Wild finish at LIV Promotions: A drop debate, clutch par, top

Laurie Canter came excruciatingly close to a return bid to LIV Golf on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

The 34-year-old Englishman, who logged 11 starts on the Saudi-backed circuit last season as a replacement member of the Majesticks, played his way into a 3-for-2 playoff at the inaugural LIV Promotions event before missing a putt on the first extra hole and topping an approach shot into the water on the second to fall short of earning one of three LIV roster spots for the 2024 season.

Finland’s Kalle Samooja, 35, shot 8 under over the final 36 holes to punch his ticket in regulation while Canter, Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma all shot 7 under to get into the playoff.

On the first extra hole, Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s par-5 18^th hole, the 29-year-old Kozuma pushed his drive right, his ball landing in a desert strip of penalty area along a lake and then bounding into the water. There was a lot of debate among the three players about where Kozuma would need to drop, and ultimately it was decided that he’d need to drop farther back than from where he was initially wanting to.

Meanwhile, Vincent, the 26-year-old Liberty product, had overcooked a draw and had to lay up, and Canter hit the green in two but had over 50 feet left for eagle. Kozuma rallied for par, sinking a 10-footer, and Canter three-putted, failing to can a 6-footer that would’ve sent him through. Vincent also parred, and the trio returned to the tee for another go.

This time it was Canter who flirted with the water, his tee ball ending up just inches from the water, though with a decent enough lie in the sand, save for a few small rocks in the general area of his ball. With a clear path toward the green, however, Canter proceeded to top his second shot into the water.

He went on to make double bogey as Vincent (birdie) and Kozuma (par) advanced.

“I don’t think the tears are doing it justice,” said an emotional Vincent, who will join his older brother, Scott, on LIV next season. “Obviously, it’s just one of those experiences, watching my brother the whole year and seeing how life-changing it can be, you know, I just hope that this propels my career to a whole new level.”

Canter, who posted just one top-15 finish last season on LIV before Sam Horsfield returned from injury and knocked Canter to the bench, will have to settle for full status for the Asian Tour’s International Series along with the rest of the top 10 finishers, which included Americans Kevin Chappell and Zach Bauchou, and France’s Marin Trainer.