World No. 1 Lydia Ko came into the Aramco Saudi Ladies International unsure what to expect after an extended off-season that included getting married.

The world No. 1 got hitched to Jun Chung to sign off on a 2022 that saw her not only reclaim her spot at the top of the rankings but also pick up three LPGA Tour crowns, including the CME, which earned her the biggest winner’s cheque in women’s golf history: $2 million.

After that extended break and a honeymoon that included — by her own admission — “perhaps too much golf”, the New Zealander arrived at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club uncertain where her game was at in competitive circles.

She had nothing to worry about. 

Ko was returning to King Abdullah Economic City for the first time since her 2021 triumph in the Saudi Ladies International, and oozed class as she saw off a star-studded field to reclaim the crown.

A final-round 68 for a total of 21-under was enough to hold off the in-form India star Aditi Ashok, the likes of fast-charging Lexi Thompson and Manon De Roey, and dark horse Lilia Vu. 

In a topsy-turvy finish that saw the lead change hands a number of times, Ko eventually prevailed as valiant Vu faltered at the last and had to settle for a share of third alongside Belgium’s De Roey and American star Thompson on 19-under, one behind Ashok.

Along with becoming the first player to win the title twice, Ko also took home a record $750,000 from the $5 million prize fund.

Lydia Ko. LET

“I’m two for two on this golf course at Royal Greens, so clearly something is going for me,” Ko said. 

“I’m playing with the world’s best. The field this week was really good, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. And it was the first one of the year. That is really hard because you don’t have anything to base yourself off. You don’t know if you’re going to play well or bad.”

Ko made it career win No. 26 and is looking in great shape for another trophy-laden campaign in 2023. 

It certainly was a statement in her first event of the year as she came out on top in a field that included 13 major winners including In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall.

“Hopefully I’m going to get some good momentum now,’ Ko said. “Every day is different, so I don’t think you can take anything for granted. I’m just going to stick to my process and keep working on the things I’ve been working on and enjoy it. Hopefully this is a light to a good start of the 2023 season.”

With the tournament prize fund hiked to a whopping $5 million this year — up from $1 million and now matching the men’s Saudi International — Ko is delighted the women are being given a level playing field in Saudi Arabia.

“I think this is the direction we’re trending in not only at this event, but all the events,” she said. “To have partners that support and believe in women’s golf and the talent that’s out here, it is just great to be a part of that and this history.

“Hopefully this is a continuous movement on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA, and for other tours as well.

“As players, it’s just really cool to be part of that history. I hope this is something that’s going to continue to grow, because playing alongside the best female golfers, week in and week out… there are so many amazing women out here. I don’t think you realise until you come here and you see, wow, like look at all this talent.”

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By GolfDigestme.com
Hot on the heels of the Aramco Team Series – New York, where the Big Apple lived up to its name as ‘the city that never sleeps’ after taking two flood-lit play-off holes to crown Team Jessica Korda, the fourth instalment of the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) innovative new tournament series turns to Saudi Arabia.

Featuring 108 tour professionals and 36 amateurs, golfers will #BringTheEnergy to Royal Greens G&CC in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) from November 10-12. It follows the Saudi Ladies International from Nov. 4-7 where Emily Kristine Pedersen is also the defending champion.

RELATED: Runaway Saudi champion Lydia Ko urges Kingdom’s trailblazing female golfers to ‘show the power of women’

Played originally as the Saudi Team International – the team event was won in 2020 by a fourball led by Pederson. The European Solheim Cup star also captured the individual prize, helping her claim the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol, the LET’s season-long competition to crown Europe’s No.1 player.

The unique format of the Aramco Team Series sees amateur golfers contribute to the result of the main team competition, while individual pro scores contribute towards world ranking points.

The ATS reaches Jeddah in time for Saudi Arabia’s Women in Sport Season (WISS).

While providing unprecedented support for female professionals, courtesy of title-sponsor Aramco, the ATS is also committed to gender equality at every level of women’s golf. To leave a positive and lasting legacy, partnerships with charities have been formed in London (UK), Sotogrande (Spain) and New York championing female empowerment.

The post What you need to know: Aramco Team Series – Jeddah appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If Dame Laura Davies deserves anything from her World Golf Hall of Fame career it is to be heard and especially so when the subject is the very future of the women’s game.

