By Kent Gray
Two-time PGA Tour winner Jason Kokrak has been unveiled as Golf Saudi’s latest global ambassador.

Kokrak’s role was confirmed on the eve of the 149th Open Championship where the world No.24 has been grouped with Brooks Koepka and Garrick Higgo for the opening 36 holes at Royal St George’s Golf Club.

Victories at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek and Charles Schwab Challenge in the past nine months, both by two strokes over Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth respectively, has rocketed Kokrak into Ryder Cup contention.

The 36-year-old from Ohio is the second ambassador signed by Golf Saudi in 2021, joining nine-time major champion Gary Player, and will support the kingdom’s governing body bid to introduce golf to new audiences, both globally and within Saudi Arabia.

He’s no stranger to the Kingdom having finished T41 at this year’s Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

“It was fantastic to come over as a guest of Golf Saudi earlier this year… During my visit I was lucky enough to see the work that is being done to draw more people to our sport, particularly young boys and girls,” Kokrak said in a prepared statement.

“Golf Saudi is doing amazing things for the game whether it’s through their mass participation programs to drive youth engagement or their efforts to ensure environmental sustainability is taken seriously within the sport. So for me it’s a real honour to be named as Golf Saudi’s newest ambassador and to work alongside one of the most forward thinking entities within golf currently. I’d like to share my own insights with them and do my part in terms of growing golf within the Kingdom, while also telling my own fans about the many marvels that Saudi Arabia has to offer.”

.Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “Watching Jason star in this year’s Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, it was clear his form was going from strength to strength. This is a player who has won at the big tournaments and has also featured in the Masters twice, appeared in eight PGA championships and five US Opens.

“This is no mean feat and at Golf Saudi we think his winning journey is just getting started and as such we feel this is the right time to develop a strong mutual working partnership, learn from his winning mentality and leverage that to support our ongoing development in terms of growing the game of golf in Saudi Arabia.”