‘Position of strength’ – Record breaking Players champion to decide on LIV Golf future as 2026 shake-up threatened
Si Woo Kim has been a primary target for LIV Golf ahead of a potentially huge shakeup on the circuit.
Kim, who competes on the PGA Tour and became the youngest-ever winner of the Players Championship back in 2017, was said to be in negotiations with the Saudi-backed circuit.
According to Flushing It Golf on X the 30-year-old, who smashed a record breaking hole-in-one at The Open, was in late stage negotiations earlier this week to join Iron heads for the 2026 season.
The account reported that any deal between Kim and LIV Golf would see quite the shake up.
“Si Woo Kim’s potential deal with LIV Golf would be to take equity in the rebranded Becko East GC (Ironheads GC) stripping Kevin Na of his captaincy,” Flushing It posted on Thursday.
“Sources indicate the hold up is due to Si Woo wanting to bring in his own players, with only Danny Lee’s position being secure for the 2026 season out of the current line up.
“I want to make this very clear, no deal has been agreed yet, but this is a major target for LIV Golf that they’ve been chasing since at least September.
“Si Woo is in a position of strength in the negotiations and his team knows it.”
While league sources were said to be confident of securing Kim’s signature, a new report from South Korea’s Maeil Business Newspaper claims he will stay on the PGA Tour instead.
Si Woo Kim snubs LIV Golf offer
“It is true that Kim Si-woo, like many Korean players, has been offered a recruitment,” a member of the golfer’s team told the paper.
“However, Kim Si-woo finally expressed his intention to refuse and decided to remain on the PGA Tour.”
Fellow Korean star Sungjae Im, who finished tied for second at the Masters in 2020, was also rumored to join LIV Golf.
Like Kim, he has shut down the idea.
Sungjae posted on his Instagram story that any reports of a move to LIV Golf were ‘fake news’.
How has Si Woo Kim played in 2025?
Kim has enjoyed a solid season, and currently sits 47th in the world rankings.
He had five top 10 finishes around the world, including most recently at the Australian Open last week.
The four-time Tour winner also secured his best major finish to date at the PGA Championship, where he tied for eighth place at Quail Hollow Club.
That was his first top 10 finish at any of golf’s four majors.
Who has joined LIV Golf for 2026?
While Kim has appeared to snub what was likely a lucrative LIV offer, a number of other stars have signed up for next year’s tour.
Zimbabwean Scott Vincent claimed the first of two promotion spots offered through The International Series Rankings.
Yosuke Asaji has also earned his card through the pathway.
Meanwhile, Englishman Laurie Canter has signed with Majesticks GC to replace Henrik Stenson, and former PGA Tour star Victor Perez has joined Cleeks GC in place of Frederik Kjettrup.
LIV Golf is also said to still be in talks with it’s biggest star, Bryson DeChambeau, about a new deal, while Brooks Koepka’s future with the Saudi Arabian PIF-backed circuit question.
Both men were among the first players to commit to the breakaway league, and would command huge deals have originally signed to nine-figure deals in 2022
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