Lee, Hellgren, Kim Earn Wild Card Spots for LIV Golf 2026

LECANTO, Fla. – A dominant performance for Canada’s Richard T. Lee. A clutch low round for Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren. And an inspirational return for American Anthony Kim.

All three players had reason to celebrate Sunday afternoon at Black Diamond Ranch after earning the three wild card spots available through this week’s LIV Golf Promotions. They now join International Series qualifiers Scott Vincent and Yosuke Asaji as the five wild card players who will compete in the 13 regular season tournaments during the 2026 LIV Golf League season.

Their next starts on LIV Golf will be in the 2026 season opener in Riyadh on Feb. 4-7.

While Lee and Hellgren will be making their LIV Golf debuts in Saudi Arabia, Kim will be back for his third season as a wild card player. He returned from a 12-year retirement from professional golf to join LIV Golf in 2024 but was relegated after last season as he continued to shake off the rust and rebuild his game.

Earning a spot for the 2026 season is a reflection of the significant progress he’s made in recent months.

“There were definitely low moments throughout those two years,” Kim said. “But I believe in myself more than anybody else believes in me, and I think that’s all that matters. I felt like I would earn my spot back if I did get relegated, which I did. I felt like if I just kept my foot on the gas and just kept grinding that great things were going to happen.”

Lee, meanwhile, completed an impressive weeklong effort with a final-round 5-under 65, leaving him at 11 under for the 36-hole weekend shootout for a five-shot victory over Hellgren, his nearest competitor.

The 35-year-old becomes the first Canadian to earn a spot on LIV Golf, and he did it in style, shooting rounds of 64, 66, 64 and 65 over the four days, including the first two 18-hole knockout rounds that whittled the initial field of 78 players down to the 22 competing this weekend.

“It’s not sunk in yet, to be honest,” said Lee, who suffered just two bogeys all week, one of those coming late on Sunday when he already had a spot wrapped up. “21 under on this course is absolutely amazing. I’m very pleased with my game right now.”

Hellgren shot an even-par 70 on Saturday, leaving him outside the top 10 starting Sunday. The 35-year-old, who won the Saudi Open presented by PIF last month, had to play aggressive to make up strokes.

He opened with consecutive birdies and overcame a couple of bogeys midway through his round, finishing it off with four birdies in his final six holes to shoot a 6-under 64, matching the course record set by Lee earlier in the week.

“Starting the day, we knew what we had to do,” Hellgren said. “We had to shoot a low one today. We had to basically go all in.”

Kim was in better shape to start the day, in the primary chase pack after shooting a 66 on Saturday. Through 10 holes Sunday, he was even par for the day and in a three-way tie for the third and final spot with two Thailand golfers, Jazz Janewattananond and Sarit Suwannarut.

Kim then birdied the par-4 11th with a 20-foot putt to create separation, then battled hard to maintain it. The par-4 14th was a key moment, as he twice overcame tricky lies near bunkers that left him with awkward stances, eventually saving par with a 15-foot putt. By the time he reached the 18th hole, he was three shots clear of fourth place and could afford a final bogey.

“Felt like if I made that putt, it could really swing the momentum,” Kim said of the 14th. “I beared down and holed it.”

Lee and Hellgren are both looking forward to the step up in competition that LIV Golf offers with a field that includes major champions such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and others.

“Definitely have to hit it longer to keep up with those guys and maybe get my short game a little bit sharper,” Lee said.

“Obviously this is going to change our life, for my family,” Hellgren added. “But it’s still just a tournament, and I’m sure I’ll be going to Riyadh to try to win because I like the feeling of winning.”

Kim, meanwhile, is glad just to have another season on LIV Golf. Sunday’s outcome was arguably the biggest moment in his two years since his return to the sport.

“There’s a ton of satisfaction,” Kim said at the end of his press conference. “I’m sure I’ll understand that all that work has really shown this week, maybe later tonight when I’m drinking an iced tea. It means a lot to me because three years ago, doctors told me that I potentially had two weeks to live. So just to be here standing in front of you guys is a blessing.”

Richard T. Lee hits his shot from the ninth tee during the final round of the LIV Golf Promotions at Black Diamond Ranch on Sunday, January 11, 2026, in Lecanto, Florida. (Photo by LIV Golf)

PROMOTIONS TOP 3

A quick look at each of the three players who claimed full-time wild-card spots for the 2026 LIV Golf League:

RICHARD T. LEE
35 years old | Canada

Has six professional wins, most recently at the 2025 Woori Financial Group Championship on the Korean Tour … Played predominantly on the Asian Tour and Korean Tour in recent years … Asian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2013 … Played the 2007 U.S. Open at the age of 16, the second-youngest player in tournament history … Turned professional after the tournament … Has three Asian Tour wins, including the 2024 BNI Indonesian Masters, an International Series tournament.

BJORN HELLGREN
35 years old | Sweden

Has eight professional wins, most recently in December at the Saudi Open presented by PIF … Finished sixth on the 2025 Asian Tour Order of Merit … Topped the Swedish Golf Tour Order of Merit in 2015 … Has victories on the Swedish Golf Tour and Nordic Golf League … Former teammate of Brooks Koepka at Florida State University … Turned pro in 2013 after two years in college.

ANTHONY KIM
40 years old | USA

Spent last two seasons as a wild card player on LIV Golf after returning to competitive golf following a 12-year retirement … Turned pro in 2006 and quickly established himself as one of the sport’s most exciting young talents … Has won three PGA Tour events and played a key role on the victorious 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team … Ranked as high as sixth in the world in 2008.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

The top three players after Sunday’s final round of the 36-hole weekend shootout at Black Diamond Ranch claimed the three available LIV Golf wild-card spots for 2026. The top 10 players and ties earned exemption into The International Series on the Asian Tour.

1. Richard T. Lee, Canada – 64-65 (129/-11)
2. Bjorn Hellegren, Sweden – 70-64 (134/-6)
3. Anthony Kim, USA – 66-69 (135/-5)
T4. Lucas Bjerregaard, Denmark – 67-70 (137/-3)
T4. Sarit Suwannarut, Thailand – 69-68 (137/-3)
T4. Kieran Vincent, Zimbabwe – 70-67 (137/-3)
T4. Jeunghun Wang, South Korea – 69-68 (137/-3)
T8. Oliver Bekker, South Africa – 66-72 (138/-2)
T8. Cory Crawford, Australia – 71-67 (138/-2)
T8. Jazz Janewattananond, Thailand – 66-72 (138/-2)
T8. Matt Jones, Australia – 70-68 (138/-2)
T8. Takanori Konishi, Japan – 69-69 (138/-2)
T8. Christopher Wood, Australia – 71-67 (138/-2)
14. Rattanon Wannasrichan, Thailand – 70-69 (139/-1)
15. Joe Pagdin, England – 69-71 (140/E)
T16. Sadom Kaewkanjana, Thailand – 73-69 (142/+2)
T16. Julian Perico, Peru – 70-72 (142/+2)
T16. Travis Smyth, Australia – 71-71 (142/+2)
T16. Miguel Tabuena, Philippines – 72-70 (142/+2)
20. Jose Islas, Mexico – 72-72 (144/+4)
21. Max Kennedy, Ireland – 69-76 (145/+5)
22. Danthai Boonma, Thailand – 76-77 (153/+13)