It almost seemed certain that Si Woo Kim was leaving for LIV Golf. Reports suggested that Scott O’Neil had offered the captaincy of Becko East GC (rebranded from Ironheads GC) to the South Korean national. He was set to replace Kevin Na and build his own squad. However, latest developments suggest that there has been a fallout between the two parties.

As tweeted by Flushing It, “It is true that Kim Si-woo, like many Korean players, has been offered a recruitment. However, Kim Si-woo finally expressed his intention to refuse and decided to remain on the PGA Tour.” They have sourced the information from the Korean media outlet Maeil Business Newspaper.

Interestingly, it’s not just Kim’s future that was discussed in the report. Journalist Jihan Kim from Maeil Business Newspaper also released a statement from Sungjae Im. The 27-year-old is quoted as saying, “It is not true at all to go to LIV Golf. We are focusing on preparing for the PGA Tour next season, and there is no change related to our future career path.” Notably, he had already mentioned that it was fake news a few hours ago.

Apparently, rumors about both Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im have been invalidated within minutes by Flushing It and the South Korean media outlet. That wouldn’t bode well for Scott O’Neil & LIV Golf, who seemed desperate to add the Asian stars to their ranks. Earlier, they seemed pretty confident about striking deals with Kim and Im.

O’Neil also has other problems to worry about. While he may have retained the services of Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau might also be on the verge of re-signing, but his recent statement suggests that Brooks Koepka is possibly leaving the league next season.

However, that might not be his primary concern right now. Notably, LIV Golf wants to prioritize talent from the East at the moment to focus on its strategy.

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Why did LIV Golf want to sign Si Woo Kim & other Asian pros?

LIV Golf hosted quite a few events in Asia in 2025. Some of them were repeat visits to venues in Singapore & Hong Kong. But one of the most memorable events they held was at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in South Korea.

The tournament saw Bryson DeChambeau & the Crushers GC emerge triumphant. The event was a huge success in terms of viewership and attendance. That motivated Scott O’Neil & his team to improve the presence of LIV Golf in the region. That’s what made them focus their scouting strategy on South Korean talent. They first tried to pouch Min Woo Lee. While he was born in Australia, his parents originally immigrated from South Korea in the 90s. Unfortunately, LIV Golf wasn’t able to convince the 27-year-old to join its ranks.

That’s when they shifted their focus to Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Now that these deals have also fallen through, it will be interesting to see what strategy Scott O’Neil & Co. come up with next.