Latest news with #PIFSaudiInternational
Fox Sports
16-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Golf Adelaide; Fireballs GC claims team title
ADELAIDE, South Australia – Joaquin Niemann began Sunday's final round of LIV Golf Adelaide three strokes off the lead. That left him with a fairly straightforward objective. "Do something special," the Torque GC captain said. Task completed. Niemann produced the day's only bogey-free round, shooting a 7-under 65 to eventually reel in Fireballs GC's Abraham Ancer , who led the majority of the day until suffering three bogeys on his final five holes. Niemann's 13 under total was good enough for a three-shot victory over Ancer and Torque teammate Carlos Ortiz , who each shot 71. It's the second straight LIV Golf season in which Niemann has posted an early victory. A year ago, he won the first and third events of the season and led the season-long points standing until finishing second to Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm in the Individual Championship. Two months ago, Niemann won the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers and also won the season-long International Series championship. He said his current form is better than a year ago – and that he'll only keep improving. "Days like today make me grow as a player," said Niemann, who won for the second time in his career in Australia, having captured the Australian Open in 2023. "There is a lot I have to take from today and learn from it because today was a really good day. If I could have these Sundays more often, chasing leaders, it would be really good for my game." Ancer, also a former Australian Open champ, was still able to celebrate atop the Adelaide podium, with the Fireballs claiming the team title by six strokes over Rahm's Legion XIII, with Torque finishing third. "Obviously the last two holes were rough to finish with bogey-bogey, having a chance to win the tournament," said Ancer, who'll enter LIV Golf's next tournament in Hong Kong as the defending champion. "It's always tough, but I think it's just fuel for the rest of the season. I feel like my game is trending in the right direction. I like where things are headed." Ancer shared the 36-hole lead with Ortiz and Majesticks GC's Sam Horsfield but took command early with birdies in his first two holes. He remained bogey-free until finding the bunker at the par-3 14th and failing to get up-and-down. Niemann, playing in the group ahead of Ancer, posted his sixth birdie of the day at the 15th to grab the solo lead. His iron play was terrific Sunday, as he hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. His 65 tied for the low round of the day with Riyadh winner Adrian Meronk. "The way I played today, I feel like it talks a lot on how I've been working, how I've been practicing," Niemann said. "Being able to see those little steps forward all the time, it's always satisfying." The Fireballs certainly were satisfied after winning their fifth tournament in club history, four of them on different continents. They're also the only team to have won at least one team title in all four LIV Golf seasons. Captain Sergio Garcia and David Puig each shot 5-under 67s, while Ancer and newcomer Luis Masaveu, the 22-year-old, shot 71s. "Bittersweet with Abe, the way he played," Garcia said. "He was there the whole day, and it would have been nice to get the double. But super proud of the way they all fought." For Masaveu, Sunday's champagne celebration in front of the massive Adelaide crowd was part of his indoctrination into LIV Golf. "I asked what I needed to do because it was the first time," he said. "But I think I did it all right." Smiled Garcia: "Quick learner." TEAM SCORES LIV Golf's new scoring format made its debut in last week's season opener in Riyadh, with all four scores now counting in every round in the team competition. Here are the results and scores for each team after Saturday's third round of LIV Golf Adelaide. 1. FIREBALLS GC -21 (Garcia 67, Puig 67, Ancer 71, Masaveu 71; Rd. 3 score: -12) 2. LEGION XIII -15 (Hatton 72, McKibbin 69, Rahm 70, Surratt 71; Rd. 3 score: -6) 3. TORQUE GC -13 (Niemann 65, Ortiz 71, Muñoz 71, Pereira 71; Rd. 3 score: -10) 4. CRUSHERS GC -12 (Lahiri 69, Casey 73, DeChambeau 71, Howell III 68; Rd. 3 score: -7) T5. HYFLYERS GC -9 (Mickelson 68, Steele 69, Tringale 69, Ogletree 71; Rd. 3 score: -11) T5. 4ACES GC -9 (Pieters 68, Varner III 69, Reed 72, Johnson 70; Rd. 3 score: -9) T5. MAJESTICKS GC -9 (Westwood 71, Stenson 71, Poulter 72, Horsfield 75; Rd. 3 score: +1) 8. STINGER GC -6 (Schwartzel 69, Burmester 70, Oosthuizen 71, Grace 74; Rd. 3 score: -4) 9. RIPPER GC -1 (Leishman 70, Smith 70, Jones 73, Herbert 75; Rd. 3 score: E) 10. IRON HEADS GC +5 (Na 69, Jang 71, Lee 74, Ormsby 75; Rd. 3 score: +1) 11. RANGEGOATS GC +6 (Uihlein 69, Campbell 71, Watson 71, Wolff 72; Rd. 3 score: -5) 12. CLEEKS GC +7 (Meronk 65, Bland 66, Kaymer 72, Kjettrup 74; Rd. 3 score: -11) 13. SMASH GC +13 (Koepka 70, McDowell 70, Gooch 76, Kokrak 77; Rd. 3 score: +5) Wild Cards: Lee 75, Kim 76 This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Trade Arabia
