Latest news with #IronHeads
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
LIV Golf Korea preview: Can Brooks Koepka get his first win of the season?
LIV Golf wraps up the first half of the 2025 season with this week's LIV Golf Korea presented by Coupang Play, the seventh tournament during the 14-event league schedule. Here is everything to know before the action begins live on FOX Sports. When: May 2-4 Where: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Competition: Three rounds/54 holes of stroke play Field: 54 players – 13 teams of four players each, and two wild cards Shotgun Start local time Rd. 1, 11:05 a.m. (May 1, 10:05 p.m. ET)Rd. 2, 11:35 a.m. (May 2, 10:35 p.m. ET)Rd. 3, 12:25 p.m. (May 3, 11:25 p.m. ET) Iron Heads GC Captain Kevin Na describes this week's LIV Golf Korea presented by Coupang Play as his team's "major" – and with good reason. Three members of the Iron Heads were born in Korea – Na in Seoul; Yubin Jang in the suburb of Gyeonggi-do; and Danny Lee, born and raised in Incheon, the site of Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea where this week's tournament will be held. "Having LIV Golf held in my hometown Incheon, it doesn't get more special than this," said Lee. "I was born in Incheon and live there until I was in elementary school. That's why LIV Golf being held in Incheon feels incredibly meaningful to me. The fact that I'll be competing there alongside the world's top players still feels surreal, and I can't wait to play in front of the fans." Na, an original LIV Golf member, has encouraged the league to play in South Korea, especially with golf's popularity booming in the country in recent years. Nearly 17% of adults (6.24 million people) participated in the sport at least once during the 2023 calendar year. "I'm thrilled to finally be able to show Korean fans the unique culture and gameplay that LIV Golf offers," Na said, adding that "it's a completely different style from traditional golf, and it's bound to be a refreshing change. Especially in Korea, where there's a growing number of golf fans in their 20s and 30s, I think the response will be even stronger. LIV Golf is truly appealing to the younger generation." The Iron Heads hope that enthusiastic home support will lead to their first-ever team title. Lee is the only team member to celebrate a trophy, having won the individual title in Tucson in 2023. "Having three players born in Korea on the same team and representing Asia makes this really meaningful," Lee said. "Whether it's in the team competition or the individual format, if we can deliver a strong performance, I'd love to share that joy with our fans." JACK NICKLAUS GOLF CLUB KOREA Incheon, South Korea Par 72 Yardage 7,344 Meters 6,715 Golf Digest named it as the fourth-best course in South Korea, writing: "This is an impressive Nicklaus design, one that transformed a flat, dull site into a surprisingly rolling, pine-dotted layout with water on 11 holes, equitably distributed with six hazards to the left and five to the right." This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Korea Herald
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
S. Korean-born players determined to put on show in LIV Golf's 'home game'
As LIV Golf makes its first appearance in South Korea this week, the breakaway tour's South Korean-born players said Wednesday they will try to put on a good show in what they see as their "home game." LIV Golf Korea will begin Friday at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul, with the champion to be crowned Sunday after 54 holes of action on the par-72, 7,376-yard layout. The Saudi Arabia-backed tour features 13 teams of four players each, and Iron Heads Golf Club will be in the spotlight this week as it is captained by Korean American Kevin Na and includes Korean-born Kiwi Danny Lee and South Korean Jang Yu-bin. "We're extremely excited that LIV Golf is playing in Korea. The league and the team have made a lot of efforts to get this tournament here," said Na, who was born in Seoul, at the pretournament press conference Wednesday. "I think the Korean golf fans will really love and enjoy the concept of LIV and our atmosphere. Korean golf fans have a huge love for the game of golf, and I think it's like a lifestyle for the Korean people. I really hope they enjoy and many people come and support the Iron Heads and support LIV Golf." In many ways, LIV Golf is a departure from the PGA Tour. Its season is much shorter, going from February to August, and each tournament only has 54 holes. Players have a shotgun start, meaning they begin play simultaneously, but from different holes. They are also allowed to wear shorts during competition. Music plays a big part of LIV tournaments, and LIV Golf Korea will hold a concert Sunday evening featuring K-pop stars G-Dragon and Ive. Lee, who was born and raised in Incheon, said it won't just all be fun and games for Iron Heads this week. "I think we have a lot of pressure this week because it's our home game, and everybody, I think even the LIV and Korean fans, they have a very high expectation of us playing well this week," Lee said. "I think we've got to just put that on the side and just keep our head down and just play our game and play some good golf. Hopefully, we can make something special." Jang, who joined Iron Heads in December last year as the first South Korean national in LIV Golf, said his rookie season has been a learning experience. LIV Golf keeps track of team standings in addition to individual rankings. "Considering I've only played individually as a professional golf player, this is my first time playing (golf) as a team sport. So I hope this will also be beneficial for not only me as a player, but also in our careers," he said. "I believe that we really learned perseverance through this. Considering that we have given it all during our practice, I hope that we can actually play professionally." Jang was the top dog on the KPGA Korean Tour in 2024, winning both the Player of the Year and the money title, but he hasn't lived up to hype in LIV Golf yet. In six tournaments, he has not yet finished higher than 23rd, and he ranked dead last in Mexico last week. "I played poorly in Mexico and it gave me an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on my career," Jang said. "I will try to use the Korean tournament as the turning point and I will try to play in front of Korean fans with a different mindset." Jang blamed his putter for his struggles so far, and he said it will take nothing but hard work to get out of his funk. Advice from Na and Lee, both former PGA Tour winners, also helped. "They said I should work even harder to be able to make it on the global stage and that I should trust myself more," Jang said. "I asked myself if I could confidently tell people I've worked hard, and I don't think I've reached that point yet. So I will have to really bear down." (Yonhap)