The 57-year-old Englishwoman might be a prolific champion with 85 wins worldwide but is not prone to hyperbole. All of which made her effusive praise of the Aramco Team Series worthy of repeating after the innovative concept’s debut in London last month.

“The more forward-thinking sponsors we get like this the better,” the four-time major champion said of the Kingdom’s petroleum and natural gas company which is backing the series’ four tournaments in London, Sotogrande (Aug 5-7), New York (Oct 14-16) and King Abdullah Economic City (near Jeddah, Nov 10-12) to the tune of US$4 million.

“They are doing an absolutely cracking job for us. And what they’ll hopefully do is make all the other sponsors move the bar up and realise that 108 pros cannot exist on a €200,000 tournament. I know times are hard and everything, but there’s not much to go round with that kind of prize fund. 

“We are not asking every sponsor obviously to put a million euros in – or million dollars as it is this time – but it is just encouraging other sponsors who are doing such a great job.”

“Everything has to be viable – they [sponsors] have to have a tournament that works for them as well as the players. Maybe other sponsors will want to get a bit closer to the Aramcos of this world.”

Owned by Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation and sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Aramco Team Series sees the LET’s best players and invited LPGA Tour stars team up with an amateur golfers to compete for a $1m prize fund at each venue.

The series employs a NBA-style draft system where selected team captains pick one pro teammate before being allocated a third via a random draw as well as amateur golfer who could end up putting for a major payday for their three professional team-mates. As well as competing for the team trophy, the professionals also vie for an individual title which carries Rolex (World) Rankings and Solheim Cup points, as well as being an integral part of the LET’s season-long Race to Costa del Sol money race.

Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour

Davies’ comments didn’t go unnoticed by Majed Al Sorour at the Centurion Club. The Golf Saudi CEO is adamant the Aramco Team Series is an important moment for not only golf but women’s sport.

“It’s encouraging to hear these kinds of comments from Laura,” said Al Sorour. “Golf Saudi is a champion of women’s sport and we hope our support of the Aramco Team Series events will make a big difference to the sustainability of women’s golf; something which is aligned to the ongoing women’s sporting movement in Saudi as part of Vision 2030.

“As is the case across global sport, women’s golf really does lag behind the men’s game in terms of prize money and exposure. Aramco’s continued commitment in golf across the next few years can hopefully provide the catalyst for other international backers to invest in the game and change this.

“We truly feel this could be one of the most exciting and innovative event formats in women’s sport today. We’re attracting the biggest names in women’s golf and shaking things up globally with the US sport style ‘draft’ and walk-on music. We’re always trying to innovate and make the game more appealing.”

Enhanced global broadcast coverage is part of Aramco commitment, now the most significant sponsor on the LET.

“The more broadcast exposure we can give women’s sport the better – we’re excited to see the Aramco Team Series being shown in 60 countries over the coming months,” Al Sorour continued.

Trailblazers

For the record, German Olivia Cowan captained her foursome to victory in the teams event in London while Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord captured the individual title in a playoff.

JA the Resort Ambassador Cowan led Sarina Schmidt, Diksha Dagar and amateur Andrew Kelsey to victory by three strokes from Team Skarpnord. It was a maiden LET title for Cowan who produced the pivotal shot of the final round, holing out for eagle from 72 metres with her 56 degree wedge to send her team back to the summit of the leaderboard.

Amateur Andy Kelsey, Captain Olivia Cowan, Sarina Schmidt, and Diksha Dagar

“I can’t put it in words how amazing it is. To share it with one of my best friends is just incredible as well,” Cowan said after selecting Schmidt. “I got really lucky with my team. I knew I wanted to pick Sarina two weeks ago and then to have Diksha on the team as well – I knew she was a great player and that she could hole some putts – so, I knew we had a good chance.

“We all just complemented each other. We were all so great out there – we are a proper team. We weren’t looking out to win the individual, we were going out there as a team to win the team event and that’s paid off.”

Skarpnord’s consolation was victory in the individual event although she was made to work for it after carding a superb closing round of 68 – five-under – to tie Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul on 13-under-par.

Marianne Skarpnord

A drained 12ft birdie putt on the Centurion Club’s 18th hole saw the Norwegian clinch her fifth LET title at the first time of calling in sudden death.

