Richard T. Lee of Canada, Bjorn Hellgren of Sweden and former wunderkind Anthony Kim earned wild-card spots for the 2026 LIV Golf season by placing on the LIV Golf Promotions podium Sunday in Lecanto, Fla.
Lee sailed to a five-shot win over the field by following Saturday’s 64 with a 65 to land at 11-under 129. Hellgren had the round of the day Sunday, a 6-under 64 with eight birdies, to get to second place at 6 under.
The biggest name at the event, though, was Kim, who retired from golf for about 12 years before signing with LIV in 2024 for his comeback.
A wild card for two years, Kim was relegated after the 2025 season and had to qualify to regain his place in the league. After he made the cut on the number Friday at Black Diamond Ranch, the scores reset and Kim went 66-69 on the weekend to place third at 5 under par.
It marks an eye-catching turnaround for the 40-year-old from California. Kim also went through rehab for drug and alcohol addiction and has said before that doctors had given him grave warnings about his health.
“There’s a ton of satisfaction. A ton,” Kim said. “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.
“But yeah, it means a lot to me because three years ago, doctors had told me that I potentially had two weeks to live. So just to be here standing in front of you guys is a blessing.”
Kim had room to spare when he bogeyed his last hole Sunday. He finished two shots ahead of a four-way tie for fourth.
As for Lee, he was the best golfer on the property all week. He shot a 64 Thursday in the opening “play-in round,” which Hellgren, Kim and other were exempted from. Lee finished the week with a six-birdie, one-bogey trip around the course.
“(The course layout) just really fits the fade shots that I have and the low fade shots just to keep it in the fairway,” Lee said. “The greens definitely helped me out a lot. I was very comfortable on the greens this week.”
Lee, 35, is a longtime Asian Tour player who made the cut on the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open last season with a 67-64 start. He’s also the first Canadian player to become a member of LIV Golf.
“I think more Canadians should come in and we should make a team,” Lee said.
Hellgren, 35, has wins on the Asian Tour, Swedish Golf Tour and Nordic Golf League. He birdied four of his last six holes, including at the par-3 17th and par-4 18th, to reach the top three.
“It kind of shows to all the guys, too, that are in my position back home that you might not be playing on the PGA Tour, but we’re traveling the world and grinding it out,” Hellgren said. “A few good weeks and then you’re in it. That’s pretty amazing.”
The top 10 players plus ties at LIV Golf Promotions also received an exemption into the Asian Tour’s International Series events. In addition to the top three finishers, those players include Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, South Korea’s Jeunghun Wang, Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut and Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent (3-under 137), and South Africa’s Oliver Bekker, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Japan’s Takanori Konishi and Australians Matt Jones, Cory Crawford and Christopher Wood (2-under 138).
–Field Level Media
