Notebook: LIV Golf players at PIF Saudi International, Round 1
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – News and notes from Wednesday’s first round of the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisors, the final event of the International Series and Asian Tour with 42 LIV Golf players in the field.
TIRED NIEMANN GOES LOW
Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann was one of four LIV Golf players who competed in last week’s Australian Open before flying to Saudi Arabia. Niemann arrived Monday, played the pro-am on Tuesday and then went out and shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 on Wednesday, putting him into a tie for third, one shot off the lead held by Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun.
That makes him the low LIV golfer on the leaderboard.
“I’m tired. It was a long trip,” said Niemann, who tied for fifth in his title defense in Melbourne. “But it’s the last week of the year and I’m really going to enjoy being here.”
Niemann has a couple of new toys in his bag this week – PING’s new G440 driver and 3 wood. The 440 was added to the USGA’s Conforming Driver list on Monday. “It’s been working well,” Niemann said. “Pretty happy with how it’s feeling.”
CAM’S GRUELING STRETCH
Like Niemann, Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith also flew from Australia to Saudi Arabia after last weekend. But Smith’s playing schedule has been particularly grueling – he’s playing in his fifth event in the last six weeks after making four starts in a goodwill tour of his home country.
“Today, I felt actually not too bad,” said Smith after his bogey-free 67. “Last few days have been pretty hopeless. But yeah, I feel like there’s enough.”
Smith went T3, T2 and solo 2nd in his first three starts back home before slipping to a tie for 39th at the Australian Open, a tournament title that continues to elude him.
“Last week was really frustrating,” he said. “All the weeks prior to that were really solid. Couldn’t quite get it across the line, which has been the story of my year. We’ve got one more here, so hopefully I can break that trend. If not, it’s been a great summer of golf in Australia for me.”
UIHLEIN REMAINS HOT
The top three players in the International Series standings are in the same group for the first two rounds. Points leader Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC shot a 66 and tied for fifth. No. 2 John Catlin and No. 3 Ben Campbell – who were both reserve players on LIV Golf in 2024 – each shot 68 and are tied for 27th.
Uihlein won last week’s International Series Qatar and is seeking his first season-long title as a pro.
“You've got to keep the pedal down. You've got to be aggressive and keep making birdies,” said Uihlein, who made six birdies Wednesday. “You can't go out and just shoot 2-, 3-under par for three or four days and win. You've got to go out and make some birdies and be aggressive. So that's what I'll keep trying to do.”
Catlin and Campbell are among the group of non-LIV returnees who can earn a spot for the 2025 season by overtaking Uihlein in the points race. With so much on the line, Catlin was asked if playing in the same group the first two days made things tense.
“We all know each other pretty well,” Catlin said. “We’re having good conversations. Just trying to go out and play our best.”
NA EXCITED ABOUT IRON HEADS
After a surprising tie for second at the Team Championship in Dallas when they knocked off the Nos. 4 and 1 seeds on successive days, Iron Heads GC Captain Kevin Na continues to see good things happening for his team.
There was the offseason announcement of LIV Golf’s plans to play a 2025 tournament in South Korea, good news for LIV Golf’s most Asian-centric team. And Na is upbeat about the possibilities created by the open spot on his roster after Scott Vincent suffered relegation.
“We had a great finish in Dallas. It was a good turnaround for us,” Na said. “We’ve been working hard. That’s the break we needed.
“And we’re excited for next year to play in Korea, extremely excited. And we’re going to be very excited here shortly with the addition of a new player.”
And no, he wouldn’t reveal any potential names.
(Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour)