The US$5million PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, will
take place December 4-7 this year, moving into the coveted season-ending position for both
the Asian Tour and The International Series. The tournament will make its debut at Riyadh
Golf Club after five successful years at the acclaimed Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in
King Abdullah Economic City.
Opened in 2005, Riyadh Golf Club is the capital's premier golf course. Its par-72
championship course is set across 7,434-yards of undulating fairways and has played host
to many of the Kingdom's leading tournaments, including the Saudi Open presented by PIF,
the Aramco Team Series Riyadh, and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
The first players to be confirmed for the December event are defending champion Abraham
Ancer, 2022 champion Harold Varner III, winner in 2019 and 2021 Dustin Johnson, and
2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith.
Smith, who finished runner up to Mexican star Ancer in 2023, commented, “I am really
looking forward to visiting Riyadh for the first time. From what I have read, there is so much
going on there with some great sports facilities for grassroots and professionals being put in
place. We have also heard lots of good things about the Championship course at Riyadh
Golf Club. Looking at the design and reputation of the course, I reckon it is going to provide
us with a real test as we try to stay both out of the water and out in front of what will be
another world-class field at the PIF Saudi International.”
The PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers is now firmly
established on the global golf stage. The move to the season end of both the Asian Tour and
The International Series has only added to the tournament’s stature, which has grown
significantly since its inception. For the first time this year, the PIF Saudi International will finish
on the Saturday in order to align with the final two days with the weekend in the Kingdom as
players take aim on the $1 million first prize and what is considered the most prestigious title
on the Asian Tour.
The tournament is the last of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that offer a direct
pathway for players from all over the world onto the LIV Golf League.
The champion of the season-ending International Series Rankings will secure a spot on the
2025 LIV Golf League roster. In 2023, over 30 players at the top of the Rankings were
eligible to play in the innovative LIV Golf Promotions event, where an additional three
players qualified for the LIV Golf League. The same will apply for this year, as the 2024 PIF
Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers will be the last opportunity for
players to qualify for the LIV Golf Promotions event and, therefore, for LIV in 2025.
Additionally, the 2024 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion will be guaranteed a place within
the top four of the OWGR Federation Ranking, a system used by the PGA Championship
and The Open.
Golf Saudi CEO, Noah Alireza said: “We are delighted to be taking this prestigious event to
Riyadh Golf Club. Securing this key date and being positioned as the finale to the Asian Tour
and The International Series adds to the significance of the PIF Saudi International, powered
by SoftBank Investment Advisers as we see it grow in stature with each edition.”
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner & CEO, Asian Tour, added: “This new date gives the PIF
Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers the key position and
prominence it deserves as the climax to our season. We believe Riyadh Golf Club will provide
an excellent stage to showcase the culmination of our year and, with so much on the line, it
should make for a dramatic and must-watch ending to our 2024 season.”
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
.jpg)
