PGA Tour winner, 27, emphatically shuts down LIV Golf rumours: "I'm not going"

PGA Tour golfer Min Woo Lee says he has no plans to join LIV Golf anytime soon. 

The PIF-backed league are on the hunt for new players ahead of their fourth full campaign which begins next February under the lights in Riyadh. 

Five LIV teams - the Cleeks, Iron Heads, Majesticks, HyFlyers and Torque - need to fill the spaces left by relegated players. 

Some PGA Tour members that were previously on the fence about joining LIV may find the breakaway a much more tantalising proposition given this week's news.

LIV Golf have abandoned their traditional 54-hole format and have also made tweaks to their promotion and relegation system. 

It is thought LIV will finally be given the green light for Official World Golf Ranking accreditation which would ultimately provide a direct pathway to the four men's majors. 

But Lee, whose agent denied rumours last month, has reiterated that he has absolutely no plans to go anywhere and is very much looking forward to the new PGA Tour season. 

Lee entered the winner's circle for the very first time in Houston and will undoubtedly believe that he can go on to achieve a lot in the game. 

He told AAP: "There’s been a lot of rumours. I'm not going and am just going to play on the PGA Tour. So, I'm happy with where I'm at and, yeah, I'm looking forward to next year."

New format will help Cameron Smith

Plenty of high-profile players have offered their thoughts on LIV Golf's bombshell announcement to extend their regular-season events to 72 holes. 

Rory McIlroy described the news as "peculiar" which promoted Lee Westwood to fire back at the Masters champion. 

Whilst the change may ultimately award LIV world ranking accreditation, it is understood the move was the result of several players simply wanting better prep for the majors. 

Jon Rahm joined LIV in December 2023 and by the following April was calling for LIV to change their format and visit a links golf course before playing The Open. 

England's Tyrrell Hatton revealed before the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship that only three LIV players voted to change LIV's format 12 months ago. 

Lee told AAP that he hopes the change will provide a spark for compatriot Cameron Smith. 

Smith had the golf world at his feet when he joined LIV in 2022 for more than $100m. 

He won the coveted Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and was triumphant at the landmark 150th Open at St Andrews. 

Smith has always maintained he has absolutely no regrets but was woeful in the men's majors in 2025, missing cuts in The Masters, US Open, Open and the PGA Championship. 

Lee said he hopes Smith can find his stride in 2026.

Great golfers, over time, if there are more holes, they’re probably going to come out on top. So hopefully we can see some good golf out of him.

"We have a practise round every time at The Masters and the majors, so I hope for the best for him."

Why it may not be wise for Min Woo Lee to join LIV now

One could argue that there is still one reason to join LIV Golf. 

Money. 

But aside from that, Lee is currently ranked No. 46 in the OWGR. As things stand, Lee is will have a tee time for the 2025 Masters if he stays inside the top 50 as of 31 December. 

Lee will soon be entering the prime of his career. 

Some other players in this age bracket have spoken of their fear of jumping too soon. 

Vikor Hovland is one example, with the Norwegian explaining that he wouldn't mind playing LIV Golf if it is still around towards the end of his career. 

"Obviously, they’re throwing out a lot of money, but I've already made a lot of money," Hovland previously explained.  

"I'm not a very materialistic person. It’s nice to make life easier for yourself, but that's not what gets me up in the morning.

"At the end of the day, the question is 'What's going to make me a better player?' And hey, in 20 years, if I'm on the back end of my career, playing LIV Golf wouldn't be too bad.

"It might have been a pretty cool opportunity but, right now, it's something I think I'd probably look back [on] and regret."