“It was won with a lot of nerves,” Skarpnord said afterwards. “On the short putts, my hands were nearly shaking. To win this event is very special. I think this concept is so, so good and we’ve had so much fun this week. I love the format. It’s so much fun when you’re a team and you have to do well for someone else as well, not just yourself.”

On to Spain

The series moves to the La Reserva Club, near Marbella, with a host of European Solheim Cup heroes set to up the ante. In for the three-day event in Sotogrande come Georgia Hall, Charley Hull and Bronte Law, along with their winning 2019 Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew. The Scot won’t mind the unique team format as she runs the rule over some key players ahead of September’s rematch with the U.S.

Women’s PGA Championship runner-up and four-time US Solheim Cup player Lizette Salas and Alison Lee will head the American challenge in Spain while Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and Lindsey Weaver, the 2013 and 2018 LPGA Rookies of the Year respectively, are others to watch.

Charley Hull is eyeing Sotogrande

Skarpnord is back too and can’t wait to kick on from London.

“It was awesome to win and go down in history as this tournament’s first-ever winner. London was so much fun so I already can’t wait to do it again in Sotogrande next month.

“Events like the Aramco Team Series go to prove that so much great work is being done to elevate women’s golf, so I know the opportunities I have available for these magical moments are only growing, which is fantastic – and great to be a part of.”

Dame Laura Davies happily concurs.

The post Golf Saudi’s innovative new Aramco Team Series, a fiscal game changer for the LET, proved an instant hit in London appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

When even titleholder Graeme McDowell, a popular major champion, struggles for airtime, you know your field is seriously deep. Welcome then, to the 3rd Saudi International and the rise and rise of a Desert Swing juggernaut.

By Kent Gray
With the world No.1, golf’s very own human headline, seven of the world’s top 20 and a plethora of other drawcards besides, the 3rd Saudi International has satisfied its remit even before a ball has been hit at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

There is no guarantee Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and co. will turn up and turn it on (this is golf after all) but that they are turning up in King Abdullah Economic City at all means Golf Saudi’s ambition has been realised again. In spades.

Abu Dhabi has Rolex Series status and $8 million in prize money – more than double Saudi’s $3.5 million purse – in a $1 million increase on last season. Believe the whispers and it could even be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour next January. Dubai, meanwhile, isn’t going to relinquish its hard-earned reputation as the “Major of the Middle East”, not with that roll call of champions to die for. You can’t buy history. But no one ever said Saudi had to fall in nicely behind its neighbours when it comes to Desert Swing pulling power.

Dustin Johnson at last year’s Saudi International. Ross Kinnaird

“As entries are finalised for our third Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers, we are very happy with our line-up of international star players as we are stronger in strength and depth than we have ever been,’ said Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour after unveiling Kevin Na, a PGA Tour winner for the fifth time just days earlier, as the event’s latest big-name signing.

RELATED: All you need to know about the three locals teeing it up in this week’s Saudi International

“Our vision is to grow golf across the Kingdom and make it both accessible and enjoyable to all Saudis. So by hosting prestigious tournaments such as these demonstrates that we are able to host the world’s best players as a means of inspiring the next generation of young Saudis and Saudi golfers.

“We are also delighted to have such strong support from all our event sponsors who share our vision in ensuring this tournament is one of the strongest events on the European Tour schedule. Thanks to the support of our partners, we are able to continue to support golf development in the Kingdom, while helping to support their work showcasing Saudi Arabia as a destination for international business development.”

In these pandemic times, spectators will be few and far between at Royal Greens. Luckily the TV product will be spectacular and globally alluring.

Photo by Kevin Murray

RELATED: Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club

After his Sony Open victory, Na joined 2020 Masters champion Johnson, reigning U.S. Open champion DeChambeau, five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and world No.18 Tony Finau in the field for the Feb. 4-7 event.

Sprinkle in the usual European Tour suspects – Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Bernd Wiesberger and Danny Willett, along with defending champion Graeme McDowell – and Saudi has a field that almost matches a WGC for global quality.

But wait, there’s more. How about Japan’s Takumi Kanaya, the former world amateur No.1 who turned professional in October and immediately underlined his potential by winning the Dunlop Phoenix Masters on the JGTO in only his fourth start as a professional. Or Akshay Bhatia, the 19-year-old American lefty who idolises the one and only “Lefty”, Mickelson.

