Q&A: Why this USGA champion and top college golfer played in the LIV Golf Promotions event
Sampson Zheng was one of four amateurs to tee it up last week in the 2023 LIV Golf Promotions event, but his resume was the deepest of them all.
He won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Kiawah Island last summer and finished as a co-medalist at the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills. A senior at Cal, Zheng is also in the PGA Tour University rankings for 2024, which gives top college seniors a chance at PGA Tour membership as well as eligibility and starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.
However, last week Zheng traveled to Abu Dhabi and played in the LIV Golf Promotions event. He was exempt into the second round and was one of 20 players – and the only amateur – to make the 36-hole final. He finished T-11, one shot out of earning status on the Asian tour.
Zheng spoke with Golfweek about his decision to play in the LIV Golf Promotions event, his experience last week and more.
Golfweek: How did you find out about the LIV Golf Promotions event?
Sampson Zheng: “I think they initially sent out an email to a few guys who were playing well in college. I actually found out about it from (Cal men’s golf coach) Walter (Chun). Walter got an email, then forwarded it to me. I read what they had to say, checked with the PGA Tour University folks, and they said playing in the tournament shouldn’t affect my standings and future playing opportunities. That’s all I needed to hear to go out and give it a shot.”
GWK: What was your thought process going into the event?
SZ: “It’s kind of similar to, I know the guys don’t do this as much but the girls do, going to Q-school before they graduate and just giving it a try. That’s pretty much the same mindset. I knew the field wasn’t going to be bad. I knew there were going to be some good players. Another thing, they were going to cover my hotel and airfare, so I thought worst-case scenario is I would get a good practice in somewhere that’s warmer in the winter. But, like all of the other events, I’m trying my best to win as long as I’m in the field. I ended up being the best amateur. It was a good experience playing with some of those guys who have come out of college a few years back or some of the guys who have won on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
GWK: What were your conversations like with some of the professionals in the field?
GZ: “I had a chance to talk to a few guys, and the impression that I got was very different than I imagined. Before I went over, I asked a lot of questions to the people who invited me about the terms and conditions and what not. Like, if I made it, do I have to play or were there any penalties if I decided I didn’t want to play, to see like if there was any holes if I didn’t want to step in.
“From the media to the way they set up the golf course and how they communicated, everything was pretty on point and professional. Talking with the guys who had an association with LIV, nobody really had anything to say bad about them because they were making their lives better. Obviously, they’re playing golf for a job and have the responsibility of taking care of their family. When you think about golf, you don’t think about guaranteed money but in a way, that’s also really nice when your career has some certain uncertainties.”
GWK: How often do current college players talk about LIV Golf?
GZ: “Everybody that I’ve talked to, some are a little more hesitant to be straight up and say LIV has done a good thing just because of how the media portrays them. In terms of giving players an opportunity, they’ve done a really wonderful job. I think the general public looks more at what the top guys are doing and how much money they’re receiving. And then I feel like LIV kind of gets a bad rap for that. I think if you really look at the details of like, what they’ve done for the younger guys, like for example, this week, the entry fee was $25 to play. And if you finish top three or top 10, you get some type of status on some tour. Whereas if you play the Korn Ferry qualifying and you play all four stages, you’re burning through $20,000.
“It’s nothing other than another opportunity for guys coming out of college. The partnership they have with the Asian tour, especially for a guy like me, that’s not a bad place to begin my professional career. It’s not a bad destination compared to what it was three or four years ago.”
GWK: What did you learn about yourself at this event?
GZ: “I can do really well against some of the professionals out there. It just proves to me I can play really well and beat these top guys as long as I play my game. And it showed me some of the things I have to work on. Just in terms of like experience of course management, there’s definitely a lot to learn, but in terms of the skill difference, there really isn’t much. Like there’s been a lot of confidence moving forward and work on other steps and to be the best in the world.”