12-02-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
PIF named title sponsor for Saudi ladies golf tournament
Golf Saudi has announced that PIF is the new title partner of the renamed PIF Saudi Ladies International, a partnership which also sees the prize money for the tournament equaling with the men's contest, underlining PIF's commitment to inclusion in sport. The PIF Saudi Ladies International returns from February 13 to 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 elite competitors, including world number three ranked Ruoning Yin, nine ranked Charley Hull and defending tournament champion Patty Tavatanakit, with the prize purse at $5 million – the largest purse for any women's professional golf tournament outside majors and a few select LGPA events. Driven by PIF's partnership, the tournament's purse intentionally matches that of Golf Saudi's equivalent men's tournament, the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank, which is played on the Asian Tour. This investment reflects PIF and Golf Saudi's commitment to driving inclusivity and opportunity within golf for all ages, genders, and demographics. - TradeArabia News Service
Fox News
05-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
The LIV Golf roster is loaded! Meet the star players & teams for 2025
From Dustin Johnson, to Brooks Koepka to Bryson DeChambeau, the LIV Golf roster is loaded with some of the top stars in the world. With a new season upon us — with live coverage across FOX Sports platforms — there is no better time to meet the players and teams (yes, there are 13 teams!) who will dominate headlines in 2025. 4Aces GC 2024 team finish: 10th Who's new? Thomas Pieters joins the team in a trade with the RangeGoats. It's the second consecutive year the Aces have acquired a former RangeGoat, having obtained Harold Varner III the previous offseason. Pieters takes the place of Pat Perez, who will work as a full-time LIV Golf broadcaster in 2025. The offseason: It was a successful offseason for Patrick Reed, who won his first tournament in nearly four years in capturing the Link Hong Kong Open in November. Reed was 22 under for the four-round tournament, shooting 59 in the third round. Look out for Reed's return to Hong Kong Golf Club for the third event of the 2025 LIV Golf season … Johnson, a two-time winner of the PIF Saudi International, became a Golf Saudi ambassador in December … Pieters had back-to-back top-15 finishes on the International Series to end the 2024 season. Going to be a good year if … long-time friends Varner and Pieters push each other to new LIV Golf heights. Captain's last word: "I expect everyone to play better next year. I know I can play better. can too; I know he wasn't happy with how he played. Harold definitely played below par for his talent level. And obviously I know Thomas is a good player. I'm excited for the year." - Dustin Johnson Cleeks GC2024 team finish: 8th Who's new? Frederik Kjettrup, who replaces the relegated Kalle Samooja in the lineup. The 25-year-old Dane is the second key addition to the team in as many years, after the Cleeks signed Meronk before the 2024 season. Kjettrup, who played collegiately at Florida State, won three times on PGA Tour Americas after turning pro last year. The offseason: Along with the Kjettrup signing, the other big development for the team was its recent brand evolution announcement that includes a fresh visual identity and a new tagline: Tradition Refreshed … Soon after the rebrand came out, the team found itself in a fun social skirmish with American golfer Max Homa, who apparently didn't know that a cleek is "probably the oldest name for a golf club," responded Kaymer. "These days we would call it a 1- or a 2-iron. It's that easy." … Kaymer turned 40 on Dec. 28 and Bland turns 52 on Feb 3. Going to be a good year if … Kjettrup solidifies the No. 4 spot and Kaymer continues his return to form. No sleeper team this season; the Cleeks are legit. Captain's last word: "Richard has been extremely consistent … Adrian is a very solid, strong player ... Obviously with Frederik, this will be a completely new experience for him. But there's no reason why we shouldn't give ourselves a few chances this year to win some of the team competitions this year." - Martin Kaymer Crushers GC2024 team finish: 1st Who's new? No one. This lineup has been intact since Lahiri made his LIV Golf debut at the 2022 tournament in Boston, where he tied for second after making a three-man playoff. The offseason: Huge news to start the new year when the team announced a long-term partnership on Jan. 2 with Reebok to become the official apparel and footwear sponsor, marking the company's re-entry into the Performance Golf category while DeChambeau becomes the official face of Reebok Golf … DeChambeau, of course, also continued to increase his massive social media following thanks to 16 consecutive days of must-see videos in his attempt to make