RELATED: Japanese star Takumi Kanaya headlines impressive Saudi invitee list

Japanese star Takumi Kanaya. Gregory Shamus

Golf Saudi hasn’t forgotten its own with Othman Almulla, Saudi’s pioneering professional, and Saud Al Sharif, the Kingdom’s leading amateur, setting their sights on becoming the first player to make the weekend at their home open.

RELATED: Othman Almulla and Saud Al Sharif will again proudly fly the Saudi flag at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club

There’s even an intriguing amateur narrative with invites for Jordanian teen Shergo Kurdi and Spaniard Eduard Rousaud Sabate, the current world No.4.

“It feels right that we are also supporting so many young international players who look set to be the stars of tomorrow. We hope their experience of Saudi Arabia will be their first of many visits and they will be part of our journey in developing a vibrant and sustainable golfing nation.”

The only question that remains is which big name will join Johnson and McDowell on an honours board that might be new but is quickly making up for lost time with genuine quality.

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Jack Nicklaus designing new course for Saudi’s Qiddiya megacity

The post Royal Rumble III: How the 3rd Saudi International has already met its remit appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Trailblazing individual and teams championships are just the start of the game-changing women’s golf strategy being orchestrated by Golf Saudi.

by Kent Gray
With a $1 million purse luring a stellar cast to the Kingdom’s first ever professional women’s golf event, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International couldn’t help but create global headlines.

And then Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation doubled-down on their commitment to the Ladies European Tour. And tripled-down on their pledge that golf will become a game-changer for women across Saudi Arabia.

The result is an innovative $500,000 Saudi Teams International (Nov.17-19), complete with unique NFL-style draft system, bolted onto the already pioneering 72-hole event scheduled for Nov. 12-15. But the legacy of this month’s Saudi Women’s Golf Week will extend far beyond the fairways and final leaderboards at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.

Golf has been chosen as a vehicle to help Saudi Arabia achieve its “Vision 2030” socio-economic goals so the real winners shape as a nation of women overcoming traditional gender barriers.

Golf Saudi has unveiled a ‘Ladies First Club’, an initiative that will offer complimentary membership – inclusive of golf lessons, driving range access and full 18-hole rounds – to local women. The initial membership intake will be capped at 1,000 registrants.

“[This] is our most exciting initiative yet aimed at developing the great game of golf across Saudi Arabia and is the ideal way to celebrate the historic nature of the Kingdom’s first ever women’s golf tournament, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund,” said Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour.

Golf Saudi CEO Majed Al Sorour

Players signed-up to the scheme will receive a digital ‘Introduction to Golf’ education pack providing access to monthly seminars outlining the key aspects of golf for beginners. Each of the three golf courses in the scheme – Riyadh Golf Club, Dirab Golf Club and Royal Greens – will also host a monthly golf clinic which will conclude with an on-course induction for all participants and a chance to play 18-holes.

Full range access will then remain available to all members of the club, with the programme’s top 12 performers being offered a full, year-round membership at their course of their choice.

Golf Saudi later rolled out a video series featuring five trailblazing Saudi women to underline the landmark nature of this month’s golf events.

Mariam Fardous, the first Saudi and just the third woman ever to scuba dive deep into Arctic waters in 2015, is delighted to be part of the push to put young Saudi women on their very first 1st tee.

“I hope to be a source of inspiration for women, especially girls who don’t believe that we can achieve the impossible,” she said. ”I imagine that our vision, and the fact we have achieved something, will make girls see that they can overcome anything and achieve their dreams, and that they can think outside of the box in creative ways. We can be poster women for our country.

Our two tournaments will be only the second and third international, professional women-only sports events to be held in our country. We feel that’s something of incredible impact…

“These famous golfers who are coming to Saudi Arabia have certainly had their own difficulties, but we can see how they’ve managed to succeed and how they were able to make their own mark in life. They are all great achievers. I’m so excited to learn more about golf here in Saudi Arabia, in my own country, and see these inspirational female athletes compete.”

Sara Salhab, 27, who plays regularly with friends at Dirab G.C., is one young local grateful to have discovered the royal and ancient game.

“Golf is a very nice sport that works both your mind and your body and you’re outdoors in greenery, which is great, especially here. I really enjoy it. More women should play because it is very healthy, you get to be outdoors and it’s a social activity that, with the Ladies First Club, is more accessible than ever.”

