SIX PLAYERS FROM 2022 LIV GOLF HOPE TO MAKE RETURN VISITS

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Most players are excited about their prospects at this week’s LIV Golf Promotions event and are describing it as the opportunity of a lifetime.

However, 12 players in the field have already experienced what the League has to offer. Six of them – Turk Pettit (USA), Travis Smyth and Kevin Yuan (both Australia), Phachara Khongwatmai and Sadom Kaewkanjana (both Thailand) and Jinichiro Kozuma (Japan) – played at least one tournament in the inaugural 2022 season, and that appetizer is making them crave for a season-long main course.

No wonder that Smyth – who played three tournaments in 2022 – was quick to confess: “I am extremely excited. I am very nervous. And I am really hungry.”

There are just three cards available through the Promotions event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and 73 players are vying for it through the three stages to be played over the next three days.

Smyth, a 28-year-old rising star from Shellharbour, New South Wales, played three LIV Golf tournaments and his best finish during the beta-test season was a tie for 22nd in Bedminster.

“Honestly, I learned a lot from those three weeks. Probably, the biggest takeaway I had from it was that I feel like my golf game can compete with those guys. I didn’t even feel like I played that well. I kind of just came middle of the pack every week. And I feel like, right now, my game is like 50 times better than what it was back then,” said Smyth, who qualified and famously made a hole-in-one at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“Since playing with those LIV guys, I just got this deeper belief that whether it's now, or next year or the year after, I will be where I want to be in the game of golf.”

There are various reasons why these players have loved their LIV experience, and for Smyth, it is the team element of it.

“I remember in London, I was not playing well at all in the final round. I was missing every 6-footer putt and I really wanted to hole them for the team because we were in contention. I had kept an eye on the leaderboard all along and it was never to see my own scores. Finally, I had like an 8-footer for par on my 18th hole and I knew that if I holed it, we would come second. And I did,” recalled Smyth.

“That’s probably one of my unforgettable LIV Golf moments. I felt really, really good about myself. Obviously, there’s a lot of money on the line for us as players, but we all really cared about the team aspect. It was pretty special. I remember cheering our captain Peter Uihlein on the 18th green along with Richard Bland and Phachara, who were my teammates, as Peter was in contention.”

Pettit, the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s champion, played all eight LIV events in 2022, finishing 40th in the Money List.

“I think it’s another opportunity. Every week in golf is an opportunity. It’s just that some opportunities are way better than others. And this one would be right there,” said Pettit.

“I enjoyed myself so much that year. We had Harold Varner in the team, and so, I can’t tell you any of those stories because there would be so many cuss words. But Harold is an unbelievable golfer. He’d just hop off a 15-hour flight and shoot 4-5 under par when I’d be having trouble keeping my eyes open. It was great fun playing with all these stars.

“I used to think I was a decent putter. And then I saw all these top guys making putts. I mean their short game is just so impressive. I have learned that you just cannot miss a putt inside 10 feet.”

Australia’s Yuan played the International Series England at Slaley Hall in 2022, and was pleased with his ninth place finish. He and his dad left the course and headed for Scotland where they planned to holiday for a few days.

But then his plans changed.

“I got a call from Asian Tour saying that I needed to come back as I could get into the inaugural LIV event in Centurion,” said the 27-year-old.“It’s the biggest event I have played in my career and I enjoyed every moment of it. I got drafted into Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces team, and that was a dream come true. DJ has been a hero of mine.

“The thing that stood out for me, and also the reason why I want to get back on LIV, is the energy of the crowd. It could have been because of the music, but they were cheering every shot. The feedback from the fans was awesome.”

Phachara, a superstar in Asia and his home country, was paired with Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau when LIV Golf visited Thailand that year.

“That was an unbelievable moment for me. So many of my friends and family had come to the course and they were like ‘Wow! You are playing with these guys!’ reminisced the 10-time winner on Asian and All-Thailand Tour, who played in all eight LIV events that season.

“I think I am a much better player today because of LIV Golf. I got to spend so much time with some of the best players in the world like DJ, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson. I did not speak to them much, but I observed them very closely. They have reached a stature in golf that I aspire to reach one day. Every round I played with them, I became a wiser golfer.”

All six players play their first round on Friday and will aim to be inside the top-20 and ties to advance to the second stage round on Saturday.