By Kent Gray
With the European Tour’s 2021 schedule still understandably under lock and key, any news about any event in the season after the year we mostly want to forget is newsworthy. Typically, Golf Saudi keep producing genuine headlines even if they are being slowly drip-fed for maximum impact.

With newly minted Masters champion and world No.1 Dustin Johnson and runaway U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau among no fewer than nine major champions previously confirmed, the Saudi International’s status as the king of the Desert Swing was never in doubt. Oh, did we mention reigning Open champion Shane Lowry and American drawcards Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed? Yes, they King Abdullah Economic City-bound as well.

But with the addition of nine European Ryder Cuppers, seven of them new names for the 3rd edition of the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club event in Feb., Golf Saudi might just have assembled the strongest European Tour field of 2021 outside the majors and WGCs.

Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwoood, Paul Casey, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Tyrrell Hatton are the new significant seven, joining already confirmed Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell, the latter defending champion.

“This announcement marks yet another amazing group of golf stars joining our 2021 field and the excitement of all the players to kick-off afresh in 2021, in Saudi Arabia is heartening to hear,” said Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi.

“The line-up for the tournament is looking strong and with more players still to be announced in the coming weeks – and on the back of two excellent Ladies European Tour events earlier this month – we are very much looking forward to the third edition of our tournament.

“We believe it will be the strongest instalment to date and will serve as a fabulous illustration that Saudi Arabia is open for business.”

The Feb.4-7 event will be fan-favourite Fleetwood’s bow in the Kingdom.

“From all I’ve heard from the lads who played there the last couple of years, the Saudi International is already established itself as one of the leading events on the European Tour both in terms of set up and facilities as well as quality of the field, which is really impressive this year,” said the six-time European Tour winner and standout of the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National.

Such a deep field means a deep well of OWGR and Ryder Cup ranking points on offer.

“With Ryder Cup qualification on the line, I am obviously looking to get my campaign off to a fast start and getting a decent finish or winning the Saudi International against such a stellar field would be massive,” said Poulter. “It’s been a really weird year with COVID so we are all looking forward to a fresh start in 2021 and I am hoping it is also a strong start as I keep my eyes firmly focused on qualifying for the European team at Whistling Straits.”

“I really enjoyed the tournament at the beginning of this year and am psyched to be returning next February. The course sets up for my game rather nicely so I was pretty frustrated to only finish in the top 20 and will certainly be aiming to finish rather higher up the leader board this year.”