Money isn't everything in sports, but it’s a pretty good place to start the conversation. When the PIF Saudi Ladies International first appeared on the calendar back in 2020, people weren't quite sure what to make of it. It was a brand-new tournament in a country that was effectively a blank slate for professional women's golf. Fast forward a few years, and honestly, the landscape has shifted so much that the tournament is now basically the "fifth major" for many players on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
The prize money is usually what grabs the headlines first. We are talking about a $5 million purse. To put that into perspective, most regular LET events play for a fraction of that amount. It’s the kind of cash that changes a player's entire season—or their life—with one good weekend on the greens. But if you think this is just about a big check, you’re missing the actual drama happening on the fairways of the Riyadh Golf Club.
The Rise of the $5 Million Purse
For a long time, the gap between men's and women's prize money in golf wasn't just a gap; it was a canyon. In 2023, the organizers made a massive move by bumping the prize fund to match the men’s PIF Saudi International. That $5 million figure is significant because it represents parity. It’s a statement. When Jeeno Thitikul—the Thai sensation who seems to win whenever she feels like it—dominated the field in February 2025, she wasn't just playing for a trophy. She was playing in an environment where the stakes finally felt equal to the men's game.
Thitikul’s performance in 2025 was, quite frankly, a masterclass. She finished at 16-under par, leaving the rest of the field looking for answers. She took home $675,000 for a few days of work. That’s life-changing money for a 22-year-old, even one as talented as Jeeno.
Why the Riyadh Golf Club Matters
The move from the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City to the Riyadh Golf Club was a bit of a curveball. Royal Greens is beautiful—lots of views of the Red Sea—but Riyadh brings the tournament into the heart of the capital.
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The course itself? It's a par-72 beast that doesn't play favorites. You’ve got to be precise. The desert wind in Riyadh is a fickle thing; it can be dead calm one minute and then start gusting at 20 mph the next, turning a simple 7-iron into a guessing game. It’s why you see world-class players like Charley Hull and Patty Tavatanakit consistently showing up. They love the challenge. Tavatanakit actually won the 2024 edition with an 18-under-par total, proving that if you can tame the wind, the course will give up birdies.
A Format That Keeps Changing
If you tried to follow the 2025 tournament, you might have noticed things looked a bit different. They introduced a team element, sort of a hybrid between a standard strokeplay event and the Aramco Team Series.
- Phase One: The first two days featured a team competition where 112 pros were drafted into groups.
- The Cut: Only the top 60 individuals (and ties) made it to the final day.
- The Finale: The third day was a pure individual shootout for the bulk of that $5 million.
Team Somi Lee ended up taking the team title in 2025, finishing at a ridiculous 32-under par. It’s a bit chaotic, sure, but it keeps the energy high. Players actually like it because it takes some of the solitary grind out of the week. You're high-fiving teammates one day and trying to bury a putt to beat them the next. It’s weird, but it works.
PIF Saudi Ladies International: The 2026 Evolution
As we look toward the 2026 edition, which is set for February 9–15, the "PIF Saudi Ladies International" is evolving again. The organizers have decided to lean back into the "pure" side of the sport. For 2026, the team format is being shelved for this specific event to focus on a 72-hole strokeplay competition.
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Why the flip-flop? It’s about prestige. By keeping it a traditional four-day grind, the tournament cements its status as a premier individual title. It’s also now the anchor of the "PIF Global Series," which will travel to places like Las Vegas and London. They want this to feel like a heavyweight fight.
The Critics and the Reality
It would be a bit disingenuous to talk about this tournament without mentioning the "sportswashing" conversations that always follow Saudi-backed events. There is plenty of debate about the motives behind the massive investment. Some fans find it hard to separate the golf from the geopolitics.
However, if you talk to the players—the women actually out there grinding on the LET—the perspective is often different. For many, this tournament represents the first time they’ve been treated like top-tier global athletes in terms of logistics, facilities, and compensation. Annabell Fuller, who finished third in 2025, was pretty vocal about how these purses make a professional career sustainable. Traveling the world to play golf is expensive. Without these big-money events, many talented women would be forced to quit the game before they ever hit their prime.
What to Expect Next
If you're planning to follow the tournament in 2026, keep an eye on the field list. Because of the $5 million purse, you're going to see a lot of LPGA stars jumping over to Riyadh. It’s not just a European Tour event anymore; it’s a global crossroads.
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The Riyadh Golf Club is expected to be in peak condition in February. The weather that time of year is usually "Goldilocks" territory—not too hot, not too cold. But the greens are notoriously fast. If you can't putt on glass, you aren't winning in Riyadh.
Actionable Insights for Golf Fans:
- Watch the Monday/Tuesday Field Updates: Since this isn't a major, the final field often shifts late as players balance their LPGA and LET schedules.
- Focus on the Par-5s: The winner in Riyadh is almost always the player who dominates the long holes. Both Thitikul and Tavatanakit played the par-5s at 10-under or better during their winning weeks.
- Check the World Rankings: This tournament offers massive Rolex World Ranking points. A top-five finish here can vault a player into the qualifying conversation for the Solheim Cup or the Olympics.
Keep an eye on the official Ladies European Tour social channels as February 2026 approaches. Tickets for the event at Riyadh Golf Club are usually accessible, and the "WOW Festival" elements—combining golf with music and fan zones—make it one of the more unique stops on the global tour. Check the tee times early, as the morning wind is usually much kinder than the afternoon gusts.