Jed Morgan among 12 Aussies in LIV Golf promotion event in Saudi Arabia

Already dumped from the LIV Golf roster, once former Australian PGA winner Jed Morgan is among a dozen Aussies vying for a single golden ticket in Saudi Arabia this week and a spot alongside the likes of Cameron Smith on the circuit in 2025.

Morgan was axed from Smith’s Ripper GC team at the end of 2023, replaced by Lucas Herbert on the all-Aussie team that secured the lucrative $30m season-ending team championship in Dallas in September.

But the 25-year-old Queenslander, who plied his trade on the Asian Tour in 2024, is looking to get back involved and joins the likes of veterans Wade Ormsby, who has played in LIV events as a fill-in, and Matt Griffin as well as rising star Jack Buchanan in the field for the second “promotions” event at Riyadh Golf Club.

While rumours run rampant that US Ryder Cup member Tony Finau could be making his way to LIV in 2025, there is a distinct lack of big names looking to make their way to the tour through the promotions events.

Among the 93 players involved, Englishman Chris Wood, who played on Europe’s Ryder Cup team in 2016, remains the most credentialled.

But outgoing LIV chief executive, Greg Norman still trumpeted the quality of the field.

“Building on our first and highly successful LIV Golf Promotions in 2023, the interest has only increased this year as one deserving player will earn the chance to compete in the LIV Golf League,” Norman said.

“The strong interest underscores the significance of creating more opportunities in our global sport to ensure current and rising stars of the game can build their careers and compete at the highest level.”

The event will be a four-round, 18-hole event across three days but with cuts. There will be 63 players in the opening round, but only the top 20 advance to the second round, in which several players, including Morgan, are exempt.

Scores will be reset, and the top 20 players (after tiebreakers) will advance to the final day where scores will again be reset before a full-day, 36-hole shootout.

Kalle Samooja won the event in 2023 but didn’t retain his place after a full year on the circuit and is trying again in Riyadh.