Americans Chappell, Thornberry among final 20 at LIV Promotions

Four Americans are among the 20 players remaining in LIV Golf’s inaugural Promotions event.

Kevin Chappell and Kevin Yuan both advanced to Sunday’s final 36-hole shootout in Abu Dhabi, where three full-time spots on the lucrative, Saudi-backed league will be handed out. The scores will be reset for the last two rounds, so Suteepat Prateeptienchai’s 8-under performance in Saturday’s second round is inconsequential aside from keeping his tournament going.

Chappell and Yuan each parred the first playoff hole while France’s Joel Stalter birdie the second to eliminate Scotland’s Ben Campbell in the 5-for-4 playoff.

“I’ve been on the cut line all year,” said Chappell, a past PGA Tour winner and Presidents Cupper. “Unfortunately, I’m pretty comfortable there.”

Braden Thornberry, the 2017 NCAA individual champion while at Ole Miss, and Zach Bauchou, a member of Oklahoma State’s NCAA title-winning squad in 2018, were the other two advancing Americans. Those two, plus Chappell, are also qualified for next week’s final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. So, too, is France’s Martin Trainer, who also was among the 20 players who advanced.

One amateur moved on: Cal’s Sampson Zheng, who is currently a senior economics major for the Bears.

Here are the 20 players who will compete in the 36-hole finish at LIV Promotions, listed in alphabetical order:

Jaco Ahlers, South Africa
Zach Bauchou, U.S.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, India
Laurie Canter, England
Kevin Chappell, U.S.
Gunn Charoenkul, Thailand
Chonlatit Chuenboonngam, Thailand
Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan
Steve Lewton, England
Jediah Morgan, Australia

Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Thailand
Poom Saksansin, Thailand
Kalle Samooja, Finland
Joel Stalter, France
Braden Thornberry, U.S.
Martin Trainer, France
Kieran Vincent, Zimbabwe
Suradit Yongcharoenchai, Thailand
Kevin Yuan, U.S.
a-Sampson Zheng, China