantee of promotion for Tabuena.

4. Ollie Schniederjans (Current Rank: 4) and Wade Ormsby (Current Rank:5)

What they need: Both Schniederjans and Ormsby start with totals that are too low to allow for anything less than a run at the top of the leaderboard. Both players must aim for a top-2 finish to secure a guaranteed promotion. For either player, a second-place finish would push their total above 390 points, making it a definitive promotion.

While a third-place finish makes promotion possible (if Tabuena struggles and Asaji finishes outside the top 5), it is not a guarantee and relies on others failing.

5. Kazuki Higa (Current Rank: 10)

What he needs: Higa must secure first or second place. Even a third-place finish (113.4 points) would only bring Higa a total of 274.27 points. This score is significantly lower than the necessary 350-360 safety threshold and would not be enough to pass Vincent or Asaji, even if both missed the cut.

Therefore, the objective is simple: Win or finish second and hope the winner doesn’t have enough points to jump him.

6. The Outsiders (Current Rank 10-100)

What they need: For players ranked No. 10-100 in the standings, a win would all but ensure their promotion to LIV Golf. In the unlikely case both Vincent and Asaji finish in the top 5, things could get complicated for those who are currently in the 50-100 range in the standings.