International field being assembled for $5 million Saudi International on Asian Tour
Dubai based Lahiri, Kapur and Otaegui entered alongside Smith, Johnson and Koepka
A strong international field is being assembled for the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers to be held Thursday 2nd – Sunday 5th February, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Jeddah, KSA.
A 126 player field will compete for a $5 million prizefund in this the first tournament on the Asian Tour’s 2023 schedule.
Included in the published list of entries is defending champion Harold Varner III (US), alongside former champions at the same venue, Dustin Johnson (US) and Graeme McDowell (NI).
Dubai based Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Shiv Kapur (Ind) and Adrian Otaegui (Spain) are also in the entry list alongside OWGR number three Cameron Smith (Aus), Brooks Koepka (US), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Patrick Reed (US), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Paul Casey (Eng), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Ian Poulter (Eng), Bubba Watson (US), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Lee Westwood (Eng), Henrik Stenson (Swe) and Branden Grace (RSA).
The following categories have made up the player field: Asian Tour, Tournament Invites, Past Champions, Top 200 in the OWGR, LIV Exemptions, Pre-Qualifiers, Korean PGA, Sunshine Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
Local regional interest sees entries from Saudi Arabia; Othman Almulla, Faisal Salhab (a), Saud Al Sharif (a), Jordan; Shergo Al Kurdi, as well as Morocco; winner of the Chamionnat du Maroc Elite held last month, El Fakori Mehdi (a) and Egypt’s Issa Abou El Ela (a).
The venue for this tournament is Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, designed by European Golf Design, that will also host the $5 million ARAMCO Saudi Ladies International Presented by Public Investment Fund, February 16th – 19th.
The Ladies’ European Tour will also host another event in Saudi Arabia in 2023, the $1 million ARAMCO Team Series – Riyadh, 3rd – 5th November, at Riyadh Golf Club, a new venue for the LET.
Other events on the Asian Tour coming up shortly in the Middle East region are: International Series – Oman, $2 million purse from February 9th – 12th at Al Mouj Golf, Muscat followed by the International Series – Qatar, at Doha Golf Club, with a $2.5 million purse from February 16th – 19th, 2023.