For months, Jinichiro Kozuma heard rumors that Iron Heads would become a Korean-focused team. He stayed patient. He waited for direct communication. It never came. The 31-year-old Japanese pro learned his LIV Golf career was over the same way fans did by scrolling through Instagram. On January 12, the Iron Heads’ official account unveiled its rebrand to Korean Golf Club. Kozuma’s name was nowhere to be found.

“I was simply trying to stay patient and figure out the best next steps,” he told SI in an interview published this Thursday. “The moment I clearly understood that I wouldn’t be playing for the Iron Heads moving forward was when I saw the official Instagram post announcing the Korean team,” Kozuma added. “That was when everything became clear for me.”

Kozuma finished 32nd in the 2025 LIV Golf standings despite missing the first five events with a back injury. In just eight individual starts, he posted a T2 at Dallas, a T7 in Korea, and two additional top-10s. He outperformed Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter.

None of it mattered. The rebrand demanded Korean identity, not competitive results. Kevin Na, who captained Iron Heads since the league’s 2022 inception, was also dropped. Byeong Hun An stepped in as the new captain. Danny Lee remains the sole holdover. Minkyu Kim, a 14-year-old prodigy, and Younghan Song rounded out the roster.

An wasn’t LIV’s first choice. The league pursued Sungjae Im aggressively, but the world No. 21 dismissed the speculation as “fake news” on social media. Si Woo Kim also firmly denied any interest and committed to the PGA Tour for 2026. LIV pivoted to An only after its marquee targets said no.

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Kozuma’s release, however, exposed a deeper structural flaw in how LIV Golf protects—or fails to protect—its players.

LIV Golf’s “Open Zone” offers no safety net for players like Kozuma

LIV Golf’s roster structure creates a peculiar vulnerability. Players finishing in the top 24—the “Lock Zone”—earn automatic retention. Those ranked 49th or lower fall into the “Drop Zone” and face league relegation. But the players sandwiched between—ranked 25th to 48th in the “Open Zone”—occupy a strange limbo. They’re safe from the league. They’re not safe from their teams.

Kozuma sat comfortably at 32nd. Merit protected him from relegation. It offered no shield against a franchise pivot. The same fate befell Matt Jones, who finished 40th but was dropped by Ripper GC for fellow Australian Elvis Smylie. Four players total were cut this offseason despite finishing above the drop zone.

Kozuma reached out to other general managers seeking opportunities. What he found confirmed the new calculus.

“Teams seemed to be building their rosters not only based on results but also based on team identity and the type of player profile they were looking for,” he explained. “It was simply difficult to find the right fit.”

Kozuma now plans to compete on the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour. He sees Japan as a pathway to the DP World Tour and eventually the PGA Tour. Strong performances on the Asian Tour could also lead back to LIV.

Despite the unceremonious exit, Kozuma expressed gratitude for the experience.

“Competing overseas allowed me to learn a lot, not only about how to prepare for tournaments, but also about how top players approach competition,” he said. “I genuinely feel that it made me better.”

Better, apparently, still wasn’t enough. In LIV’s franchise era, the scorecard no longer writes the final word.