Wade Ormsby to Replace Mickelson at LIV Golf Adelaide 2026 OR LIV Golf Adelaide: Ormsby In, Mickelson Out for 2026 Event OR Ormsby Tees Up at LIV Golf Adelaide as Mickelson Withdraws

LIV Golf Adelaide is shaping up to be a significant event for Australian golfers, with Wade Ormsby earning a late call-up to the tournament. Ormsby will replace HyFlyers GC captain Phil Mickelson, who withdrew due to family matters, having previously been replaced by Ollie Schniederjans for the Riyadh event. This provides a home-country opportunity for Ormsby, a veteran of the Asian Tour, to compete in front of a local crowd at The Grange.

The Adelaide tournament, expected to draw nearly 100,000 fans, holds a special place on the LIV Golf circuit. Ormsby, a four-time Asian Tour winner, previously participated in every LIV Golf event during the league’s inaugural 2022 season, achieving a best finish of tied for 22nd at LIV Golf London. He also recorded several top-25 finishes on the DP World Tour that same year.

More recently, Ormsby has served as a reserve player for LIV Golf, making appearances in Washington D.C. In 2023 and at the season-opening events in 2024 and 2025. He played in both the Riyadh and Adelaide events last year, finishing tied for 25th in Riyadh and further down the leaderboard in Adelaide, with rounds of seven-over, one-under, and three-over par.

Ormsby’s form has been on the rise since his LIV Golf appearances, culminating in a victory at the Jakarta International Championship on the Asian Tour in October 2025. This win, secured despite incurring a penalty during the tournament, propelled him to 12th place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and eighth on the International Series Rankings. While he didn’t secure one of the top two positions that awarded LIV Golf cards for 2026 – those went to Scott Vincent and Yosuke Asaji – the victory undoubtedly boosted his profile and earned him this opportunity in Adelaide.

The late change for Iron Heads GC comes as Jinichiro Kozuma recovers from an injury. Ormsby will rejoin Kevin Na’s team for the Adelaide event, providing a familiar face and a local presence.

Other teams are also facing adjustments ahead of the Adelaide tournament. Majesticks GC will be without captain Lee Westwood, who continues his recovery from a wrist injury. It remains to be seen whether Ben Schmidt will continue to fill in for Westwood after finishing tied for 41st at the Riyadh event.

The Adelaide event promises a strong field, with Elvis Smylie looking to build on his recent victory at the season-opener in Riyadh. Smylie, who made his LIV Golf debut in Riyadh, will return to his native Australia after competing on the DP World Tour at the end of 2025. Defending champion Joaquin Niemann will also be a key player to watch, aiming to repeat his success at The Grange. Fireballs GC will be looking to defend their team title after a dominant six-shot win last season.

The addition of Ormsby adds a local flavor to the Adelaide event, and provides a valuable opportunity for the South Australian golfer to compete on home soil. His recent form and experience on the Asian Tour suggest he could be a strong contender at The Grange, and will be looking to improve on his performance from the 2024 event.