The LIV Golf League remains a highly sought-after circuit for professional golfers, but there are not too many avenues to make it there on a permanent basis.
Players can either perform really well somewhere else and hope to be signed up during the off-season or - after recent changes to the LIV Golf Promotions event - win the only available spot in the unique tournament every December.
Alternatively, eligible golfers looking to achieve LIV status can compete in the Asian Tour's International Series and attempt to win that, with the Rankings leader at the end of the season earning a card in the 54-hole league for the following season.
The offering has been in place since 2022, when LIV Golf's backers - the Saudi PIF - agreed to support a new group of elevated events on the Asian Tour with greater prize purses. Scott Vincent triumphed over seven tournaments in the first season while Andy Ogletree followed suit after 10 in 2023.
This term, John Catlin is hoping to build on the six LIV Golf appearances he has made so far by winning a permanent place on a team in 2025. He currently has a handsome lead over the chasing pack at the top of the International Series Rankings, but knows he must keep his foot to the gas pedal in order to avoid any potential for heartbreak.
Sitting inside the top-10 and well within striking distance remain five players who competed in the 54-hole league in 2024 and another who filled in as a reserve on three occasions - Ben Campbell.
Hot on Catlin's tail is Peter Uihlein, member of the RangeGoats, while Carlos Ortiz (sixth), Caleb Surratt (eighth), David Puig (ninth), and Louis Oosthuizen (10th) remain well capable of snatching top spot before the end of the year.
And Catlin will have to ensure he remains top after the season-ending Saudi International because the situation in 2024 - as has been the case in the two campaigns beforehand - is that a LIV Golf card will only be offered to the winner of the International Series Rankings. It does not pass down to the second-placed player or the highest golfer in the rankings without LIV Golf League status.
It will be a similar situation in regard to the LIV Golf Promotions event – as the spot for the Rankings champion is not passed on here, although anyone with confirmed status is unable to compete. Only relegated players, and golfers who finished in the Open Zone (25th-48th) in the 2024 LIV Golf League standings have the opportunity to regain their playing rights in Riyadh.
Golfers who finish inside the top-10 and ties at Riyadh Golf Club will receive full exemption into the International Series 2025.