a hole-in-one over his new house. Oh, and he hung out with some famous people … Lahiri was busy as the ambassador for the International Series India presented by DLF, as he helped to bring DeChambeau, Casey and several other LIV Golf stars to his native country the week before the start of the LIV Golf season. Going to be a good year if … everyone stays healthy. No more injuries like the one that derailed Howell's year in 2024. Captain's last word: "You still have to play great golf in order to maximize the YouTube scene and that side of the coin, but we're still going to promote and grown the game as much as possible on YouTube. Hopefully, that transitions over to the Crushers as well. We're just over 200,000 organic followers, the most followed golf team out there. We want to get that to a million. - Bryson DeChambeau Fireballs GC2024 team finish: 6th Who's new? Luis Masaveu, who replaces Eugenio Chacarra in the lineup. The 22-year-old from Madrid will fit right in with fellow Spaniards Garcia and Puig. He just turned pro in October 2024 after an impressive amateur career that included a run to the semifinals at the U.S. Amateur. The offseason: All four players competed in the International Series season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers (Masaveu had not yet been signed). Ancer, the defending tournament champion, had the best result, a tie for 22nd with four rounds of 68 or better … Puig had four top-4 finishes in seven offseason starts … Garcia received an invite to play the 2025 PGA Championship. It will be his 25th start in that major … Puig turned 23 on Dec. 7 and Garcia turned 45 on Jan. 9. Going to be a good year if … Puig can perform like he does in non-LIV Golf events. Captain's last word: "I feel like our team is just getting stronger. Even though we're young, I feel like the potential is there. Obviously when you bring young guys, you're taking a little bit of a chance, but at the same time, it is very, very exciting." - Sergio Garcia HyFlyers GC2024 team finish: 12th Who's new? No one. The roster returns intact from the 2024 season after Ogletree's first full year in LIV Golf. Mickelson, Steele and Tringale are entering their third year together. The offseason: The big news was the recent announcement that Primo had become the team's official golf apparel sponsor, extending the relationship between Mickelson and Primo's owner, popular golf YouTuber Grant Horvat. The team even released an amusing video focusing on Primo's golf joggers … In November, Mickelson and Horvat announced a new YouTube collaboration involving a 2v2 challenge series … Ogletree had wrist surgery in mid-October but is now fully able to swing … Tringale had a solid performance at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, finishing tied for ninth with middle rounds of 65-66. Going to be a good year if … Ogletree stays healthy, and Mickelson turns back the clock. Captain's last word: "I do think we're going to have a great year. Camo and Steely have played very consistent … Andy is one of the best players in the league … And I don't feel like I have a lot that I need to improve on, even though my scores haven't been there. It's just sharpening up a couple of things." - Phil Mickelson Iron Heads GC2024 team finish: 13th Who's new? Jang, the 22-year-old budding star who was the Korean Tour's top player in 2024, was the team's big offseason acquisition. He fills the lineup spot created by Scott Vincent's relegation. The offseason: It's been a busy offseason for the Iron Heads. Besides signing Jang, the team also was involved in LIV Golf's new partnership with Coupang Play, with Korea's largest e-commerce company serving as the team's principle partner. Coupang Play also becomes the presenting sponsor for LIV Golf Korea, with the Iron Heads (especially their three Korean-born players) planning to be heavily involved in the promotion of LIV Golf's first event in that country … Lee, Jang and Lee participated in a unique charity event against the Grass League's Minnesota Muskies in January. Going to be a good year if … they build on the momentum from the Team Championship. Captain's last word: "I feel very pleased with the way things are going for us on and off the golf course. I think this is just the beginning. This is a turning point for the Iron Heads and 2025 is going to be an amazing year." - Kevin Na Legion XIII2024 team finish: 2nd Who's new? McKibbin, the 22-year-old who has already won on the DP World Tour, is the team's big offseason acquisition. He fills the lineup spot created by Kieran Vincent's relegation. The offseason: Hatton had an extremely productive offseason, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland in early October, then reeling off three more top-6 finishes before winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in mid-January. That leaves him in good shape to play in all four majors this year … Caleb Surratt nearly corralled his first professional win in December, making a three-man playoff that included LIV Golf