LIV Golf Hong Kong 2026 preview, picks & analysis
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Mon 02 Mar 2026
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Having delivered a huge snub to the DP World Tour, Spain’s Jon Rahm has a point to prove both to himself and to the golf world at this week’s LIV Golf tournament in Hong Kong.
Eight of Rahm’s LIV colleagues signed on the dotted line, paid their outstanding fines and are now eligible to play in both LIV and DP World Tour events. But Rahm is going ahead with his appeal.
He has yet to finish outside the top 10 in any LIV event since joining the breakaway tour but would probably be the first to admit that he has largely underperformed in terms of victories.
Twelve months ago, Sergio Garcia said that he hoped winning the LIV Golf Hong Kong title would help persuade Europe captain Luke Donald to pick him for the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Spaniard shot an impressive seven-under-par 63 to finish 18 under, sealing victory by three strokes from South Africa's Dean Burmester.
In November 2024, Garcia rejoined the DP World Tour for the 2025 season, and settled fines reportedly worth £1m imposed on him by the tour for his defection to play LIV events, to make himself eligible for Ryder Cup selection. Interestingly, he was not one of the eight players who accepted the latest DP World Tour deal.
Garcia is the Ryder Cup's record points scorer and wanted to match Lee Westwood and Sir Nick Faldo's European record of 11 appearances.
After his win in Hong Kong, Garcia said: "We've been in touch, so I know that he [Donald] is keeping an eye [on me]. The only thing I can do is keep playing good golf. I just want to help the European team like I've tried to do every single time I've been a member of that team. Hopefully he will think I'm good enough for it."
It never happened, of course, and was never really likely to.
His victory at the Hong Kong Golf Club came after he started the final day tied at the top of the leaderboard with England's Paul Casey and American Peter Uihlein.
The former Masters champion eagled the par-five third then sunk four straight birdies from the eighth hole to the 11th and could not be caught. It was Garcia's second LIV title following his victory in the LIV Golf Andalucia.
There were lots of raised eyebrows when Tom McKibbin defected. Rory McIlroy told his fellow Northern Irishman that he was making a mistake but McKibbin seems to be having the last laugh.
He turned professional in April 2021 at the age of 18. McKibbin won his first professional event in January 2022 on the Minor League Golf Tour in Florida. He spent most of 2022 playing on the Challenge Tour and was in contention to win the Cape Town Open in February until a final round of 73 saw his finish in a tie for third. He was second at the Irish Challenge and in the Challenge Tour Grand Final in November he shot a final-round 66 to finish tied-sixth and lift him to 10th place in the Challenge Tour Rankings, securing his DP World Tour card for 2023.
In February 2023, McKibbin held the 36-hole lead at the Singapore Classic and four months later he claimed his first win on the DP World Tour at the European Open in Germany. He shot a final-round 70 to win by two shots.
In June 2024, McKibbin shot a final-round 65 to tie the lead at the Italian Open before losing in a playoff to Marcel Siem. He ended the year in 18th place in the Race to Dubai, good enough to earn the last of the 10 available PGA Tour cards for 2025. Instead, he announced that he was joining LIV for a reported £4m.
In November 2025, McKibbin won the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour, shooting a tournament-record score of 27-under 253 to win by seven strokes. It also secured his place in the field for the 2026 Masters and 2026 Open Championship.
The Course:
Hong Kong Golf Club was established in 1869. It is a par 70 measuring just 6,547 yards and that means we are going to see some very low scores. The fairways are tree-lined but the man who can keep the ball in play may well fancy breaking 60.
Prize Money:
The individual winner will collect a cheque for $4m.
How to Watch:
Thursday, March 5, Friday, March 6, Saturday, March 7, Sunday, March 8, TNT Sports, 4.30am.
Form Guide:
This course is made for Bryson DeChambeau. If he can keep the ball in play he could bring it to his knees. It is a course that should also suit the straight-hitting Joaquin Niemann.
To Win:
Bryson DeChambeau. Never a dull moment
Each Way:
Joaquin Niemann. A class act
Each Way:
Talor Gooch. Money-making machine
Five to Follow:
Bryson DeChambeau. Could destroy this golf course
Joaquin Niemann. So consistent
Talor Gooch. Wonderful short game
Jon Rahm. Will surely contend again
Tom McKibbin. Hugely talented
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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