LIV Golf has reasons to be encouraged by how their players have fared at the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour this week.
With the start of 2026 approaching, it’s a good sign to see names like Patrick Reed and David Puig near the top of the leaderboard in Dubai.
However, LIV heads into 2026 with something to prove following an off-season that could be described as underwhelming.
LIV Golf’s 2026 off-season targets are already making an impact
Most of the talk over the break was about Brooks Koepka heading back to the PGA Tour. But LIV has been busy adding a few new faces of their own.
Thomas Detry and Byeong Hun An are clever additions, even if they’re not household names, and bringing in Michael La Sasso to Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers could pay off down the line.
LIV also missed out on some players they had hoped to sign. Akshay Bhatia chose to stay put despite a strong offer, and Max Greyserman reportedly turned down an eight-figure deal from RangeGoats.
The most surprising one was Si-woo Kim. He seemed close to joining but ended up sticking with the PGA Tour instead.
Kim will be paired with Scottie Scheffler and Blades Brown in Sunday’s final group as he tries to add another title at La Quinta, where he already has good memories from his win three years ago.
Si-woo Kim’s PGA Tour stay paying off early in 2026
Kim looked like a player who might need a change of scenery going into 2026. His last win was in 2023, and he only managed three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour last year.
LIV has found more success outside the US, and there was real potential for Kim to become a star as captain of Korean Golf Club. He’s got the kind of personality that fans naturally gravitate towards.
Had he joined LIV, it could have been a significant moment if he lived up to his potential within their setup.
From LIV’s perspective, it’s frustrating to see him starting this season much better than he did in 2025 when he missed the cut at Waialae and finished tied for 51st at La Quinta. He didn’t crack the top 10 until April that year.
There’s still plenty of golf left to play this season, but early signs point to Kim staying on the PGA Tour as a big win for them.
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