Kevin Na of the United States reacts to his shot during LIV Golf Adelaide at Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, Australia, in this photo provided by LIV Golf on April 18, 2025. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 18 (Korea Bizwire) – They both left South Korea at a young age, but for Kevin Na and Danny Lee, South Korea never left their hearts.
Though they no longer fly the Taegeukgi, Na and Lee are both thrilled with a chance to play on their native soil next month when their LIV Golf tour makes its South Korea debut.
Na, 41, is a Seoul-born American golfer who spent years on the PGA Tour before taking his talent to the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf in 2022. Lee, the 34-year-old native of Incheon who is now a Kiwi, joined LIV Golf the following year.
They compete together on Iron Heads Golf Club (GC), one of 13 teams on the breakaway tour, with Na serving as captain and South Korean national Jang Yu-bin joining this season. In a press release issued Friday by LIV Golf, Na and Lee expressed their excitement about their homecoming at the May 2-4 LIV Golf Korea tournament, which will be played at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Lee’s hometown.
“Having LIV Golf held in my hometown Incheon, it doesn’t get more special than this,” Lee said. “I was born in Incheon and lived there until I was in elementary school. That’s why LIV Golf being held in Incheon feels incredibly meaningful to me. The fact that I’ll be competing there alongside the world’s top players still feels surreal, and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans.”
LIV Golf has been expanding to Asia since its inception in 2022, having earlier added Singapore and Hong Kong to its schedule. Lee said he hopes this will inspire a new era for golf in Asia, where fans will get to see some of the world’s top players like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
“It’s rare for fans to have the chance to witness golf at this level up close, so I’m sure it’ll be a truly special experience,” Lee said. “Having three players born in Korea on the same team in Iron Heads GC and representing Asia makes this really meaningful. Whether it’s in the team competition or the individual format, if we can deliver a strong performance, I’d love to share that joy with our fans.”
Na said ever since LIV Golf launched, he had imagined bringing a tournament to South Korea someday.
“I’m thrilled to finally be able to show Korean fans the unique culture and gameplay that LIV Golf offers,” he said. “With shotgun starts, team competitions, a lively atmosphere with music, it’s a completely different style from traditional golf, and it’s bound to be a refreshing change. Especially in Korea, where there’s a growing number of golf fans in their 20s and 30s, I think the response will be even stronger. LIV Golf is truly appealing to the younger generation.”
Na called LIV Golf Korea “a home event” and said his team is taking control in organizing fan events and is trying to “make sure everyone has a great time on-site.”
(Yonhap)