With the likes of Solheim Cuppers Georgia Hall and Charley Hull joining LET legends Dame Laura Davies and Trish Johnson and Golf Saudi ambassadors Amy Boulden and Camilla Lennarth at Royal Greens, the top flight golf will take care of itself. But the last word goes to Al Sorour who is just as inspired by the deeds of Saudi’s Famous Five: Fardous; Nelly Attar, the founder of Saudi Arabia’s first dance studio, Move Riyadh; Maram Al Butairi, General Manager of the Eastern Flames, the Kingdom’s first female football team; and DJ Cosmicat.

“…We are highlighting the pioneering Saudi women who have helped make these tournaments possible,” he said with a nod to the video series.

“It is our honour to have these exceptional women encapsulate the ethos of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF – and the excitement around it – in this way.”

The post Ladies First: Why Saudi’s LET double-header is more than just an historic week of pro golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The four-time major champion, seven-time Ladies European Tour (LET) money-list winner and 12-time European Solheim Cup representative has been confirmed for $1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund, and the $500,000 Saudi Ladies Team International later this month.

Two-time major-winner Anna Nordqvist, the Swede’s 19-year-old countrywoman Julia Engström – the 2018 LET Rookie of the Year and winner of two 2020 events already, sweet swinging Dutchwoman Anne van Dam and Wales’ Amy Boulden will also feature in the LET double-header alongside previously announced English pair Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.

Anna Nordqvist.

World Golf Hall Of Famer Davis is looking forward to the two chances to add to her 85 professional wins at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club but says something far more important will be at stake in King Abdullah Economic City from Nov. 12-19.

“The Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF will be quite the watershed moment that allows us to bring the sport we love to a whole new audience in a way that I think blazes a trail for women and sportswomen in and out of Saudi Arabia.

“We’re taking women’s golf to a new frontier, both in terms of inspiring new women to give the sport a try and in helping grow the Ladies European Tour event calendar, so it’s a tournament I’m really excited to play in – at what looks like a fabulous golf course.”

The post Dame Laura Davies excited to tee it up in Saudi’s trailblazing LET double-header appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Not only has the US$1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF found yet another new date in the calendar, it has also had a teams’ event and an additional $500,000 in prizemoney tagged onto it as a consequence.

Originally planned for March and then rescheduled to October due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Saudi Ladies International is now set to be played at Royal Greens Golf Club from November 12-15. It will be followed by the Saudi Ladies Team International from November 17-19 in what is being billed as a “landmark LET golf week” boasting a combined purse of $1.5 million. Final details of the three-day teams’ event are still to be released but will involve a Pro-Am component.

History to be made in Saudi Arabia with $1.5 million golf week @royalgreens_ksa ??

$1M Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, 12th-15th Nov
$500,000 Saudi Ladies Team International, 17th-19th Nov#SaudiLadiesIntl | #SaudiLadiesTeamIntl | #LadiesFirst pic.twitter.com/rdlDHt5G21

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) September 28, 2020

The tournaments mark the return of large-scale international sporting events to Saudi Arabia as part of the country’s Vision 2030 socio-economic blueprint which has targeted high-level sport as a means of inspiring the Kingdom’s next generation. Organisers are promising a “safe bio-secure environment” at both tournaments in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

“We are extremely excited to be part of history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia and we are thankful to their commitment to deliver not one but two tournaments, in what has been a difficult year for golf,” said LET Tour CEO Alexandra Armas.

“We are always looking to grow the game in new markets and add to our schedule and we are confident that the Saudi Ladies International and the Saudi Ladies Team International will be a fantastic experience for our players.”

His Excellency Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and tournament organiser Golf Saudi, is delighted to have finally locked in the historic week.

“As we all know the first half of this year has been extremely trying on businesses, organisations and nations worldwide, with sport affected greatly,” he said. “However, we are thankful to both PIF and Aramco – who are equally determined to give elite level sport the platform to continue to flourish, both here in Saudi Arabia and abroad, and never more so than now – which makes us proud to be throwing our full weight behind both the Saudi Ladies International and the Saudi Ladies Team International.”

Majed Al Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said the LET double-header showed the Kingdom was doubling down on its commitment to growing the game.

