Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau are among a star-studded line-up of players confirmed for the Asian Tour’s 2022/2023 season-opener, the Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers which takes place at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club near Jeddah on February 3-6.
A press release from the Asian Tour listed the following players as having committed to play in the fourth edition of the event, which was previously sanctioned by the European Tour:
Abraham Ancer
Adri Arnaus
Rafael Cabrera Bello
Paul Casey
Bryson DeChambeau
Jason Dufner
Tommy Fleetwood
Sergio Garcia
Tyrrell Hatton
Dustin Johnson
Jason Kokrak
Shane Lowry
Graeme McDowell
Phil Mickelson
Kevin Na
Joaquin Niemann
Louis Oosthuizen
Ian Poulter
Xander Schauffele
Adam Scott
Henrik Stenson
Harold Varner III
Jhonattan Vegas
Bubba Watson
Lee Westwood
The tournament will also feature the top 30 ranked players at the end of the Asian Tour’s modified 2020/21 season, which will be confirmed in January following a season-ending double-header in Singapore. The likes of Jazz Janewattananond, Scott Hend, Gavin Green, John Catlin, Shiv Kapur, Wade Ormsby and Joohyung Kim have already participated in the Asian Tour’s returning event, the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021, won by Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei.
Bryson DeChambeau (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Majed Al-Sorour, CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation, said: “The 2022 edition of The International is the strongest yet, but we are still only in the formative years of our vision for golf in the kingdom.
“We are seeing great progress in participation with boys and girls through our national grass roots and schools’ programs, and are enjoying a significant uptick in demand from men and women throughout the kingdom. We are also enjoying a rich vein of form with our national amateur teams.
“Whilst this is a product of many factors, there is no denying the massive impact the best players in the world can have on creating multi-generational interest in the sport. This is why we place such importance on securing the strongest field possible, each and every year.”
The recently announced partnership of Golf Saudi with the Asian Tour includes a 10-year sanction of the Saudi International from 2022 and has created a worldwide buzz. The Asian Tour’s reemergence after an 18-month hiatus also includes a commitment by .
Al-Sorour added: “While we do not allow ourselves to be distracted from our long-term objectives by any external voices, we have been encouraged by strengthening discussions around the importance of fresh competition and innovation in the professional game.
“We are strong advocates for this, as we see it as the only way to achieve golf’s true global potential and realize the game’s considerable untapped value. All we will say is it is better for the sport if the competition remains healthy and respectful, as opposed to hostile, as all parties look at new ways to benefit this great game.”
The Saudi International field will include a broad spectrum of exemption categories that will see new competitors visit Saudi Arabia for the first time. This means new opportunities for many of the Asian Tour’s best performers to try their luck over the Royal Greens course.
Teenager, Joohyung Kim, currently 3rd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, said: “The Saudi International will give us a new opportunity to compete against the world’s best, something many Asian Tour players have never been afforded. Given the way events and ranking points are weighted on different tours, it was historically more challenging for players rising through the Asian Tour to find their way into the biggest events.
“But the Asian Tour’s talent pool runs deep and, as we see every week, players from a diverse cross section of nationalities are more than capable of competing at the highest level. More big events will help to create a more prosperous Asian Tour and, without doubt, create new talent that can compete on the biggest stage, giving the sport in Asia and around the world a very welcome shot in the arm.”
CEO of the Asian Tour, Cho Minn Thant said: “With a new showpiece event and a field of such outstanding caliber lined-up for the Saudi International in 2022, there can only be positives for the game as a whole. We are extremely optimistic about how these new opportunities will encourage emerging talent, expose a broader base of players to elevated competition and attract a deeper and more engaged fan base.
“History will reflect upon how developments like the Saudi International and Golf Saudi’s partnership with the Asian Tour helped see in a new era in the professional game. With the right guidance, it’ll be the sport that benefits most, with more top athletes from across a wider geographical spectrum present at the very top level and more interest from a more diverse and committed group of stakeholders.”
For more information about the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, visit www.saudiinternational.com