captains Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. Niemann won on the second playoff hole … Hatton turned 33 on Oct. 14, Jon Rahm turned 30 on Nov. 10 and McKibbin turned 22 on Dec. 19. Going to be a good year if … the kids play well. Captain's last word: "I think we'll be more consistent this year than last year because we did have some ups and downs, but I think we could have an even better year this year. That's certainly the hope." - Jon Rahm Majesticks GC2024 team finish: 11th Who's new? No one. The lineup has remained intact (outside of injuries) since Stenson joined LIV Golf in 2022 and won in his first start at Bedminster. The three UK-born players have been together since Day 1. The offseason: British sportswear giant Castore recently announced a multi-year agreement to become the Majesticks' "Official Worldwide Apparel Partner" … The team launched its docuseries "Inside The Ropes" in November, a peel-back-the-curtain look at the 2024 season … Horsfield competed in three late-season International Series tournaments, with his best finish a T22 at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers … Poulter turned 49 on Jan. 10. Going to be a good year if … the three co-captains turn back the clock. Captain's last word: "We know we're a strong team and we just obviously need to perform. So just going to have some fun, play with confidence. There's nothing to say that we can't go out there and win three or four times this year. We need to play with that mindset." - Ian Poulter RangeGoats GC2024 team finish: 9th Who's new? Campbell was signed to fill the vacancy created by the trade of Thomas Pieters to 4Aces GC. Uihlein and Wolff return for their second season together as RangeGoats teammates. The offseason: Uihlein won the International Series Qatar by five strokes in December; it was his second victory in 2024 on The International Series. Uihlein finished second in the series' season-long rankings … One spot behind Uihlein on those rankings was Campbell in third place. Campbell, who had not yet signed with the RangeGoats, was the highest non-LIV Golf player in the rankings … Watson made two International Series starts, including an encouraging tie for 13th at the BNI Indonesian Masters … Wolff married Kim Lloyd in a wedding ceremony in mid-December in Miami … Swannies Golf was named as the team's official on-course apparel partner … Watson turned 46 on Nov. 5. Going to be a good year if … Bubba gets anywhere close to his Masters-type form. Captain's last word: "I think we're going to have podium finishes. I think our team's going to come together. And I know this is crazy to say, but I think Ben is our glue. Ben is very calm. He's not up and down like some of the other guys on the team, myself included. I think he's going to hold us together." - Bubba Watson Ripper GC2024 team finish: 3rd Who's new? No one. These four had a wildly successful first season together after Herbert joined the team prior to 2024. Jones was re-signed in mid-January to keep the roster intact. The offseason: The big news was Cam Smith's Summer Down Under in which he made four consecutive starts in Australia, giving his numerous fans plenty of opportunity to cheer him on. The goodwill tour netted him three top-3 finishes, but his teammate Herbert got the bragging rights by winning the NSW Open … Leishman turned 41 on Oct. 24 and Herbert turned 29 on Dec. 5. Going to be a good year if … they repeat 2024. Simple as that. Captain's last word: "I don't like to put too much pressure on myself. I think I just expect to prepare well and work as hard as I can and be competitive, be there on Sundays and hopefully get a couple of wins. This was my first winless season for a while, so it's definitely been in the back of my mind." - Cameron Smith Smash GC2024 team finish: 4th Who's new? No one. This is the carryover lineup from the 2024 season after Gooch and McDowell joined the team during the previous offseason. The club recently announced new contracts for Kokrak and McDowell. The offseason: Koepka partnered with Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau to play in The Showdown match against PGA Tour stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler … Kokrak finished T9 at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers; Gooch and McDowell also competed … Gooch continued building his sports portfolio by buying the Mississippi Blues Angling Club in the Sports Fishing Championship … Gooch turned 33 on Nov. 14. Going to be a good year if … the team finds any kind of consistency. The pieces are there. Captain's last word: "I like our team. You can't base your whole year off one week of match play, right? I've played good in match play and lost, and I've played bad in match play and won. That's the format. Can't do anything about it. I don't feel like we finished last, but it is what it is. That's where the results went and we didn't win. So we lost. At that point, if it's not a win, who cares?" - Brooks Koepka Stinger GC2024 team finish: 7th Who's new? No one. The