Saudi Arabia’s annual golf tournament secured two of the sports top names to compete in February, winning commitments from the world’s top-ranked golfer and the latest major championship winner on Monday to play in the Saudi International.
Dustin Johnson, the world’s number one golfer, and Bryson DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open by six strokes in September at Winged Foot in New York, both said they would play at the tournament next February.
The tournament, held at the King Abdullah Economic City at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, is part of the European Tour. The event is scheduled for Feb. 4-7, 2021.
DeChambeau, arguably the most talked-about professional golfer due to his recent tour successes and innovations he’s made to swinging techniques, said he is looking forward to the visit.
“I have undergone a lot of changes since I last visited the kingdom as I work to fulfill my golf potential, and I think you can say the same about golf in Saudi as it continues to develop as Golf Saudi endeavor to grow the game,” DeChambeau said. “I obviously hope to finish a little better this year but I am also really interested to see what has changed and how golf has grown since my last visit.”
Johnson also said he was excited to return to Saudi Arabia for the tournament in a statement.
“I am really looking forward to returning to Saudi Arabia for a third consecutive year,” Johnson said. “I’ve really enjoyed both of my visits and love the golf course, as evidenced by my win and runner-up finish. The scuba diving experiences I’ve had in the Red Sea have also been amazing.”
“It’s been pretty neat to witness the growth of golf in the kingdom, and it’s definitely one of the reasons I like to play in Saudi Arabia,” Johnson said, per a statement carried by Reuters.
Defending champion of the Saudi Invitational, Graeme McDowell, also committed to play in February.
Golf is indeed growing in Saudi Arabia, with a lot of help from authorities. Recently, the government announced that golf for women would be free, in hopes of broadening access to the sport.
Officials are also working to grow the number of courses in Saudi Arabia, with new planned courses for Qiddiya, outside of Riyadh, as well as new courses built near new Red Sea coastal developments.
