LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge

LIV Golf is preparing for its first stop of the season in continental Europe with the LIV Golf Valderrama set to take place at the Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain. (LIV Golf)
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Updated 05 June 2023
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LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge

  • Local hero and former Masters champion Sergio Garcia competing alongside compatriots Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig

SOTOGRANDE, Spain: LIV Golf is preparing for its first stop of the season in continental Europe with the LIV Golf Valderrama set to take place at the Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, from June 30 to July 2. 

General admission tickets and hospitality packages are now available for Spanish fans to see local hero and former Masters champion Sergio Garcia competing alongside compatriots Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig, marking the young Spanish stars’ professional debuts in their home country.

Some of the biggest names in golf will be challenging for the title, including five-time major winner and 2023 PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and two-time major champions Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson.

Garcia, the captain of Fireballs GC, has won three professional titles at Valderrama – site of LIV Golf’s eighth event of 2023 for the league’s 48 players and 12 teams.

The field features 13 major champions including Bryson Dechambeau, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, and Charl Schwartzel, as well as rising stars including Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch.   

Mickelson competed in the 1997 Ryder Cup and 1999 WGC American Express Championship at Valderrama.

Unlike the World Golf Hall of Famer, many of LIV Golf’s international stars – notably those from the US – will be teeing it up in Spain for first time.

The venue will be familiar territory for a number of the field’s European players, including former world number one Lee Westwood who competed in the 1997 Ryder Cup and won the Volvo Masters in that same year, Ian Poulter, who won there in 2004, and McDowell, who also won at Valderrama in 2010.

“We are thrilled to bring LIV Golf to Real Club Valderrama, a world class course with a storied history,” said Greg Norman, Commissioner and CEO of LIV Golf. “We are a global league, and this event will showcase the game’s top talent for a country rich with tradition and passion for the sport. It will be another exciting milestone for LIV, and we look forward to creating a memorable experience for players and fans alike.”


‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

Updated 02 January 2026
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‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026

  • Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu

YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.

Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.

Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”

He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.

Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”

The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.

Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.

Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.

“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”

Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.