Kerry Mountcastle had no idea what LIV Golf Promotions was a month ago. He’s very familiar right now as he advances to round two of the event after leading the 60-player field with an 8-under 64 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club on Friday.
Mountcastle and 28 other players who finished inside the top 20 and ties advanced and will join 13 exempt players. The scores will be reset for the 42-man field on Saturday.
The top 20 players after Saturday’s round move on to compete for three available LIV spots, playing 36 holes on the final day. Any ties on Saturday will go to a playoff.
It has been a whirlwind month for Mountcastle, who earned his first professional victory at the PGA Tour of Australasia last month. That earned him invites into two big events in Australia and although he missed the cut at both, he had also secured a spot in the Promotions event.
Mountcastle’s 64 on Friday was two better than anyone else in the field. He said he hasn’t had time to stop and think about the possibility of earning a lucrative spot in the LIV league as Mountcastle is playing for the sixth consecutive week.
“I didn’t know anything about the LIV Promotions until I got told the Monday after I won,” Mountcastle said, “and now I’m here and I’ve made it to the second day, which everything is on.”
American Seungsu Han finished second Friday at 6 under, with five players posting 5-under 67s.
Seven of the 12 players who advanced to the second on the number needed birdies on the final hole Friday. Meanwhile, Guntaek Koh and Chris Stroud each bogeyed the 18th hole to miss the cut by a single shot.
Players who finish Nos. 4-10 in the event will be fully exempt for all 2024 events on The International Series sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
PLAYERS ADVANCING
–Kerry Mountcastle, New Zealand (-8): Recently won the Gippsland Super 6 on the PGA Tour of Australasia
–Seungsu Han, USA (-6): Won the Asian Tour’s Korean Open Golf Championship in June
–Junghwan Lee, Korea (-5): Has three runner-up finishes on the Korean Tour this season
–Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan (-5): Made three starts in the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, finishing 29th in points
–Taichi Kho, Hong Kong (-5): Won the Asian Tour’s World City Championship in his native Hong Kong in March
–Max Kennedy, Ireland (-5): One of four amateurs in the field this week
–Tapio Pulkkanen, Finland (-5): Played this season on the DP World Tour
–Poom Saksansin, Thailand (-5): Won the Asian Tour’s Yeangder TPC in September
–Sadom Kaewkanjana, Thailand (-5): Played full-time on the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series
–Jaco Ahlers, South Africa (-4): Won the Asian Tour’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters in October
–Jeongwoo Ham, Korea (-4): Has one win and five other top-5 finishes in his last six starts on the Korean Tour
–Steve Lewton, England (-4): Finished 22nd on the International Series standings in 2023
–Miguel Tabuena, Philippines (-4): Won The DGC Open on the Asian Tour in March
–Zach Bauchou, USA (-3): Has two top-5s in his last eight Korn Ferry Tour starts
–Kazuki Higa, Japan (-3): Has 10 professional wins, six on the Japan Golf Tour
–Phachara Khongwatmai, Thailand (-3): Played full-time in the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series
–Grégory Bourdy, France (-3): Has 10 professional wins, four on the European Tour
–Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Thailand (-2): Won in his most recent start on the Asian Tour at the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open
–Settee Prakongvech, Thailand (-2): Posted three victories in 23 starts in 2022
–Zach Murray, Australia (-2): Finished 38th in the 2023 International Series standings
–Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Thailand (-2): Won once and finished runner-up four times in 25 starts in 2022
–Suradit Yongcharoenchai, Thailand (-2): Finished 28th in the 2023 International Series standings
–Kevin Yuan, Australia (-2): Played the inaugural event last season at LIV Golf London Invitational
–Braden Thornberry, USA (-2): Won the 2017 NCAA Division I men’s golf championship while at University of Mississippi
–Joel Stalter, France (-2): Posted his lone DP World Tour win in 2020 in Austria
–Luis Carrera, Mexico (-2): Turned pro this summer after stellar career at University of Central Florida
–Bio Kim, Korea (-2): Has four wins in the last three seasons, including the LX Championship this year on the Korean Tour
–Martin Trainer, France (-2): Won in Puerto Rico on the PGA Tour in 2019
–Lucas Bjerregaard, Denmark (-2): Has six professional wins, including two on the DP World Tour
EXEMPT PLAYERS
–PGA Tour veterans Jason Dufner, a former major champion, and Kevin Chappell.
–Five players ranked Nos. 2-8 in final International Series standings: India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, New Zealand’s Ben Campbell, Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, Australia’s Wade Ormsby and Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent.
–Three relegated LIV Golf players: Australian Jed Morgan and Americans Sihwan Kim and James Piot. Reserve Lauri Canter will also be in the field.
–China’s Sampson-Yuhne Zheng was invited as the highest-ranking entrant in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
–Finland’s Kalle Samooja, who was a winner in the DP World Tour in 2022.
“Bypassing the first round is definitely an advantage,” Ormsby said. “It’s one less round you’ve got, one less hurdle to get over.”
–Field Level Media