“Our vision is to grow golf across the Kingdom, and make it both accessible and enjoyable to all men, women and children,” said Al Sorour. “One of our key initiatives for this is hosting tournaments capable of drawing the world’s best players as a means of inspiring the next generation of young Saudis and Saudi golfers, so it is a great honour to be taking our next step on that journey by welcoming the Ladies European Tour to the Kingdom for October’s debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF and the Saudi Ladies Team International.”

The events will be Saudi Arabia’s third and fourth professional golf tournaments in less than two years. Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell won the first two editions of the Saudi International, European Tour events staged in 2019 and earlier this year.

The post Saudi doubles down on historic women’s tourney by adding teams event and bolstering total purse to $1.5 million appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The inaugural Golf Saudi Summit may have concluded on Tuesday but the gathering of global industry heavyweights and domestic business leaders looks set to trigger profound long-term benefits for the game in Saudi.

Norman, Schantz, nine-time major champion Gary Player, course architect Robert Trent Jones Jnr, and Asian Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET) CEOs Cho Minn Thant and Alexandra Armas were among the high profile attendees flown in to assist Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation fast-track the development of a new “eco-system” to grow the game.

Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) is already well entrenched in the revolution, having inked a deal in September to build a 27-hole course in Wadi Safar valley in Diriyah, 30 minutes north-west of the centre of Riyadh.

RELATED: Plans for a new Greg Norman-designed course near Riyadh gather momentum at Golf Saudi Summit

Beyond his obvious commercial stake, the Australian is impressed by the foundations already taking root including a focus on access and infrastructure, events, national team and academies, mass participation and tourism. It hit home to the Great White Shark at a junior clinic he attended on the sidelines of the summit in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

“I think the most powerful thing for me yesterday was with the kids. To see the kids’ eyes and their passion for learning how to play the game and just chip the ball, truly got to me,” Norman said.

“No matter where you are in the world, you should invest in grassroots programmes and Golf Saudi, I think, is at the forefront of that, more than anyone else to tell you the truth and that’s how it is going to grow, right.”

Troon already manages Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in KAEC which hosted the just-completed second edition of the Saudi International, won on Sunday by Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell.

RELATED: Strike another one up for the 40-somethings as McDowell captures Saudi International

Schantz sees huge potential for the game and companies willing to partner with Golf Saudi’s vision and local residential developers.

“I think this is one of the greatest opportunities to come around. It’s been 15 years since I’ve been to a conference that’s got this level of energy, excitement or heat and that tells you that something special is going on here,” Schantz said.

“It’s my first time to the Kingdom. I haven’t seen a lot of the country but I’m talking to people and hearing just how beautiful it is and how quickly things are changing.”

The power of partnerships.
Together we can create the most unique and impressive golf landscape for the people of Saudi Arabia #PowerOfTheGame pic.twitter.com/NqtGPcRdG1

— Golf Saudi جولف السعودية (@Golf_Saudi) February 4, 2020

Qiddiya, a new “entertainment megaproject” currently under construction 40km outside Riyadh as part of the Kingdom’s ‘Vision 2030’ socio-economic development programme, is one area experiencing rapid change. Golf will play a central role in the new city with Sir Nick Faldo (Faldo Design) linked to one of two championship courses as you can see from this YouTube video posted in September:

“Saudi Golf has been a very important partner for us,” said Qiddiya CEO Mike Reininger during the Golf Saudi Summit.

“We have a lot on our plate to make Qiddya come together. We’re going to have two championship-level courses that will be surrounded by a series of other somewhat non-traditional, sort of exciting golf opportunities as a way of introducing the youth of the Kingdom [to the game] and trying to capture their imagination.”

Majed Al Sorour, the dual CEO of Golf Saudi and Saudi Golf Federation, sees golf as the conduit to a healthier and happier nation. That vision spawned a #PoweroftheGame discussion at the summit.

“We are getting to a place where we need to add value. Delivering the value is beyond golf, it’s an ambitious plan that we will keep up to get that Vision 2030, to transform and [so golf can] become an integral part of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Majed Al Sorour, dual CEO of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation., delivers the closing speech at the Golf Saudi Summit.

“The lifestyle is different than the sport itself. So people want to live around greenery and when we build golf courses we want to introduce to them the lifestyle change by openness, by inclusion, by having people walking around in beautiful green fields. We think it is going to transform the idea of people from seeing it to doing it [playing golf].”

