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.



South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
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South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)

South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and English.

The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.

"We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering," it said.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games' organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.