PIF Saudi International to Debut at Riyadh Golf Club in December 

The Riyadh Golf Club is preparing to host the Saudi International golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with a total prize pool of US$5 million. (Riyadh Golf Club)
The Riyadh Golf Club is preparing to host the Saudi International golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with a total prize pool of US$5 million. (Riyadh Golf Club)
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PIF Saudi International to Debut at Riyadh Golf Club in December 

The Riyadh Golf Club is preparing to host the Saudi International golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with a total prize pool of US$5 million. (Riyadh Golf Club)
The Riyadh Golf Club is preparing to host the Saudi International golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with a total prize pool of US$5 million. (Riyadh Golf Club)

The Riyadh Golf Club is preparing to host the Saudi International golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) with a total prize pool of US$5 million.

The championship will take place December 4 to 7, marking the season finale for both the Asian Tour and the International Series, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

The first names to be confirmed in the December event include defending champion Abraham Ancer alongside 2022 champion Harold Varner III, 2021 and 2019 winner Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith, the winner of the 2022 Open Championship.

The players will compete for the prestigious first prize of US$1 million, which is considered the most coveted prize on the Asian Tour.

Golf Saudi chief executive Noah Alireza expressed his delight with the hosting of this prestigious event at the Riyadh Golf Club.

He underscored that the tournament, being the finale for the Asian Tour and the International Series, further boosts its importance and growth with each edition.

Asia Tour commissioner and chief executive Cho Minn Thant said that this new date places the championship at the pinnacle of the season. He expressed his belief that the Riyadh Golf Club will provide an exceptional stage to showcase the championship.

He added that with much at stake, the tournament is expected to deliver a dramatic and captivating finale for the 2024 season.

Established in 2005, the Riyadh Golf Club is considered one of the best golf courses in the capital. The championship course features a challenging 72-par layout, stretching over 7,434 yards of undulating fairways.

The club previously hosted numerous Saudi tournaments, including the Saudi Open, the Aramco Team Series, and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.