The World Number 16 headlines a glittering field assembled for Riyadh
An in-form Tyrrell Hatton heads the field for the upcoming US$5million PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, taking place between 4 and 7 December at Riyadh Golf Club.
In a field awash with major champions, Hatton is currently ranked No 16 on the world rankings. He recently triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships on the DP World Tour, having won LIV Golf Nashville in June. Now looking to close out his year in style, Hatton recently commented, “I am really excited to visit Riyadh for the first time and to 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, so I really want to keep the momentum going through to the end of the year. I finished tied 6th when I played in PIF Saudi International in 2021, so I am hoping to be able to improve on that and finish my season on a high.”
Richard Heathcote Getty Images
Becoming the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three times, Hatton shared how special the week was to play alongside his father in the unique pro-am format and seal the victory, “It’s been awesome. We are pretty fortunate. This is the third time we’ve been able to play this tournament together, and I think finally this year, my dad sort of settled down and he actually played some good golf. He played unreal yesterday, which was nice to see. I know that it made it more special if we were able to win the team event, as well, but ultimately these are memories that neither of us will ever forget, and for me to win today the individual event, that’s the first time that I’ve won with my dad at a tournament. That makes it more special, and it was pretty cool that he had a front row seat for it.”
With a win under his belt in Nashville earlier in the summer, Hatton was delighted to have been able to carry the momentum on to his return to the DP World Tour, explaining, “It feels amazing. My last win was Abu Dhabi ‘21 on the DP World Tour. So that was a long time ago. And I knew when I came back to play the British Masters and the Spanish Open last week, that I really wanted to earn enough points to be able to play in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from a World Ranking points perspective, a Ryder Cup points perspective. I’ve been fortunate to play the DP World Tour Championship every year that I’ve had my tour card. Winning today secures my spot there. I’m really excited that I can compete in those two events at the back end of the year.”
Tom Shaw/R&A/Getty Images
Hatton took a well-earned break following his October triumph in Scotland, before returning to competitive golf in the Middle East during the DP World Tour’s Play-Off events as he builds up to the PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. Playing in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, he finished runner-up and sixth place respectively and is now looking to seal a final win of the season before his winter break against another stellar line-up in Riyadh.
His challengers will include defending champion Abraham Ancer, 2022 champion Harold Varner III, winner in 2019 and 2021 Dustin Johnson, and 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith, along with Major winners Patrick Reed and Graeme McDowell, the 2020 champion as the tournament makes its debut in Riyadh after five successful years at the acclaimed Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.
Other stand-out names include Adrian Meronk, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour, David Puig, currently lying 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 earlier this year, Peter Uihlein, winner of the recent International Series England in August and Dean Burmester, champion at the 2024 LIV Golf Miami.
Scott Taetsch/PGA of America Getty Images
Also set to compete are all of the winning members of the Ripper GC team who claimed the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship: Lucas Herbert, winner on the PGA and DP World Tour, and Matt Jones, a two-time PGA Tour Champion, Marc Leishman, six-time PGA Tour winner and the aforementioned, Cameron Smith.
Smith is another star player looking to end the season with a win. When asked at Troon earlier this year, how he had changed after winning the 2023 Open Championship, he was thoughtful in his response explaining, “I think the person is the same. I think my old boy would give me a clip around the ears if he was any different. I think as a golfer, I think I’m actually a better golfer now than what I was last year. I think the stuff that I had to clean up is progressing. It’s still a little bit of a work in progress.”
Whether it’s defending his Open title or trying to win for the first time in Saudi Arabia, Smith explained fans can always expect the same approach, “I’m determined to try my best every week and just try and be a better golfer than I was last week. I never really expect too much of myself. The thing I expect are doing everything 100 percent, ticking all the boxes early in the week, making sure I’m prepared, and then just go out there and give it my all. That’s all I can really do. I think I’ve done that fantastic this year and especially last year. It was such a good year last year, you almost expect to win. I think that’s not really a good way to look at golf. Just expect to do all the things that you’re meant to do 100 percent and then go out there and give it a crack, and if you win, you win.”
Riyadh Golf Club. Supplied
Of the week ahead in Saudi Arabia, the Australian added, “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.”
Having moved from the beginning of the year into the season-ending tournament slot for both the Asian Tour and The International Series, there is so much to play for and no end of storylines to whet the appetite of the many regional and international fans expected to flock to watch so many of the world’s best players in Riyadh this year.
Tickets are still available for purchase at saudiinter-national.com
Main image: Jose Manuel Alvarez/Getty Images
