Vincent and Asaji hold on to stamp 2026 LIV Golf tickets in International Series finale

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent sealed the season-long International Series Rankings title and a return to the LIV Golf League at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, and he will be joined by Japan’s Yosuke Asaji after Filipino Miguel Tabuena fell just short on the final day in Riyadh.

RELATED: Ballester registers big breakthrough victory at PIF Saudi International

International Series Morocco champion Vincent had led the race going into the final event of the season on 325.59 points, 40.29 ahead of Asaji, who won last time out at the Moutai Singapore Open to move to 285.30.

And despite a rough day on the course – Vincent carded a four-over 75 – his return to the big league was never in danger as his nearest challengers failed to earn the required finishes needed for a late Rankings charge.

Despite the ultimate lack of a challenge, the 33-year-old admitted he was affected by nerves with so much at stake going into the final day.

He said: “I woke up at about 4:30, which was two hours before I was hoping to. Then you start playing all the different scenarios in your head, which was not what I was hoping for. I wanted to come out here and just play freely and give it my best, but yeah, I was nervous.

“Obviously not knowing and not trying to look at leaderboards, you don't know how much of a cushion you have. You don't want to be the guy who is ahead and loses, all those things.

“Once I got moving and got into my routine, putting and range work, I definitely settled down. I just didn't play great today, but obviously my performance over the season was enough.”

As Rankings leader, Vincent tried to keep away from the permutations and calculations needed to establish who would finish where, but admitted it was difficult to do.

He said: “No, I tried to stay completely away. I kind of knew that, unless someone probably finished in the top five or so or two people did that, I was probably okay. I don't typically look at leaderboards, but today I was looking a little bit. I didn't see anyone there.”

For Vincent, the result means a return to LIV Golf after a year out. The two-time Asian Tour winner was the first person to take the pathway to LIV Golf from The International Series when he secured a place in the Iron Heads GC team after finishing top of the first ever Rankings race in 2022.

After losing his place at the end of the 2024 season, he doubled down on his efforts on The International Series in 2025 and finished top of the Rankings for the second time thanks to his Morocco win in July and a runner-up finish to Wade Ormsby at the Jakarta International Championship last month.

Speaking about that pathway offered by The International Series, the elevated Asian Tour events, he said: “Obviously I’m very thankful. It is great that this has worked out for me.”

About his return to LIV Golf, he added: “Obviously I kind of know what I am going to, and I am looking forward to that. It's going to be a great challenge.”

A missed cut from Asaji on Thursday had left the door open for Tabuena, who was just 53.02 adrift. But the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus champion fell agonizingly short of the T6 position needed as a two-under 69 left him one shot adrift.

Unlike Vincent, Asaji claimed he felt no nerves as he watched the drama unfold. He said: “I was not nervous at all. I just wanted to see what was happening today. It all depended on other players' results today, and I just wanted to see what was happening.”

Reflecting on the moment he saw Tabuena had come up short, he added: “I was so happy with my wife and my caddie, we were together. We can get in the LIV event. I was so happy.”

Asaji pinpointed the moment he dared to dream about that lucrative LIV Golf spot, saying: “Winning the Moutai Singapore Open was very, very valuable for me because after winning the Singapore Open, I noticed that I am No.2 in the International Series Rankings, and I thought, ‘oh, I have a pathway to LIV Golf, I have a chance to do this’.“

Going into tournament week, a number of challengers were in with a slim chance thanks to the high number of Rankings points available in the US$5 million tournament.

American Ollie Schniederjans, winner of the season-opening International Series India presented by DLF, could not muster the top-two finish required, ultimately settling for a level-par 71 that left him T60 and seventh in the table.

However, the former amateur world No.1 has the consolation of a bye into the second round of the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida at the start of next season, where another two LIV Golf golden tickets will be available.

Australian Ormsby also has the same opportunity. Needing a top-two finish, the 45-year-old missed the cut. At No.8 in the Rankings, he will regroup with two tournaments Down Under before entering the second-round stage of the four-round tournament at the Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida from 8-11 January.

Going into the final round, Danthai Boonma of Thailand and Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho had also given themselves a slim chance of glory.

Danthai, runner up behind Vincent in Morocco, went into the final round T7 and five off the lead while Taichi, the 2023 World City Championship winner in his native Hong Kong, sat T18 and two shots further back.

In the end, both finished T27 on 10 under with Taichi level par for his final round and Danthai two shots over. Danthai will join Tabuena, Schniederjans and Ormsby in the second round of the Promotions event as one of 10 leading players from the top 20 of the final Rankings table. Kho will enter the first round as one of 25 leading players inside the top 40.