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Feb 26th, 2024
FIRST LOOK: LIV GOLF JEDDAH
Take an early glance at LIV Golf Jeddah
The LIV Golf League visits Jeddah for the third consecutive season, with Royal Greens Golf & Country Club becoming the first course to host three LIV Golf tournaments.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
When: March 1-3
Where: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
Competition: Three rounds/54 holes of stroke play
Field: 54 players – 13 teams of four players each, and two wild cards
Purse: $25 million US ($20 million individual, $5 million team)
Winner’s Share: $4 million USD (individual), $3 million USD (team)
Local Tee Times: Shotgun Start for Rds. 1 & 2 at 11:15 a.m. local (3:15 a.m. ET); Rd. 3 at 11:05 a.m. local (3:05 a.m. ET)
Where: Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
Competition: Three rounds/54 holes of stroke play
Field: 54 players – 13 teams of four players each, and two wild cards
Purse: $25 million US ($20 million individual, $5 million team)
Winner’s Share: $4 million USD (individual), $3 million USD (team)
Local Tee Times: Shotgun Start for Rds. 1 & 2 at 11:15 a.m. local (3:15 a.m. ET); Rd. 3 at 11:05 a.m. local (3:05 a.m. ET)
KEY STORYLINES
The LIV Golf League visits Jeddah for the third consecutive season, with Royal Greens Golf & Country Club becoming the first course to host three LIV Golf tournaments.
Brooks Koepka is the two-time defending Jeddah champion, having won via playoff in each of the previous two years.
Koepka’s Smash GC, with a revamped lineup that includes reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion Talor Gooch and 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, enter as the latest team winners following their victory at LIV Golf Las Vegas.
4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson won his third individual tournament in Las Vegas, becoming the first player to win in each of LIV Golf’s first three seasons.
Johnson is a two-time winner of the PIF Saudi International played at Royal Greens; other LIV Golf members who have won the Saudi International include McDowell, Harold Varner III and Abraham Ancer.
Jon Rahm and his expansion Legion XIII team will make their Jeddah debut as the current leader in the Team Championship standings.
Torque GC's Carlos Ortiz enters the tournament fresh off his win Sunday at International Series Oman, with seven other 2024 LIV Golf League regulars also finishing inside the top 10.
Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, winner of the 2024 season opener in Mayakoba, will make his first LIV Golf start since receiving a special invitation to compete in the 2024 Masters.
Brooks Koepka is the two-time defending Jeddah champion, having won via playoff in each of the previous two years.
Koepka’s Smash GC, with a revamped lineup that includes reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion Talor Gooch and 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, enter as the latest team winners following their victory at LIV Golf Las Vegas.
4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson won his third individual tournament in Las Vegas, becoming the first player to win in each of LIV Golf’s first three seasons.
Johnson is a two-time winner of the PIF Saudi International played at Royal Greens; other LIV Golf members who have won the Saudi International include McDowell, Harold Varner III and Abraham Ancer.
Jon Rahm and his expansion Legion XIII team will make their Jeddah debut as the current leader in the Team Championship standings.
Torque GC's Carlos Ortiz enters the tournament fresh off his win Sunday at International Series Oman, with seven other 2024 LIV Golf League regulars also finishing inside the top 10.
Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, winner of the 2024 season opener in Mayakoba, will make his first LIV Golf start since receiving a special invitation to compete in the 2024 Masters.
BROOKS SEEKS 3-PEAT
Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka is the only repeat winner of a LIV Golf tournament, having won the first two events in Jeddah. A look at his first two wins.
2022: Koepka beat his then-Smash teammate Peter Uihlein on the third playoff hole after both players finished regulation at 12 under. It was Koepka’s first victory of any kind in 20 months since injuries threatened his career.
Said Koepka: “I didn't know if my career was over for a second. It's nice to be able to come back and be able to win."
2023: Koepka beat Talor Gooch on the second playoff hole after both players finished at 14 under. The win enabled Koepka to move up into the third-place bonus-paying position in the Individual Championship standings.
Said Koepka: “I felt like I had to win, and I did my part. Super fortunate to kind of squeak in there.”
Gooch, who had wrapped up the season-long Individual Champion title before the playoff, is now a teammate of Koepka’s after an off-season trade.
The win was Koepka’s first since becoming a first-time father three months earlier with the birth of his son Crew.
2022: Koepka beat his then-Smash teammate Peter Uihlein on the third playoff hole after both players finished regulation at 12 under. It was Koepka’s first victory of any kind in 20 months since injuries threatened his career.
Said Koepka: “I didn't know if my career was over for a second. It's nice to be able to come back and be able to win."
2023: Koepka beat Talor Gooch on the second playoff hole after both players finished at 14 under. The win enabled Koepka to move up into the third-place bonus-paying position in the Individual Championship standings.
Said Koepka: “I felt like I had to win, and I did my part. Super fortunate to kind of squeak in there.”
Gooch, who had wrapped up the season-long Individual Champion title before the playoff, is now a teammate of Koepka’s after an off-season trade.
The win was Koepka’s first since becoming a first-time father three months earlier with the birth of his son Crew.
ABOUT THE COURSE
ROYAL GREENS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
PAR: 70
YARDAGE: 7,048
King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
PAR: 70
YARDAGE: 7,048
Royal Greens becomes the first course to host three LIV Golf tournaments, having hosted the regular-season finale in each of the first two seasons
Royal Greens has hosted professional events multiple times since opening in 2017, including the PIF Saudi International, the flagship event on the Asian Tour
Every winner of the PIF Saudi International are members of the 2024 LIV Golf League – 4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson (winner in 2019 and 2021), Smash GC’s Graeme McDowell (winner in 2020), 4Aces GC’s Harold Varner III (winner in 2022) and Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer (winner in 2023)
Royal Greens is nominated for multiple World Golf Awards in 2023, including World’s Best Golf Course, Middle East’s Best Golf Course and Saudi Arabia’s Best Golf Course
The signature hole is the 180-yard par-3 16th located next to the Red Sea
Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka, the captain of Smash GC, said his gameplan at Royal Greens is “just stay out of the desert, stay out of the bunkers. … I like this place. What can I say?”
HOW TO WATCH
HOW TO WATCH
UNITED STATES: The CW Network airs the LIV Golf League in 100% of U.S. markets.
UK: LIV Golf Plus and YouTube
UK: LIV Golf Plus and YouTube
Friday – Live on The CW App, LIV Golf Plus and LIV Golf YouTube
Saturday and Sunday – Live on The CW, LIV Golf Plus and LIV Golf YouTube.
GLOBAL: Broadcast in over 160 international territories Live and On-Demand, free of charge, via LIV Golf Plus. Available for download on iOS, Android, FireTV, and on LIVGolfPlus.com. Also airing on several international broadcast partners.