The Saudi International has star billing in Golf Saudi’s events portfolio but inclusion is also a key pillar of the over arching remit. It will see the $3.5 million European Tour event joined by a trailblazing LET event at Royal Greens next month. LET CEO Alexandra Armas hailed the strategy employed by Golf Saudi over and above the $1 million event that is an obvious boon for the rebuilding LET.

“Golf Saudi have done a very clever approach to growing the game, making sure they brought the big names and drawn the right attention. They have suddenly, you know, opened this window into what Saudi has to offer.”

CEO Asian Tour Cho Minn Thant can also see opportunities.

“I think we share common goals. I think a lot of nations that support the Asian Tour, not just in Asia but also Australasia, Africa and in Europe, it’s very much the goal of the host nations to see their domestic players prosper. It’s no different here and I think working together with Golf Saudi and hopefully doing some tournaments over here would be a perfect fit.”

Player, as he often does, had the last word after also attending the junior clinic.

“Golf is a game forever. I tell young people, play it, it’s a passport to the world,” the 84-year-old South African said.

“It enables you to meet wonderful people and it’s a challenge. What I strongly advise is that they teach them golf in the schools. I did a clinic yesterday and all these mothers and children all get together as a family. I just loved it.”

The post Greg Norman: Golf Saudi ‘truly at forefront’ of grassroots development appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Phil Mickelson said at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open that he was “intrigued” by the idea of the Premier Golf League, an upstart rival circuit to the PGA Tour, but remarked he didn’t know much about the venture. However, Mickelson prefaced his remarks, noting he didn’t know much outside the general concept.

On Wednesday, Mickelson sounded more enlightened after playing in the Saudi International pro-am with the reported backers of the PGL.

“I had the chance to spend time with and play with the gentlemen in charge of trying to start a new premier league,” Mickelson told a group of reporters at Royal Greens Golf Club in King Abdullah Economic City, according to the Scotsman. “It was fascinating to talk with them and ask some questions and see what their plans are. Where they started, how they started, why and just got their background, which was very interesting.

“I haven’t had the chance to put it all together and think about what I want to say about it publicly, but I do think it was an informative day for me to have the chance to spend time with them.”

The Scotsman identified three of the individuals: Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation, Colin Neville of the Raine Group, and Andrew Gardiner, a director at Barclays Capital. The Raine Group has been announced as one of the PGL partners, and Neville has orchestrated past sports transactions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s $4 billion sale and Manchester City’s deal with a group of Chinese investors.

According to an email from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to players, the PGL is backed by “Saudi interests.”

It’s not surprising the new enterprise is keen on Mickelson, one of the more popular figures in the sport. Conversely, the five-time major winner is falling in the world rankings (No. 86 entering this week) and would be 51 or 52 by the time the PGL debuts (current target date of 2022).

Mickelson said he needed more time to weigh the proposal, saying he wants to know how it will affect fans and the game, but came away impressed by the group’s proposal.

“I asked a lot of questions today and there are some very interesting ideas and it seems very well put together,” Mickelson said.

In his email, Monahan warned of the ramifications of joining the breakaway tour. “If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series,” Monahan said.

The post Phil Mickelson, after playing Saudi pro-am with backers of rival PGA Tour venture, says he’s impressed by Premier Golf League pitch appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
When Sergio Garcia turned 40 on Jan.9, golf fans everywhere were left feeling decidedly old. Many remember that precocious Spanish teen scissor-kicking his way to stardom at the 81st PGA Championship like it were yesterday, not mid-August in the final year of the last century.

There have been countless moments since that mirrored that exuberant mid-fairway leap (think ridiculous highs and heavy, reputational landings) when Garcia briefly held the third round lead at Medinah in 1999 before finishing a shot behind Tiger Woods, then only 23 himself and en-route to just his second major.

Garcia’s long-overdue major breakthrough at Augusta National in 2017 aside, a pair of Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) stats speak volumes of his longevity at the pointy end of world golf. He remains to this day the youngest player to crack the world’s top 10 (a week after his 20th birthday) and perhaps even more impressively continues to extend the second longest streak – 20.5 years – inside the top 100 behind Phil Mickelson. Indeed, Garcia has not dipped lower than 82nd during two decades gripping (and re-gripping, and re-gripping) fans around the world with his immense talent and often fiery passion for the game.

