Hideto Tanihara Returns To LIV Golf At The Expense Of New Signing

Ahead of LIV Golf's debut event in Thailand next week, there has just been one change to the field from Chicago, with Japan's Hideto Tanihara replacing Spaniard David Puig - who officially signed with LIV and turned pro earlier in the month.

Tanihara was captain of Team Torque GC, with fellow Japanese players Yuki Inamori, Ryosuke Kinoshita, Jinichiro Kozuma, all of whom had been regulars up until they were cut from the roster leading up to the Boston Invitational.

The highlight from the four was when Kozuma finished in sixth place at the Oregon event in July, however, Tanihara has the chance to eclipse that feat next week.

A finish of 16th in the Oregon event in July remains his highest finish to date during the LIV Golf pilot year but he has been in decent form leading up to the Bangkok event with two top ten finishes in his last four starts, including a tied eighth finish in the Shinhan Donghae Open on the Asian Tour.

The LIV Golf season enters its final furlong next weekend, with the sixth tournament taking place at Bangkok's Stonehill GC between 7-9 October. It marks just the second tournament in the series that will take place outside of the United States, and this will be followed by the penultimate event in Saudi Arabia, before culminating in the $50m grand finale at Trump Doral at the end of the month.

Open Championship winner Cameron Smith won in just his second start at the most recent event held in Chicago, banking a cool $4m in the process.

The series making its debut in Asia could certainly help Tanihara achieve the highest finish by a Japanese player to date, while Greg Norman believes it marks another important step in the embryonic stages of LIV.

He said: “The LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok marks a significant step for LIV Golf in Asia, a massive market with incredible passion for the sport.”

The first place prize money is $4m and the 43-year-old Tanihara will be hoping to make the most of his inclusion to the Bangkok event.