Three more players have been added to the breakaway league’s 2024 roster following the conclusion of LIV Promotions, following Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf switch earlier this week.
In the wake of Masters champion Jon Rahm, who signed with the breakaway league earlier this week, Kalle Samooja, Jinichiro Kozuma, and Kieran Vincent have emerged as the newest players to sign with LIV Golf.
The trio all earned a place on the Saudi-backed circuit for 2024 after finishing in the top three spots at LIV’s first ever Qualifying-School event in Abu Dhabi. Samooja was the man who came out on top in the Middle East, after shooting eight-under-par across the final 36 holes on Sunday.
Elsewhere Kozuma and Vincent were forced to earn their spots on the LIV roster via a three-man playoff after the pair tied with fellow hopeful Laurie Canter on seven-under following the end of regulation play. The opening playoff hole saw Canter come within inches of returning to LIV for 2024. Both Vincent and Kozuma had holed out far par, meaning a birdie for the Englishman would book him a place on the breakaway circuit.
Agonisingly for the former Majesticks GC star though he saw his birdie putt slide past the cup, to ensure the three would return to the 18th tee for a second playoff hole. After being moments from securing a LIV place 10 minutes earlier, Canter then all but ended his hopes on the par-five final hole.
Elsewhere this opened the door for Vincent and Kozuma. The former went on to secure his place in style, birdieing his final hole whilst the latter also confirming his playing rights for 2024 by rolling in a putt for par. A wayward tee shot then saw him hit his second into the water, in a costly error for the Englishman. After then finding the sand with his drop from the hazard, Canter sealed his fate by finishing with a double bogey.
The Zimbabwean Vincent will compete on the LIV circuit next year alongside his brother Scott, who kept his spot after placing 22nd overall in 2023. Kozuma has also appeared twice in 2022 on the Saudi-backed series, giving him experience there as well. Naturally, Promotions winner Samooja, who will be making his LIV debut the following year, will be joining them. The majority of the Finnish national’s career has been spent competing on the DP World Tour, where he has only one victory from the Porsche European Open in 2018.