Tranlate this title Liv’s withdrawal impacting for the Asian Tour in spanish

Players at this week’s KOLON The 68th KOREA Open Golf Championship were unpleasantly surprised to learn that the prize money, initially set at 2 billion won ($1.32 million) thanks in part to a 40% increase from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), had been reduced. The new prize money is now 1.4 billion won ($925,864). This doesn’t bode well for the financial future of the Asian golf circuit.

Liv Golf, situation

The announcement of the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) at the end of the 2026 LIV Golf season will undoubtedly have financial repercussions on the operation of the Asian Tour, which has been affiliated with the Saudi circuit since the LIV’s creation in June 2022.

The collateral damage is already being felt, as evidenced by the drastically reduced prize money for the KOLON The 68th KOREA Open Golf Championship, scheduled for this week’s Asian Tour (May 21-24). While a 40% increase in prize money had been announced a few weeks ago, bringing it to a record 2 billion won (US$1,322,564, or €1,140,240), this increase was ultimately withdrawn on Monday. The prize money has reverted to its initial amount of 1.4 billion won (US$925,864).

«With a $500,000 prize fund contribution from LIV Golf, with whom we are developing our partnership, the winner’s share will be 700 million won and the total prize pool 2 billion won, making this the biggest event in its history,» the tournament organizers announced at the end of April.

Instead of taking home $462,956, the winner this Sunday will ultimately only receive $133,481. A very significant difference, which should nevertheless not affect the points allocated to the Asian Order of Merit.

This is not good news for the five LIV Golf players who traveled to the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, including Bubba Watson, Danny Lee, Abraham Ancer, Minkyu Kim, and Richard T. Lee. They may, however, find some consolation, though this is not guaranteed, in the fact that a place for The Open this summer at Royal Birkdale is still up for grabs this week in the Land of the Morning Calm.