World Number 20, Tyrrell Hatton has been announced as the latest act amongst a host of top LIV Golf stars for the US$ 5 million 2024 PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, taking place December 4-7 at Riyadh Golf Club.
The season-ending tournament for both the Asian Tour and The International Series, the set of ten elevated events which form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League, is making its debut in the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A seven-time winner on the DP World Tour, most recently at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, England’s Hatton joins the already confirmed quartet of defending champion Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, American duo of 2022 champion Harold Varner III and two-time winner Dustin Johnson, and the 2022 Open Champion Australian Cameron Smith.
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Major winners Patrick Reed and Graeme McDowell, the 2020 Saudi International champion are also committed to tee it up in the Kingdom, along with Dubai-resident Adrian Meronk, a four-time winner on the DP World Tour. Spanish youngster David Puig, who is currently lying sixth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit will be joined by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, the winner of LIV Golf Riyadh at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City earlier this year amongst a plethora of additional LIV Golfers alongside Asian Tour legends.
Hatton commented on his announcement, “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.”
For the first time this year, the PIF Saudi International will finish on the Saturday in order to align with the final two days with the weekend in the Kingdom as players take aim on the US$1 million first prize in the largest sole Asian Tour event on the calendar.
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The tournament is the last of 10 elevated Asian Tour-sanctioned events on The International Series calendar that offer a direct pathway for players from all over the world onto the LIV Golf League. The champion of the season-ending International Series Rankings will secure a spot on the 2025 LIV Golf League roster.
In 2023, over 30 players at the top of the Rankings were eligible to play in the innovative LIV Golf Promotions event, where an additional three players qualified for the LIV Golf League. This year the 2024 PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers will be the last opportunity for players to qualify for the LIV Golf Promotions event, also to be held at Riyadh Golf Club the week after.
Main Image: Pedro Salado