Ranked 41st at the time of press, the Ryder Cupper started 2020 in search of his 17th European Tour title (and an 11th on the PGA Tour). Garcia’s 16th victory at the KLM Open last September marked a career-best third successive year he’d recorded a European Tour victory but even that couldn’t completely erase the troughs of 2019, lowlighted by his DQ from the inaugural Saudi International last Feb. when five Royal Greens G&CC putting surfaces and a bunker bore the brunt of the Spaniard’s always simmering temper.

In an intriguing, no holds barred interview ahead of the 2nd Saudi International, Garcia candidly reflects on his infamous tantrum in King Abdullah Economic City and revealed his plans to continue winning on and off the course well into the new decade.

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I don’t know if it released pressure or not. Obviously it [winning a major] is something I wanted to do for a really long time, you know for my whole career, and it’s always nice to be able to have that under your sleeve. But it still doesn’t mean everything is over. We are competitors and you still want to keep getting better, you still want to be playing well and having chances at winning many other tournaments so hopefully, we will be able to do that for many years.

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My last season was decent. You know, a couple up and downs here and there, but overall it’s been fairly good. I started the year pretty well with a lot of good top 10s, obviously calmed down a little bit but then I got the win in Holland which was great to play there for the first time as a professional. To win was a dream come true. Hopefully, we can get going again this year.

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I think every year it is important to get off to a good start but now that the front end of the season, it’s a lot more heavy loaded, it’s even more important. From March till July, you have really big tournaments pretty much every month so it is important to have a really good start of the year that can carry you on throughout the whole year.

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I haven’t changed my routine much. You know the majors are moved forward a little bit and you just got to try to peak a little bit earlier than maybe before, but it doesn’t really change much, the way you practise or get ready for your season.

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My wife Angela, she’s a [former Golf Channel] journalist and obviously it’s nice to have her on our side and look for her opinion here and there but she’s got a much more important job than that which is being a mum and that’s the most important thing for me. Obviously, she is a very smart woman and an unbelievable person and very pretty, at least in my eyes. But the most important thing is she’s an unbelievable mum and that’s what I treasure the most.

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I feel terrible about what happened last year. Obviously there were some outside things that got me to that point.  I want to go there. I want to show my respect for them. You know, the easy thing would have been for me to hide and never come back there, but I love the people there, all the people we met and everyone that takes care of us during the tournament.

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At the end of the day, those things unfortunately happened. We are not robots, you know we are humans and sometimes we lose our temper here and there. I think at the end of the day the most important thing is to learn from those things and to make sure that all the good things that you do are more than the bad ones. It’s just a matter of looking back and trying to learn as much as possible. Unfortunately, it just shows that we are human.

Quality Sport Images

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Yes, it would be nice to put on a good show at Royal Greens after what happened last year. I did enjoy the country itself and the people there so hopefully, we can go there, play nicely, have a good week and leave with our head held up high.

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I enjoy the travelling we do and it’s not a huge thing but obviously, yeah, I do like to invest here and there. I try to see some opportunities that might look pretty good and give us a good opportunity of achieving something nicely there. We have some good friends that are in the restaurant business that we partner with and obviously starting golf course design is something that will probably start in the near future so there are several things that are going on.

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Golf course design is something that I would love to do as my career goes along but we will see. You kind of go with whatever feels right at that moment. I don’t know where I will be in 10 or 12 years. I don’t know if I will be playing on the Champions Tour or maybe spending time with the family and looking for hobbies and other things to do, so it’s difficult to say.

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We are very proud with the work that we have done with The Sergio Garcia Foundation, you know with all three foundations we have in Spain, Switzerland and the US. We’ve done a whole bunch of different things throughout the last 17 years trying to help special needs golf. We’ve invested in research for cancer in children, in young people obviously. We invested in an X-ray room in a hospital in Madrid. So, we are always trying to help as many as we can.

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I think the young people now definitely have a better chance than when I started. I’m not saying that I didn’t have a good chance, obviously, I did with my dad being a professional golfer and me living next to a golf course so that obviously helped. But I think nowadays it’s a little bit easier to join different clubs, to be able to go and play and all of those things kind of help you to level up your game.

The post Play it again, Sergio appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.