LIV Golf Watch: Stars descend upon Italian Open on DP World Tour

This week, seven LIV Golf players will be in action on the DP World Tour at the Italian Open at Circolo Golf Torino in Turin, Italy. Two players will compete at the KPGA Classic on the Korean Tour in South Korea.

OPEN D'ITALIA

Circolo Golf Torino sits within the Parco Regionale La Mandria, roughly 20 minutes north of Turin. The club moved to this woodland setting in 1956, where English architect John Morrison laid out the original Blue Course. A number of holes were later renovated by Canadian architect Graham Cooke ahead of the Italian Open's last visit to the venue in 1999, with Cooke returning in subsequent years to further refine the green complexes.

The par-72 Blue Course stretches 6,828 yards and is lined by oak trees with plenty of natural water hazards on the course. It is widely regarded as Italy's finest layout and carries a rich competitive history. Circolo Golf Torino has hosted the Italian Open three times and is the home club of brothers Francesco Molinari and Edoardo Molinari. This week marks its return to the DP World Tour stage for the first time in over a decade, and the event also serves as part of The Open Qualifying Series, with the highest-placed finisher not already exempt earning a spot at the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.

JOSELE BALLESTER

In a season full of remarkable moments for young Spanish players, perhaps none has been more eye-catching than Ballester's round at LIV Golf Virginia in May. The 22-year-old fired a 12-under 60 — a course record at Trump National Washington D.C. and tied for the lowest score relative to par in LIV Golf history — featuring 10 birdies, one eagle, and no bogeys. "The first day in which everything just seemed to go easy, smooth, and feel super comfortable," he said afterward. The 2024 U.S. Amateur champion and 2023 European Amateur champion is coached by Sergio Garcia's father and hails from the same Castellón province as his captain. At 22, he is still learning how to convert elite talent into consistent contention.

THOMAS DETRY

After a strong start to his debut LIV Golf season — including three top-5 finishes in the first five events — Detry stumbled slightly at Valderrama, finishing tied fifth after a closing 74 squandered what looked like a realistic shot at the trophy and the LIV Golf Open Championship exemption. Still, the 4Aces GC man has consistently shown that he belongs among the best. The Belgian is a natural fit for parkland layouts that reward steady ball-striking and patient course management. This is another chance for Detry to claim the exclusive Open Championship spot he’s been coveting.

BRANDEN GRACE

Grace is coming off a solid run of form, having finished in the top 21 of each of his past six worldwide starts, with the most recent coming as a tied for 14th at the International Series Morocco. The South African is having a very strong season and ranks 18th in the league standings with two top 5s in South Africa and Mexico City. Grace’s accuracy and precise iron play should help him avoid the trouble at Circolo Golf Torino this week.

TOM MCKIBBIN

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman has had a quieter 2026 LIV season than his debut year, managing just one top-20 finish in his first nine events. McKibbin is a powerful,accurate driver who also possesses touch around the greens, and events like this, away from the stacked LIV Golf field can be exactly the reset a young player needs to rediscover form. A strong week in Turin could go a long way toward restoring the confidence that made him one of the most talked-about young talents in the world.

JOAQUIN NIEMANN

Niemann arrives in Turin as arguably LIV Golf’s most in-form player right now. He won LIV Golf Korea in a playoff over Talor Gooch three weeks ago to claim his record eighth individual LIV Golf title — and first of the 2026 season — and then followed it with a T7 at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the best major result of his career. The Torque GC captain showed remarkable resilience at Shinnecock, bouncing back from an opening 78 with a second-round 65 built on five birdies in his first six holes. "I feel like I've been playing great golf lately," Niemann said afterward. With a playoff win and a career-best major result in consecutive weeks, he arrives at Circolo Golf Torino riding as much momentum as anyone in the game.

DAVID PUIG

The young Fireballs GC star has played impressively in 2026. He finished tied for sixth in South Africa, solo second in Mexico City — his best-ever individual LIV Golf result — and tied for fifth at Valderrama. He is one of the most dangerous drivers of the golf ball in professional golf and has quietly assembled a DP World Tour resume that now includes the Australian PGA Championship, where last November he became just the second Spaniard to win that title after Seve Ballesteros. The Italian Open carries some additional resonance for Puig as a DP World Tour member, and a course that rewards length off the tee and sharp long iron play suits his profile well. He has every tool to contend at Circolo Golf Torino.

ELVIS SMYLIE

It’s been an inconsistent season for the young Australian since his fairy tale debut win in Riyadh back in February, when he became the first player to win on his LIV Golf debut since Henrik Stenson in 2022. The Italian Open offers Smylie a chance to rediscover his form from early in the year.

KPGA CLASSIC

The KPGA Classic takes place this week at Cypress Golf & Resort in North Gyeongsang, South Korea. The region's mountainous terrain creates a demanding layout that places a premium on accuracy and course management.

MINKYU KIM

The Korean Golf Club player returns to home soil for the KPGA Classic. At just 25, Kim already has two Kolon Korea Open titles on the Asian Tour to his name, so he is accustomed to playing great golf in the region. His debut LIV Golf season has been a learning curve, sitting 55th in the standings through nine events.

DOYEOB MUN

The 34-year-old Seoul native joined Korean Golf Club mid-season as a replacement for Danny Lee, having spent years grinding through development tours before finally breaking through on the Asian Tour. He was leading the KPGA Tour in points when he made his LIV Golf debut in Korea last month. Back on the Korean Tour this week, Mun will be among the favorites on a circuit where he has been one of the best players this year.

PLAYER NEWS

• Joaquin Niemann posted his best-ever major result (T7) at the U.S. Open, guaranteeing his spot at Pebble Beach for the 2027 edition of the tournament. The Torque GC captain led the field in GIR (78%) and was 5th in Strokes Gained: Putting. “We're getting closer and closer,” Niemann said. “That's the only direction I've seen since I started playing golf, that I always get closer to my goals and my dreams. I know it's one step forward to that.”
• Niemann and RangeGoats Golf Club’s Peter Uihlein tied for low-round honors in Rd. 4 at the U.S. Open, both firing 4-under 66s. Niemann also shared low-round honors in Rd. 2 with a 5-under 65.
• Tyrrell Hatton also finished T7 at the U.S. Open, marking back-to-back top 10 U.S. Open finishes and now has four top-10 finishes in 11 starts since joining LIV Golf.

• Caleb Surratt of Legion XIII made the cut at last week’s U.S. Open in his first ever major championship start. "A massive takeaway is that I feel like I belong out here," Surratt said. "I felt very comfortable playing, and if I can continue to clean stuff up and get more comfortable, I think I can contend out here."
• Bryson DeChambeau debuted a new driver at the U.S. Open. According to Adrian Rietveld, TaylorMade’s long-time representative who works closely with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, conversations with the Crushers GC captain actually took place a while ago. “We’ve been speaking to Bryson for years about stuff, ideas,” Rietveld told GOLF.com. “Bryson hits a lot of drivers. Bryson hits a lot of balls at high speed. That driver will hold its shape and hold everything for thousands of shots.” Despite missing the cut, DeChambeau was fantastic off the tee, gaining +1.78 strokes per round.