Asian Tour’s International Series facing uncertainty amid speculation over LIV Golf’s future
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond admits the uncertainty surrounding LIV Golf could be a worrying factor for young players in Asia, but his focus is on playing golf.
PHOTO: GRAHAM UDEN/ASIAN TOUR
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
- LIV Golf reportedly faces uncertainty as Saudi Arabia's PIF is re-prioritising funds for domestic initiatives. This casts doubt on the league's future.
- This concerns Asian Tour players and the LIV-backed International Series. But series chief Rahul Singh expressed optimism about the circuit’s future.
- The US$2 million April 23-26 Singapore Open presented by The Business Times is one of eight International Series events.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – As dark clouds loom over the future of LIV Golf following reports last week that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is on the verge of withdrawing its support for the breakaway league, players in the region are also grappling with what could come next.
The developments could have an impact on them as LIV also backs the International Series, a set of enhanced events on the Asian Tour.
Of the 17 events on this season’s Asian Tour, eight – including the April 23-26 Singapore Open presented by The Business Times – are part of the International Series.
While Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond admitted the uncertainty could be a worrying factor for young players in Asia, the 30-year-old stressed that his focus is on playing golf.
The seven-time Asian Tour winner, who won the Singapore Open in 2019, said: “The last four, five years have been amazing for us.
“When the rumours broke out, I got a lot of texts from my peers and I just had to tell them, ‘Hey we’ve got to do our best and hopefully, it plays out the way it’s supposed to and it will be good for us’.”
He was speaking at a press conference on April 22 ahead of the Singapore Open, which will be staged at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.
First introduced in 2022 with LIV’s backing, the International Series events offer elevated prize funds and a pathway to LIV.
Since the LIV tour’s inception four years ago, PIF has reportedly poured more than US$5 billion (S$6.36 billion) into it, luring stars like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson with lucrative contracts and massive tournament purses.
The total purse this season amounts to US$470 million across individual and team competitions in 14 events.
Recent reports that PIF could cut its support for the rebel league come as the Saudi sovereign wealth fund looks to re-prioritise its spending after unveiling a new five-year investment strategy, which focuses more on domestic initiatives.
In response, LIV chief executive Scott O’Neil insisted there is financial commitment to finish the 2026 season and they would “work like crazy” to keep it going.
Head of the International Series Rahul Singh also expressed optimism about the circuit’s future.
In a media round-table on April 22, he said: “We’ve spoken to every single one of our stakeholders, partners, governments, and said that we’re here to stay.
“So there should be no belief except complete positivity in terms of where the series is headed, where LIV plans to be and what our plans are.”
LIV golfer Josele Ballester, who is in the field of 144 competing in Singapore, acknowledged that things “looked bad at the beginning of last week with all the things you see in the media”, adding that he was concentrating on his game.
The Spaniard added: “The only thing I can focus on is my golf. We’re excited to finish this 2026 season in (strong) fashion and keep it going.”
The 22-year-old returns to Sentosa’s Serapong Course a month after ending tied-sixth at LIV Singapore, which was held at the same venue.
Just last week, he placed third at LIV’s Mexico event and will be hoping to carry over his form to the US$2 million (S$2.6 million) Singapore Open, where two spots for the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July are up for grabs.
Ballester said: “Having those two exemptions for the top two players to qualify for the Open is huge for all of us. I feel like a bunch of the players who are here have come in because of those two exemptions, the field looks pretty good.”
Other LIV players who will be teeing off at Sentosa include Australian Lucas Herbert and American Peter Uihlein.
The field also includes a local contingent of 12, comprising professionals Nicklaus Chiam, Ryan Ang, Gregory Foo, Koh Dengshan, Wong Qiwen, Dennis Lim, Joshua Yap, Marc Ong, James Leow and Mardan Mamat, as well as amateurs Brayden Lee and Troy Storm.
Chiam, who captured his first professional title at the Selangor Masters in February, hopes to enhance his resume with a home victory. The 30-year-old has set his sights on winning the Asian Development Tour’s Order of Merit as he looks to make the step up to the Asian Tour next season.
On his goals for the Singapore Open, the world No. 743 said: “Obviously, I’m hoping to win, but there’s a lot of good competition out here. The goal is to win and have fun out there.”
• Dive into all the sporting action and trends in Singapore with ST’s weekly newsletter.
