The launch of the Saudi International Golf Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund

SME/Private
Riyadh Golf Club is preparing for the first time to host the Saudi International Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Consulting, with a total prize pool of 5 million US dollars during the period from 4 to 7 December.
Hosting this tour will be the most anticipated end of the season for both the Asian Tour and the International Series, as it will be held for the first time in Riyadh after five successful years at the Royal Greens Golf Club in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah.
Founded in 2005, Riyadh Golf Club is considered one of the best golf courses in the capital. The championship course features a par-72 course, extending across 7,434 yards of undulating fairways, and has hosted many of the Kingdom’s championships, including the Saudi Open presented by the Public Investment Fund. , in addition to the Aramco Riyadh Team Series, and the Saudi Aramco International Women’s Championship.
In terms of players, the names of the first players participating in next December’s event have been confirmed: defending champion Abraham Unser, 2022 champion Harold Varner III, 2019 and 2021 winner Dustin Johnson, and 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith.
Smith, who was runner-up to Mexican star Unser in 2023, commented: “I’m really excited to visit Riyadh for the first time from what I’ve read, there’s a lot going on there with great sporting facilities for amateurs and professionals. We also heard a lot of good information about the championship stadium at the Club “Given the design of the course and its reputation, I believe it will provide us with a real test against a group of world-class players in the Saudi International Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund.”
Recently, the Saudi International Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Advisors has become firmly established on the global golf stage, with the move to the end of the season, increasing the tournament’s prestige. For the first time this year, the Saudi International Championship, presented by the Public Investment Fund, will end on Saturday, so that the last two days coincide with the weekend in the Kingdom, where players will compete for the first prize of one million dollars, which is considered the most prestigious on the Asian Tour.
The tournament is the last of 10 high-profile events on the Asian Tour calendar that provide a direct pathway for players from around the world to join the LEAF Golf League. The champion in the International Series standings at the end of the season receives a place on the list of players participating in the 2025 LEAF Golf League.
In 2023, more than 30 top-ranked players qualified to play in the LEAF Golf Promotions event, while an additional three players qualified to play in the league. This will be implemented this year, as the Saudi International Championship, presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Consulting, will be the last opportunity for players to qualify for the LEAF Golf Promotions event and thus to participate in the league in 2025.
In addition, the 2024 Asian Tour champion will be guaranteed a top-four spot in the IBF Rankings, the system used on the PGA Tour and The Open.
For his part, Noah Ali Reda, CEO of Golf Saudi Arabia, said: “We are delighted that we will be holding this prestigious event at the Riyadh Golf Club.
He added: “Securing this important date and placing it as the conclusion of the Asian Tour and the series of international tournaments increases the importance of the Saudi International Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Consulting, as we see that its status is developing with each edition.”
In a related context, Cho Min Thant, Commissioner and CEO of the Asia Tour, said: “This new date gives the Saudi International Championship, presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Advisors, the main and prominent position it deserves as the pinnacle of the season. We believe that the Riyadh Golf Club will provide “An excellent stage to highlight the tournament, and with so much at stake, it should represent a dramatic and worth-watching end to the 2024 season.”
It is worth noting that the Saudi International Golf Championship presented by the Public Investment Fund and sponsored by SoftBank Investment Consulting has moved to the Asian Tour in 2022 as part of a new partnership.