USA Today
11-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LIV Golf to host playoff for reserve players for spot on IronHeads GC in Singapore
LIV Golf to host playoff for reserve players for spot on IronHeads GC in Singapore A unique situation has come up for LIV Golf reserve players, but it also presents an opportunity. Kevin Na's IronHeads GC has had an open roster spot for each of its first three events, as Jinichiro Kozuma has been out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. In the first three tournaments, the Iron Heads have selected one of LIV Golf's reserve players to fill his spot. This week, there will be a playoff between the four reserves to join the IronHeads for LIV Golf Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club. John Catlin, Wade Ormsby, Kalle Samooja and Ollie Schniederjans will compete in an 18-hole, progressive elimination playoff. They will tee off at 8 a.m. local time in Singapore. The format is as follows: After six holes, the player with the highest stroke play score is eliminated. If two or more players are tied for the highest score, they continue until a highest score of those players is determined and that player is eliminated. After 12 holes, of those remaining players, the one with the highest stroke-play score is eliminated. If there is a tie for highest score after 12 holes, those players continue until a highest score is determined and that player is eliminated. The two remaining players play the final six holes of stroke play to determine winner. If they are tied after 18 holes, they will continue in a sudden death playoff until a winner is determined. Scores will carry over from one stage to the next. Catlin and Samooja hasn't played for LIV Golf this season. Schniederjans has two starts, finishing T-30 in Riyadh and T-42 in Hong Kong. Ormsby tied for 25th in Riyadh and finish 50th in Adelaide. LIV Golf Singapore is the fourth event of the 2025 season for LIV.
South China Morning Post
11-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
LIV Golf Singapore: Catlin earns Iron Heads spot after league's first 18-hole shoot-out
John Catlin will be join Iron Heads at LIV Golf Singapore this week, after winning an 18 hole shoot-out with the league's other reserve players on Tuesday. Advertisement The American outgunned Kalle Samooja, Ollie Schniederjans and Wade Ormsby at Sentosa Golf Club, shooting a four-under-par 67 on the Serapong Course in LIV's first elimination event to decide who would stand in for the injured Jinichiro Kozuma. Kozuma has not played all year and is listed as 'out indefinitely'. But a LIV spokesman said Catlin's win did not mean he was now a full-time member of Kevin Na's outfit. After struggling towards the end of last year, Catlin said he 'loved having the chance' to earn a spot on the team, but admitted the reserves had 'not been ready for LIV to shake things up' in the manner they did. 'I always love it when there's a chance where you can earn your spot,' Catlin said. 'Because then, nobody can take it away from you. It'd be interesting to see if it's something that continues, if it's needed. You never know, but I think it's a cool concept, and hey, I obviously liked it.' John Catlin hits his approach on 18 at Sentosa Golf Club. Photo: LIV Golf) Schniederjans stood in for Japan's Kozuma in Hong Kong last week and finished in a tie for 42nd, while Iron Heads were tenth in the team standings.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LIV Golf to host playoff for reserve players for spot on IronHeads GC in Singapore
LIV Golf to host playoff for reserve players for spot on IronHeads GC in Singapore A unique situation has come up for LIV Golf reserve players, but it also presents an opportunity. Kevin Na's IronHeads GC has had an open roster spot for each of its first three events, as Jinichiro Kozuma has been out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. In the first three tournaments, the Iron Heads have selected one of LIV Golf's reserve players to fill his spot. This week, there will be a playoff between the four reserves to join the IronHeads for LIV Golf Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club. Advertisement John Catlin, Wade Ormsby, Kalle Samooja and Ollie Schniederjans will compete in an 18-hole, progressive elimination playoff. They will tee off at 8 a.m. local time in Singapore. The format is as follows: After six holes, the player with the highest stroke play score is eliminated. If two or more players are tied for the highest score, they continue until a highest score of those players is determined and that player is eliminated. After 12 holes, of those remaining players, the one with the highest stroke-play score is eliminated. If there is a tie for highest score after 12 holes, those players continue until a highest score is determined and that player is eliminated. The two remaining players play the final six holes of stroke play to determine winner. If they are tied after 18 holes, they will continue in a sudden death playoff until a winner is determined. Scores will carry over from one stage to the next. Catlin and Samooja hasn't played for LIV Golf this season. Schniederjans has two starts, finishing T-30 in Riyadh and T-42 in Hong Kong. Ormsby tied for 25th in Riyadh and finish 50th in Adelaide. LIV Golf Singapore is the fourth event of the 2025 season for LIV. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: LIV reserves to compete in playoff for spot on IronHeads in Singapore
