It’s not that the absences can be counted on one hand, but almost. Out of the 61 players who have played at least one tournament this season in LIV Golf, no less than 47 are participating this week, starting Thursday, in the PIF Saudi International, the flagship tournament of the Asian Tour calendar and the final event of the International Series (there are still two more Asian Tour events to go). Obviously, many of them, the vast majority, are playing in Saudi Arabia under contract, while others, fewer, are aiming to scrape some world ranking points. The tournament offers a prize fund of five million dollars.
It’s quicker to start with those who are not present. In total, there are 14 absences, led by Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. Also missing are Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka, Danny Lee, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Andy Ogletree, Mito Pereira, YH Song, and Minkyu Kim. The latter two have barely played a tournament in LIV this 2025.
From here, the contingent is impressive, starting with the four Spaniards: Sergio García, despite hinting at the Spanish Open that he wouldn’t play for four months, David Puig, Josele Ballester, and Luis Masaveu. Additionally, there are Joaquín Niemann, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Cameron Smith, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Paul Casey, Abraham Ancer, and Talor Gooch, among others.
The tournament takes place at the Riyadh Golf Club in the capital of Saudi Arabia and will be the last opportunity to earn the necessary points to secure one of the two spots offered by the International Series to sign with LIV Golf. Currently, the ranking is led by Scott Vincent with 325.59 points, although this tournament is going to be decisive, as it offers almost double the points of a regular event. In fact, the winner this week will earn 324 points, practically the same as the current leader.
Thus, the two spots for LIV are absolutely up for grabs. It’s worth clarifying, however, that players who have secured their presence in LIV in 2026 do not count. That is, it will be the top two who do not have a contract with the Saudi league for next year. In this sense, for example, Luis Masaveu could make a big splash if he wins the tournament. No other result would suffice for him.
