Si Woo Kim is set to make a surprise move to LIV Golf, which would have major ramifications for the league.
Four-time PGA Tour winner Si Woo Kim will potentially join LIV ahead of the 2026 season, as reported by Flushing It. LIV and Kim are in “late-stage negotiations”.
It was also reported that Kim will join LIV alongside another “high-profile” South Korean member of the PGA Tour. Initially, that was expected to be Sungjae Im, but Im denied those reports, leaving Byeong Hun An and Tom Kim as the most likely options.
Kim was expected to join Ironhead GC, but a recent development indicates that he will instead replace a current LIV captain.
Si Woo Kim could replace Kevin Na as a LIV Golf captain
It wasn’t initially clear what was holding up the latter stages of negotiations between Kim and LIV, but recent reports have revealed a power struggle between the two parties.
Flushing It says that Kim wants to bring in his own players to the newly rebranded Becko East GC, formerly Ironheads GC, replacing Kevin Na as captain. Danny Lee would be the only player with a confirmed place on the team, with Na, Yubin Jang, and Jinichiro Kozuma all at risk of being replaced.
Na joined LIV in 2022, but his Ironheads GC finished dead last in the team standings in 2025. Kim is hoping to revamp nearly the entire team if he joins the Saudi-backed league.
What will be the impact of joining LIV on Si Woo Kim’s career?
This is why no deal has yet been agreed, and Kim seems well aware that he holds the cards in these negotiations. After an underwhelming offseason of recruitment for LIV Golf, they need to land a notable player like Kim, or risk further dents to their reputation as a rival to the PGA Tour.
LIV was expected to sign two recent PGA Tour winners, but that hasn’t come to fruition as of yet. Instead, their only two signings have been Laurie Canter, who just earned his PGA Tour card, and Victor Perez.
Adding this to the news that Brooks Koepka could be seeking a PGA Tour return, and it’s clear why LIV needs to make some big swings to bolster its roster. Unfortunately for Na, that could be at his expense.
LIV Golf South Korean signing reduced to two candidates
Now that Im has ruled himself out of joining LIV Golf, the high-profile South Korean PGA Tour members potentially joining the tour with Kim could realistically be either An or Tom Kim.
Besides Si Woo Kim and Im, they are the only other South Koreans in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Which four players do you choose?
Tom Kim would be the bigger signing of the pair. He has taken three victories on the PGA Tour, most recently in 2023. He also finished T2 at the 2023 Open Championship. But Tom Kim’s friendship with Scottie Scheffler, among other PGA Tour players, makes him the less likely option.
As for An, in 2009, he became the youngest-ever winner of the US Amateur, but the 34-year-old is yet to win on the PGA Tour. A move to LIV could be exactly what he needs to reignite his professional career under the captaincy of Si Woo Kim.
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