Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A star-studded field is set for next month’s US$5 million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Riyadh Golf Club.

Now the season-ending tournament for both the Asian Tour and The International Series, the event is making its debut in Riyadh after five successful years at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.

The tournament, from December 4-7, will be headlined by world number 16 Tyrrell Hatton and will also feature six Major champions.

Fuelling the success of the tournament has been Golf Saudi, whose ambition is to grow golf in Saudi Arabia, cultivate the global growth of the game, and help lower barriers to entry.

Saudi Arabia’s golfing landscape, backed by the Saudi Golf Federation, has significantly advanced in recent years with Golf Saudi instrumental in nurturing top talent and attracting some of the world’s leading golfers.

An Executive Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation, Golf Saudi is dedicated to ensuring the game can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone.

Opened in 2005, Riyadh Golf Club is home to Golf Saudi. Its par-72 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.

Englishman Hatton is relishing the prospect of tackling the course after an outstanding year in which he triumphed alongside his father at last month’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour and claimed his maiden individual LIV Golf title in Nashville.

The Ryder Cup player, who recorded a second-place finish at this month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and placed sixth at last week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, said: “I’m excited to visit Riyadh for the first time and be part of the Asian Tour’s season-ending event.

“I’ve been playing really well the last couple of months as my results are showing. I want to keep the momentum going through to the end of the year. I finished tied sixth when I played in the PIF Saudi International in 2021, so I am hoping to be able to improve on that and finish my season on a high.”

Hatton joins a roster of international stars lined up for the 2024 PIF Saudi International, including the already confirmed quartet of defending champion Abraham Ancer, 2022 champion Harold Varner III, winner in 2019 and 2021 Dustin Johnson, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith.

Also in this year’s field are Major winners Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed and Graeme McDowell, the 2020 champion at King Abdullah Economic City.

They will compete alongside PGA Tour and DP World Tour winners Kevin Na and Branden Grace, as well as Talor Gooch, the 2023 LIV individual champion. 

Other notable players include Adrian Meronk, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour, David Puig, currently seventh on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Joaquin Niemann, winner of the 2024 LIV Golf event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, Peter Uihlein, winner of August’s International Series England, and Dean Burmester, champion at the 2024 LIV Golf Miami.

Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, said: “I’ve had some strong finishes in this tournament so I’m excited to return, especially since this will be my first time experiencing Riyadh. I’ve heard amazing things about the course and the city, and it’s inspiring to see golf growing in this region. I’m hoping to finish the year on a high note in Saudi Arabia.”

Also set to compete are all four Australian members of the Ripper GC team who claimed the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship – Smith, Lucas Herbert, a past winner on both the PGA and DP World Tour, Matt Jones, a two-time PGA Tour champion and Marc Leishman, six-time PGA Tour winner.

John Catlin currently leads both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and the International Series Rankings, with Richard T. Lee close behind in second place. Other top contenders for the top positions include Ben Campbell, Lee Chieh-po and Michael Maguire, who have all delivered excellent performances this season on the Asian Tour.

For the first time this year, the tournament will finish on the Saturday in order to align with the Saudi weekend, as players aim to claim the tournament’s US$1 million first prize, the most lucrative title on the Asian Tour.

The tournament is the last of 10 elevated events on The International Series calendar, the Asian Tour-sanctioned tournaments 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 addition, the top 32 eligible players at the top of The International Series Rankings, and all 2024 Asian Tour champions, will qualify for places in the field for this year’s innovative LIV Golf Promotions event, which will take place at Riyadh Golf Club from December 12-14.

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 both the PGA Championship and The Open.