Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The International Series Rankings race will be decided in the season-ending PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

The final event of The International Series and Asian Tour calendar is the last chance to claim the coveted golden ticket to LIV Golf on offer to the overall rankings champion.

American Peter Uihlein is the current rankings leader on 1,071 points after overtaking compatriot John Catlin – the leader for most of the season – thanks to his emphatic five-shot win at last week’s International Series Qatar.

That was Uihlein’s second title of the season, after a superb victory at the International Series England in August. He also has a tied second to his name after losing out on the final hole to Lee Chieh-po in the International Series Thailand at Thai Country Club in October.

As an existing LIV Golf League player, Uihlein will not claim the berth on the LIV Golf League roster that goes to the champion. However, the golden ticket does not pass down to second place so his nearest challengers will need a big week to secure top spot.

Although the Range Goats GC player is in pole position to win the race, there are plenty of potential outcomes with 1,000 points up for grabs to the champion at Riyadh Golf Club.

Catlin, only 143.65 points behind, has shown superb form this season with victory in Macau, two agonising play-off defeats and seven impressive performances as an alternate on LIV Golf.

Ben Campbell, Richard T. Lee, Lee Chieh-po and MJ Maguire will all feel they can have a say after all recorded victories this season, and the race is effectively still wide open.

In-form Tyrrell Hatton is expecting an exciting week. The Englishman is making his first appearance on The International Series after a stellar season in which he won one individual title at LIV Golf Nashville and contributed to four victories for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII in the Team Championships.

Hatton played with Catlin when the American filled in for Rahm in the LIV Golf Dallas Team Championship, and he is rooting for his temporary team-mate.

Hatton said: “Pete’s already on the team so I guess in that sense, you would quite like John to finish in the top spot. For him this is an important week.

“I don’t have the added pressure this week. But for those guys trying to earn a spot on LIV, it certainly gives them an added incentive.

“They’re both fantastic players. Pete was the number one amateur player in the world when I was playing amateur golf. He has certainly played a lot better over the last couple of years.

“John has played really well when he has had the opportunity on LIV Golf this year. I know he’s won a few times on the DP World Tour as well. They’re both fantastic players.”

It is the first edition of the tournament to be played at Riyadh Golf Club, with Abraham Ancer of Fireballs GC winning last year’s edition at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah.

At the pre-tournament press conference, Ancer said the top three on the rankings all had a chance. He said: “They are all great competitors and good buddies. I have played a lot with Catlin since college. He has been all over the world. He’s played everywhere and has had a lot of years that he struggled. Then he rose and played good at the right time. I feel like he figures out a way to just get it done.

“Same with Peter Uihlein. He is one of those players that can win any week at any given time.

“Ben is probably the guy I know the least. But I feel he’s a good buddy, and we have a lot of things in common we like to do outside of golf. For Ben and John, it is extremely important to lock up a spot. It’s huge. It is life changing.”