lineup is set for a third full year together after Grace was re-signed to a two-year deal after the Stingers made a successful business-case argument to keep him post-relegation. Oosthuizen, Grace and Schwartzel are Day 1 LIV Golf players and have been together longer than any other threesome in the league. The offseason: Burmester won a tournament in South Africa for the second consecutive offseason, claiming the Vodacom Origins of Golf final on the Sunshine Tour … The Asian Tour's International Series Qatar was a showcase for the Stingers' depth, as Schwartzel finished solo second, Oosthuizen tied for third and Burmester tied for fifth … Grace produced a runner-up finish at LIV Golf Promotions in hopes of re-earning his spot with automatic qualification. Going to be a good year if … Grace continues his upward trend after battling injuries during the 2024 season. Captain's last word: "We're good friends and I don't really have to manage anyone. We're all straightforward guys and if you have an issue, you tell each other. I think it's very easy being this team's captain." - Louis Oosthuizen Torque GC2024 team finish: 5th Who's new? No one. This is the carryover lineup from the 2024 season after Ortiz joined the team after playing for the Fireballs in the first two LIV Golf seasons. The offseason: Niemann became The International Series champion after winning the season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers … Niemann received a special invite to play the Masters for the second consecutive year … Niemann turned 26 on Nov. 7 and Muñoz turned 32 on Jan. 4. Going to be a good year if … Joaco continues his form from 2024, and the team returns to its 2023 form. Captain's last word: "The four of us, we are going to prove something. It just has to go our way. I know it's the right team and we all know what we can do with the four of us playing good golf. It's just a matter of time." - Joaquin Niemann Wild-Card Players This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.
Arab News
29-01-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith target more success at season-opening LIV Golf Riyadh
RIYADH: Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann returns to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 LIV Golf season opener in Riyadh with fond memories of competing in the Kingdom. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Chilean star landed the LIV Golf Jeddah title in the third event of the 2024 LIV Golf season, a month after lifting the LIV Golf Mayakoba trophy. While the venue for the tournament in Saudi Arabia has moved to Riyadh this year, Niemann knows how to win there too. Only last month, he claimed victory at the PIF Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisors at Riyadh Golf Club, the 10th and final International Series event of 2024, where he beat Cameron Smith in a dramatic playoff. Arab News spoke to the two players in the run-up to this year's event. AN: Looking ahead to 2025, how are you preparing to defend your title in Saudi Arabia, and what's your mindset going into LIV Golf's first event in Riyadh? JN: 'I'm pretty excited. I played there for the Saudi International back in December, so we were able to see the course and what it was going to be like. I think it's going to be similar weather, too, so I'm excited to go back. There were good crowds, so it's going to be a fun week.' AN: What did the victory in Riyadh at the International Series event in December signify for you, and what does it feel like to have twice won in Saudi now? JN: 'It was pretty special. I feel like it was an interesting week because I was playing great, I felt like I had a great chance and I was almost getting it done on the last couple of holes but then it got a little bit complicated, Cam was playing great. It was a good experience. I played great on those playoff holes. I struggled on a few short putts but that's part of it. It was great.' AN: Having claimed two titles in Saudi, you've built a strong connection with the region, what do you enjoy most about playing and competing in Saudi — both on and off the course? JN: 'I've been playing great in Saudi. I don't know… I just like Saudi, I think. Australia's Cameron Smith, meanwhile, returns to Riyadh Golf Club determined to go one better after his near miss at the event in December. The 2022 Open Champion led Ripper GC to Team Championship glory last season and is seeking a strong start to their title defense. AN: Heading into LIV Golf Riyadh having finished as runner-up in the recent PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club, do you feel there's any unfinished business to see to? CS: 'I really wasn't expecting to finish where I finished on that last day, I had a great last day. It was such a blur, and I wasn't expecting it. I like the golf course, it's a golf course that lends itself well to me. There are plenty of wedges and plenty of birdie opportunities, so hopefully I can get back there and start the season off well and walk away with the trophy.'
