Max Kennedy is in the hunt for one of the three 2026 LIV Golf League cards on offer as the Dubliner lies tied for sixth going into the final round of the LIV Promotions event at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida.
After successfully navigating the first two hurdles, scoring was reset for the final two rounds as the remaining 22 players to duel it out for the top three with the entire top 10 earning invitations to each of the Asian Tour’s International Series events.
Birdies on the fourth and 13th holes along with 13 pars got him to the par-5 16th at two-under-par and within one of the provisional top three, but his lengthy eagle putt ran 10 feet past and he missed the birdie putt.
A bogey on 17 and a closing par left him at one-under overall, part of a five-way tie for sixth and three shots behind the trio of Anthony Kim, Oliver Bekker and Jazz Janewattananond who share second place at -4.
In pole position is Canadian Richard T. Lee at six-under-par after making three birdies on each side in a bogey-free effort. Despite the two-stroke lead, he’s not planning on being conservative in Sunday’s final round.
“Honestly, I don’t think it would be comfortable for any player to have a two-shot lead on the last day,” said Lee, who has two eagles, 13 birdies and just one bogey in his 54 competitive holes this week that included advancing out of both the first and second rounds. “I’ll just put my hat on and just play my golf.”
Kim too kept his card clean as he looks to regain his place in the league he played on for two seasons after coming out of a 12-year retirement.
“I have an opportunity to get one of those spots,” said the 40-year-old and the only American to advance to the weekend. “That’s what I asked for coming into this week and put myself in good position. Now I’ve just got to go finish.”
Kim wouldn’t even be in this position had he not made an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th on Friday to make the cut on the number. He carried over those good vibes on the back nine Saturday.
“I knew that if I didn’t make birdie on 18 [Friday] that my chances of playing on LIV next year were gone, and to me that’s a big deal,” Kim said. “I’d like to play at the highest level against the best players. It meant a lot to me.”
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