Sungjae Im shuts down LIV rumors with two words and a thumbs down emoji.

The golf world loves a good LIV Golf rumor, and this week served up a perfect storm. Reports started swirling that not one, but two high-profile South Korean PGA Tour winners were preparing to jump ship to the Saudi-backed league. The names? Four-time winner Si Woo Kim and two-time winner Sungjae Im. The speculation gained traction fast, especially after Flushing It reported that Kim was in “late-stage negotiations” to join LIV’s Iron Heads GC, potentially stripping Kevin Na of his captaincy. With one Korean star seemingly on the move, the rumor mill immediately pulled Im’s name into the conversation—despite zero actual evidence connecting him to LIV.

Im’s Instagram Clapback

Sungjae Im wasn’t having it. As the speculation reached fever pitch on Wednesday, the 27-year-old took to Instagram Stories with a screenshot of the rumor report. His response? Two words that cut through the noise: “Fake news” — punctuated with a thumbs-down emoji. No long explanation. No carefully crafted PR statement. Just a simple, direct shutdown that went viral across golf social media. His caddie, Willy Wilcox, backed him up with his own humorous take: “This just in.. Sung Jae signs deal with NASA to play in new space tour with events on mars and neptune.” A source close to Im told Sports Illustrated there’s a “0% chance” he’s leaving the PGA Tour, and Im’s team later confirmed to Korean outlet Maeil Business Newspaper that LIV hadn’t even approached him.

Why Im Makes Sense on the PGA Tour

For Im, staying put is the obvious choice. The South Korean star is one of the Tour’s most consistent grinders, making 20 of 28 cuts in 2025 with three top-10s, including a T5 at the Masters. He’s earned over $34 million in his career and sits comfortably at No. 42 in the world rankings. Since bursting onto the scene as 2018-19 Rookie of the Year after dominating the Korn Ferry Tour, Im has built a reputation as a bankable week-to-week performer who rarely misses cuts and consistently contends. With victories at the 2020 Honda Classic and 2021 Shriners Children’s Open already on his resume, he’s still climbing at 27 years old. Why would he trade that upward trajectory and major championship opportunities for LIV’s reduced schedule and uncertain path to golf’s biggest stages?

Si Woo Kim’s Decision: The Other Half of the Story

While Im was never actually in play, Si Woo Kim’s situation was real. The former 2017 Players Championship winner did receive an offer from LIV Golf and appeared to be in serious negotiations about joining the tour. But ultimately, Kim turned it down. His representatives confirmed to Maeil Business Newspaper: “It is true that Si Woo Kim, like many Korean players, has been offered a recruitment. However, Si Woo Kim finally expressed his intention to refuse and decided to remain on the PGA Tour.” The deal would have seen Kim take equity in the rebranded Becko East GC (formerly Iron Heads GC), potentially bringing his own players and replacing Na as captain. But Kim, who played 30 events in 2025 and ranks 47th in the world, chose loyalty to the Tour where he’s won four times.

LIV’s Recruiting Struggles Continue

This double rejection highlights LIV’s ongoing challenge in attracting top current PGA Tour talent. After a blockbuster start that landed Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, and Jon Rahm, the league has struggled to add star power since Rahm’s December 2023 signing. Their 2025 offseason additions? Victor Perez, who lost his PGA Tour card, and Laurie Canter, who earned a Tour card for 2026 but opted for LIV instead. Neither represents the caliber of active, top-50 player LIV needs to maintain credibility as a PGA Tour rival. The league’s first enforcement of relegation created openings—Henrik Stenson, Anthony Kim, Yubin Jang, and others got dropped—but filling those spots with established winners has proven difficult. With rumors swirling about Brooks Koepka potentially seeking a PGA Tour return, LIV needed wins with Kim and Im. They got neither.

The Bigger Picture

This saga mirrors what happened earlier this year when Australian Min Woo Lee faced similar LIV speculation. Like Im, Lee shut it down quickly: “There’s been a lot of rumors. I’m not going and am just going to play on the PGA Tour. I’m happy with where I’m at.” For players ranked in the top 50 with realistic major championship ambitions, the math still doesn’t add up. LIV’s move to 72-hole events in 2026 might help their quest for Official World Golf Ranking points, but that remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Im and Kim get guaranteed access to majors, Presidents Cup opportunities, and the prestige of competing against the world’s best week after week. In Im’s case, the rumor was always baseless—just guilt by association with Kim’s actual negotiations. His Instagram response said it all: sometimes “fake news” and a thumbs down are all the statement you need.