LIV Golf’s big changes for the upcoming season are creating some of the loudest buzz, honestly. From its switch to the traditional 72-hole format to poaching top PGA Tour players (it’s a habitual hunt), the Saudi-backed league is once again causing immense discomfort to its rivals. But while it aims for a 100% strike rate, some PGA Tour loyalists refused to be marked down.

After Si Woo Kim‘s potential jump to the Saudi-backed league, it was his South Korean compatriot SungJae Im, whose name found a sudden spin. As the chatter grew loud enough to die, the golfer finally took to his socials. Posting a screenshot that claimed his switch, the ‘iron-player’ wrote a massive “Fake news,” with a big thumb down emoji.

The screenshot was from a NUCLR GOLF‘s post on X, which said, “🚨🏌️🇰🇷 #REPORT — 4-time PGA Tour winner, Si Woo Kim, is reportedly closing in on a deal to join LIV Golf’s Ironheads GC, per @flushingitgolf.” Later, the page confirmed that the news was false.

Im’s blunt response aligned perfectly with what those around him have been saying for a while. As recently reported by Sports Illustrated, a source close to Im had already quashed the rumors. A “0% chance,” they called it. Similarly, even his caddie, Willy Wilcox, has adamantly shunned the talks.

“NASA to play in a new space tour with events on Mars and Neptune,” joked Wilcox, likely a facetious jab at the rumors. Interestingly, this is not the first time for the 27-year-old. Back in 2022, SungJae had found himself in similar waters after he took a break due to an injury. Then, too, he had to clear the air. “I have no affiliation with…the LIV Tour.”

These confusions started after Si Woo Kim’s shocking rumoured shift. Officially not done yet, many outlets, including Flushing It Golf and Today’s Golfer, allege that he is in “late-stage negotiations” to join LIV Golf.

If he does end up on the other side, Kim will be expected to land with Kevin Na‘s Iron Heads GC. The all-Korean/Korean American team saw itself short of a player after Jang Yu-bin‘s relegation. The requirement of a South Korean turned the waves towards Sin Woo Kim.

He is a four-time PGA Tour winner and is currently ranked 47th in the world (which will likely see a dip once he joins LIV). He saw three top-10 finishes this year, including a T8 at the PGA Championship and a T4 at the RSM Classic. Kim recently also scored a solo second at the Crown Australian Open. But that was a DP World Tour event.

The DPWT event, for that matter, is a place where he can continue to play even if he switches sides, albeit he pays hefty fines. This is an ordeal through which top players are scrambling. Had Kim joined the league a year ago, the PIF funding would have helped pay the fines. But now, LIV has pulled its hands away after suffering massive losses.

The PGA Tour, on the other hand, will not be merciful at all. Si Woo Kim will straightaway see a ban and will not be allowed to play any event from then on. That will be a massive blow, inevitably. Still, a question remains. Can we actually trust these sources that claim Kim’s shift?

With SungJae Im’s news turning out to be false, what are the odds for Si Woo Kim’s poaching to be misreported, too? The player himself has neither denied nor accepted the rumors. Whatever the truth, one thing remains certain: LIV Golf is ready to aim, and no one’s safe.

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Several other players were taken in by LIV

Naturally, Si Woo Kim and SungJae Im are not the only players to see themselves in the scandal. Recently, several other notable players have also shared their part. PGA Tour’s bubble player, Victor Perez, has officially chosen to side with LIV.

Perez was ranked 108th in the FedEx Cup and was all set to play in the RSM Classic. That was his one last chance to save his Tour card. Instead, he abruptly WD from the event and went off to sign a deal with LIV’s Cleeks GC. The move gave him a whopping check and a guaranteed contract, something he would have lacked on the PGA Tour.

Joining Perez is Laurie Canter, who will make his way to the Majesticks GC. Unlike Perez, Canter had already earned a PGA Tour card for 2026 after a successful DPWT season. But in a shocking move, he refused the membership and chose to return to LIV. He has played there as a reserve previously. Must say, LIV is seeing a rather win-win situation even after suffering 6 relegations this year.

Right now, three LIV spots are still open: one for the HyFlyers, one for Torque GC, and the third for the Iron Heads. This is before Si Woo Kim’s deal is officiated. Without a doubt, these new signings will come from either the PGA/DP World Tour or the Asian Tour. Rumors about some, apart from Kim’s, have already been circulating for a while now.