Out of the Rough: LIV Golf Korea (2026)

In the midst of the uncertainty of the LIV Golf Tour, it takes to South Korea for this week’s LIV Golf Korea.

Last season saw the Saudi-based Tour head to South Korea for the first time, playing at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

This season, the Asiad Country Club will play hot.

LIV Golf Korea serves as the eighth event of the season, meaning there are only five events to follow.

The Field

As with any LIV Golf event, we know what the field consists of.

Tour leaders Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who have combined to win four-of-the-last five events, will be teeing it up this week.

DeChambeau will look to chip-away at Rahm’s near 250 point lead in the season long standings this week. 

Although at a different venue, DeChambeau won this event a season ago.

Lucas Hebert, who won the latest LIV Golf event, LIV Golf Virginia, by four strokes will look to join Rahm as the only back-to-back winner on Tour this season.

4Aces GC (Dustin Johson, Anthony Kim, Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry) look to continue the strangle-hold they have on the team standings. They currently lead Ripper GC (Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie) by 21.75 points.

The Course

The Asiad County Club in Busan, South Korea was opened in 2002 and designed by Reese Jones. It was originally designed to host the Asian Games in the same year.

It later developed into LPGA International Busan and is now one of the most recognizable golf venues in all of Asia.

It has hosted the LPGA BMW Ladies Championship and is recognized as the first LPGA-branded facility outside of the United States. 

This week’s event will be played on a composite of both the Pine Course and the Valley Course at Asiad County Club.

The course will play as a par-72 at roughly 7,300 yards.

The winding fairways this week are tree-lined, including both mature pine and hardwoods, and demand precision and strategic play both off-the-tee and on approach.

Strategically played water hazards also serve as the course’s main line of defense. The water hazards will challenge every facet of the world’s best players. 

Gentle elevation changes and strategically placed bunkers also play defense at this venue. Coastal breezes can and will also influence club selection this week. 

The greens are laid in bentgrass and are undulating.

The par-fours this week require precise approach shots. The par-fives are true risk-reward holes. Scoring can be done, both for the good and bad, on these par-fives this week.

Overall, the course will also play firm and fast.

This is a true test of thoughtful course management. 

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday calls for just a 15-percent chance of precipitation. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are calling for just a five-percent chance. Temperatures will begin the week at 74-degrees on Thursday before jumping to 79-degrees on Friday. Temperatures will settle to 77-degrees across the weekend. Winds are set at 12 miles-per-hour across all four days this week. There is a lot of rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday however, which could soften the course for the first two rounds. 

Key Stats

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Total Driving (50-percent Driving Accuracy Percentage / 50-percent Average Driving Distance)

• Putting Average

• Scrambling

• Birdie-or-Better Percentage

Betting Card

Thomas Detry (+1600)

It’s about time Detry gets to the winner’s circle on the LIV Golf Tour. Detry placed T6th in his latest outing at LIV Golf Virginia. Prior to that he placed fifth in Mexico City, third in South Africa, 15th in Singapore, second in Hong Kong, 31st in Adelaide and seventh in Riyadh. Detry is currently second on Tour in birdie-or-better percentage, fourth in scrambling, sixth in GIR%, ninth in total driving and 12th in putting average. 

Marc Leishman (+3300)

Leishman is currently eighth on Tour in putting average, 15th in both total driving and scrambling, 18th in birdie-or-better percentage and 21st in GIR%. He placed 14th in Virginia, tenth in Mexico City, 31st in South Africa, 15th in Singapore and 24th in Hong Kong across his last five starts. 

Tom McKibbin (+4500)

McKibbin is too good of a golfer to be priced where he is. He placed 21st in Virginia but was fifth in Mexico City. He was also 24th in South Africa and 21st in Singapore. He is currently fifth in total driving, tenth in scrambling, 21st in putting average, 27th in birdie-or-better percentage and 30th in GIR%.