Staff WriterThe International Series Rankings came down to a final-day knife-edge in Riyadh, but Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent never blinked. The season-long race ended with Vincent locking up the title and punching his ticket back to the LIV Golf League, while Japan’s Yosuke Asaji slid in behind him to take the second golden spot. For Filipino hopeful Miguel Tabuena, it was heartbreak by the smallest margin.
Vincent arrived at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers holding a healthy lead—325.59 points, built on a year of graft, grit, and a win in Morocco. Asaji sat 40.29 points back after his victory at the Moutai Singapore Open, the only man with a realistic shot of snatching the crown.
It didn’t happen. Vincent laboured to a four-over 75, but everyone chasing him stalled. The truth? No one ever got close enough to make him sweat on the leaderboard—even if he felt it internally.
“I woke up at about 4:30, which was two hours before I was hoping to,” Vincent admitted. “Then you start playing all the different scenarios in your head… I was nervous.”
For a man who tries to shut out the noise, this was no ordinary Sunday.
“Obviously not knowing and not trying to look at leaderboards, you don’t know how much of a cushion you have… Once I got moving and got into my routine, putting and range work, I definitely settled down. I just didn’t play great today, but obviously my performance over the season was enough.”
That season-long effort delivered a familiar reward. Vincent was the first player ever to earn his way into LIV Golf through The International Series back in 2022. Losing his place at the end of 2024 stung, but instead of sulking, he doubled down—winning in Morocco and finishing runner-up in Jakarta. He topped the International Series Rankings again, the only man now to do it twice.
“Obviously I’m very thankful. It is great that this has worked out for me,” he said. On returning to LIV Golf, he added: “Obviously I kind of know what I am going to, and I am looking forward to that. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
Asaji Gets His Dream Shot—And Tabuena Falls A Shot Short
When Asaji missed the cut on Thursday, the door creaked open for Tabuena. The Filipino needed T6 or better. He left everything out there with a two-under 69—but finished one agonising stroke shy.
As Tabuena’s score posted, Asaji watched the moment that changed his career.
“I was not nervous at all,” he said. “I just wanted to see what was happening today. It all depended on other players’ results… I was so happy with my wife and my caddie, we were together. We can get in the LIV event. I was so happy.”
Winning in Singapore had sparked the belief.
“Winning the Moutai Singapore Open was very, very valuable for me because after winning… I noticed that I am No.2 in the International Series Rankings, and I thought, ‘oh, I have a pathway to LIV Golf, I have a chance to do this’.”
That belief carried him all the way to Riyadh—and into LIV Golf.
The Chasers Who Came Up Short
This was a week of long shots. With US$5 million and a pile of Rankings points on the table, several players had the numbers-driven dream. None of them cashed it in.
Ollie Schniederjans needed a top-two finish to make a late-season miracle run. He signed for level par, finished T60, and ended the year seventh in the Rankings. The consolation? A direct bye into round two of the LIV Golf Promotions event in Florida.
Wade Ormsby—winner in Jakarta—also needed a top-two finish. He missed the cut and will follow the same Promotions path, entering in round two.
Further back, Danthai Boonma and Taichi Kho both needed something outrageous to happen. Danthai started the day five off the lead; Taichi seven. Both finished T27 on ten under and head to Promotions—Danthai to round two, Kho to round one.
They weren’t alone. Tabuena, Schniederjans, and Ormsby join a tight group of players still fighting for their LIV future at the Black Diamond Ranch event in January.
A Season Of Clarity
Golf doesn’t care about sentiment. It rewards the stubborn, the steady, and the ones who don’t crack under pressure. Vincent and Asaji fit the bill. The International Series Rankings wrapped with two men who earned their shot the hard way—and with plenty of firepower heading into the LIV Golf League.
Vincent’s back. Asaji’s in. Tabuena’s heartbreak fuels the next fight. And the 2026 season is shaping up to be one worth watching.
