Saudi Arabia’s five leading golfers are determined to showcase their quality on home soil when the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers begins tomorrow at Riyadh Golf Club.
Othman Almulla is one of a record five Saudi Arabian professionals competing at the event, which takes place in Riyadh for the first time, and three of them were in attendance, alongside global stars such as Abraham Ancer, Tyrrell Hatton and Dustin Johnson, for a launch press conference ahead of the tournament.
Before turning professional in 2019, Almulla became the first Saudi golfer to win the Qatar Open and qualify for two professional events, the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic and the 2008 Qatar Masters.
Speaking at the conference, he was asked whether he and his fellow Saudi professionals felt pressure playing on the biggest stage of the year for them. “I think pressure is a privilege. We’re in a very, very unique situation to be the trailblazers for golf in Saudi Arabia and to be on the front lines of this big ambitious dream of growing golf in the Kingdom and the region.
“Of course, we’re going to feel pressure, it’s normal. We all really want to do well and to represent ourselves and our country in a way we all can be proud of.”
He continued: “Yes, it’s an important week, probably the most important of the year – but we don’t see it as the end game. The end game is to beat some of the top players in Asia, some of the top players in the world, and this, hopefully, is a step in that direction.”
Dustin Johnson at LIV Golf Vegas – Icon Sportswire
They are likely to face fierce competition from an array of world stars including Briton Tyrrell Hatton, a three-time Ryder Cup player for Europe, and Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner of the tournament including the inaugural event in 2019.
American Johnson told the conference: “Winning the first ever one was obviously a big deal, but every year feels strong, so it’s big wins. I’ve had a chance to win most of the years I’ve played in this event.
“I like the golf course … the field is a really good field and I’d just like to try to put myself in position to have a chance on Sunday,” added two-time Major winner Johnson.
One-on-one with Golf Saudi CEO, Noah Alireza
The tournament is organised by Golf Saudi, the driving force behind Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to grow golf domestically and internationally. One of Golf Saudi’s lead initiatives is known as Go Golf: a world-first golf coaching scheme offering three months of free golf lessons and coaching for all those who sign-up, followed by a full year of additional free rounds of golf, discounted coaching and membership deals at golf clubs across the country, including in Riyadh.
Attendees at this week’s event can sign-up for Go Golf live on-site at the tournament, enjoy taking in lessons, and watch some of the biggest names in golf share their tips for learning and playing the game.
Main Image: Asian Tour
