LIV Golf Hong Kong is set to tee off Thursday with the league’s full 57-man lineup, after 8 players were delayed traveling out of the Middle East. The region has seen mass flight cancellations since the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran Saturday and Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
LIV released its Round 1 groupings midday Wednesday in Hong Kong (late Tuesday night ET), which included the affected players, who compete for five different teams:
- Majesticks GC: Lee Westwood, Laurie Canter, and Sam Horsfield
- Legion XIII: Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin
- Cleeks: Adrian Meronk
- 4Aces GC: Thomas Detry
- Crushers GC: Anirban Lahiri
All eight players were reportedly attempting to leave Dubai, with all but Canter ultimately leaving on a private jet from neighboring Oman organized by Jon Rahm, who is captain of Legion XIII, according to Golf.com’s Alan Bastable. It’s unclear how Canter traveled to Hong Kong.
Tennis Players Exit Dubai, Too
As one of the major airport hubs in the Middle East, the challenging logistics of leaving Dubai have also impacted the tennis world.
At least 40 ATP players, team members, and officials were stuck in Dubai following the conclusion of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday after Iran’s retaliatory attacks targeted U.S. bases in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Former 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, world No. 17 Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Tallon Griekspoor, Harri Heliövaara, and Henry Patten were among those stranded.
The ATP announced Wednesday the “vast majority of players who were in Dubai have successfully departed today on selected flights.” Medvedev, Rublev, and Khachanov are all ranked players for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and are scheduled to begin singles action either Friday or Saturday.
The ATP cancelled two Challenger Tour events at Fujairah, a United Arab Emirates city near the Strait of Hormuz, after one of the tournaments had been disrupted by nearby explosions Tuesday. Footage from the event showed players and staff fleeing in the middle of a match after hearing explosions.
The tour announced Wednesday it will cover all accommodation, essential needs, and flights for the players affected.
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