LIV Golf Makes Historic Korean Debut at Presidents Cup Venue
LIV arrives at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club for its first Korean event
Incheon, Korea - LIV Golf made its first visit to Korea with a press conference at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon—the same course that hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup—on the very day the 2026 event’s captains were named.
Iron Heads GC, the LIV team representing Asia, welcomed the media ahead of the inaugural LIV Golf Korea event, a $25 million tournament set to tee off from May 2 to 4. Team members Kevin Na, Danny Lee, Jinichiro Kozuma and Korea’s rising star Jang Yu-bin spoke about the tour’s Korean debut and its poignant link to golf history.
“It’s meaningful,” said Na, a Korean-American and one of LIV’s early ambassadors. “The 2015 Presidents Cup was a turning point for Korean golf. Danny played in it, and I watched on TV. It inspired a generation.”
Jang, the first Korean rookie to sign with LIV, echoed the sentiment: “Watching the Presidents Cup as a kid made me want to compete on that stage. Now I’m here with LIV. It’s not the same event, but it feels just as special. I hope young Korean golfers watch and dream bigger.”
The timing was hard to ignore. On the same day, the PGA Tour named Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy as the captains for the 2026 Presidents Cup, which will be held at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. But with LIV players still barred from participating, the symbolism of returning to a former Presidents Cup venue was unmistakable.
Na responded to recent remarks by Sungjae Im, who said LIV offered “money but not honour,” while the PGA Tour offered both: “Everyone has their opinion. But we’re in a global era. If you play well, you’re respected. LIV keeps evolving—and I believe it can inspire Korean players too.”
The LIV Golf Korea event will feature shotgun starts each day with no cut. Headliners include major champions Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson—adding firepower to a week that marks a new chapter in Korean golf.