Irish amateur pair Max Kennedy and Ryan Griffin will travel to Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the inaugural LIV Golf Promotions event from December 8-10 as they look to earn places on the Saudi backed tour for 2024.
Both players are exempt into LIV’s version of Qualifying School having represented the International side in the Palmer Cup vs the USA during the summer.
Maynooth University’s Griffin had long been pencilled in to compete and for a while it seemed he would be the only Irish competitor after Ireland’s Walker Cup quartet Mark Power, Alex Maguire, Liam Nolan and Matthew McClean all opted against using their exemptions into the event.
LIV released the full field on Thursday with Kennedy of Louisville and Royal Dublin among the names.
The Ulster Strokeplay champion and Irish international was unavailable for comment when contacted by IrishGolfer.ie but Ballybofey star Griffin, 23, is buzzing to get out to Abu Dhabi and make the most of the opportunity he has been given.
“You would like to play well but if not, I will still enjoy every bit of it we have the flights booked until Sunday night so you can still get out and enjoy some golf. It’s Abu Dhabi, sunshine, in the middle of December with one of your best pals, it’s not too bad,” said the Rosapenna member.
Both Irishmen must make the top-20 after the first round before advancing to join the 14 exempt players in the second round.
Each amateur is guaranteed at least $1000 which is a tidy profit off a $25 entry fee with the chance to win a $200,000 payday and a spot in the 2024 LIV Golf League if they can secure one of the three available spots.
The field also includes 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner, former Ryder Cup stars Victor Dubuisson of France and Jeff Overton of the U.S., and former PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour winners such as Chris Stroud, Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, and Alvaro Quiroz.
Additionally, former LIV Golf players Sihwan Kim, Chase Koepka, Jed Morgan, and James Piot, who were relegated at the end of the 2023 season, as well as reserve Laurie Canter, will be trying to reclaim their LIV Golf status.
“LIV Golf Promotions creates an open pathway for players to compete in the LIV Golf League, and the interest shown in the event’s inaugural year reinforces the significance of these new opportunities for the sport,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman.
“There is exceptional talent from all corners of the globe and LIV Golf is establishing a platform for these current and rising stars of the game to build their careers in new, exciting ways. LIV Golf’s future is bright, and our anticipation grows to see which competitors will be part of this game-changing league in 2024.”
For full field click HERE
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