Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the new title partner of the renamed PIF Saudi Ladies International, a partnership which also sees the prize money for the tournament being increased to match that offered for the equivalent men’s tournament.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International returns February 13-15 at Riyadh Golf Club and will also see a new format with tour professionals taking part in both an individual and team competition.
The partnership between PIF and Golf Saudi is designed to have a transformative impact on the sport, promote inclusivity and equality within golf, and foster greater engagement among Saudi Arabia’s people and visitors alike. This includes providing opportunities for all Saudi nationals to participate in the game of golf, creating gateways for aspiring professionals in the Middle East to enter the professional game, and launching golf tourism initiatives such as the development of quality golf facilities at scale across the country.
The PIF Saudi Ladies International will feature a field of 112, including world no.3 Ruoning Yin, Solheim Cup star Charley Hull and defending tournament champion Patty Tavatanakit. The prize fund of $5 million is the largest for any women’s professional golf tournament outside the majors and a few select LGPA Tour events.
Driven by PIF’s partnership, the tournament’s purse matches that of Golf Saudi’s equivalent men’s tournament, the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank, which is played on the Asian Tour.
The teams, which are drafted ahead of the event, will compete over the first two days for a $500,000 prize. Following this, the top 60 players and any ties advance to a second phase where they will compete individually against one another for the remaining $4.5m.
Charley Hull said: “Winning the Aramco Team Series event in Riyadh last year was a huge moment for me. I felt really sharp all week, and to lift the trophy after such a strong three rounds gave me a lot of confidence. It is great to come back to the same venue to compete in the PIF Saudi Ladies International, I know this course suits my game, and I’m excited to see what I can do this time around. Across women’s sport there are very few examples of where we can compete for prize money that is remotely equitable with the guys. So the commitment of PIF and Golf Saudi is really exceptional.”
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit added: “The sustained support given to the Ladies’ European Tour has really provided an amazing platform for pros to play for meaningful prize money outside the U.S.A. Winning the 2024 Saudi Ladies International gave me a lot of belief back in my game, so I am especially proud to be returning to a course where I’ve had success, and I’m ready for the new challenge.”