JEDDAH: Following the confirmation this month that LIV Golf is set to return to Royal Greens Golf and Country Club at King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah, more details have emerged about the event and some of the stars who will compete have spoken of their excitement about returning to the city.
The third LIV Golf Jeddah will take place from Mar. 1 to 3 and organizers said it will feature some of the biggest names in the sport, including: 2023 Masters Champion Jon Rahm; 2023 LIV Golf Individual Champion Talor Gooch, with his new team, Smash GC; 2023 PGA Championship winner, and five-time major champion, Brooks Koepka, also of Smash GC; 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, with 2023 LIVE Golf Team Champions Crushers GC; 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith with Ripper GC; six-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson with HyFlyers GC; and two-time major winners Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC), Bubba Watson (RangeGoats GC) and Martin Kaymer (Cleeks GC).
Koepka is very familiar with Royal Greens, having won LIV Golf Jeddah there in each of the past two years. He will defend the title he won in October last year in a dramatic playoff against Gooch, who now joins him on team Smash following an offseason trade.
“Royal Greens is somewhere I’ve had success before and to win last year, beating Talor in the playoff, who had a great season, was a great way to finish the season,” said Koepka.
“I look forward to returning to Jeddah in March, with Talor as a teammate, to hopefully claim the Jeddah individual and team titles.”
LIV Golf Jeddah will be the third event of the international 14-event 2024 season, which showcases LIV Golf’s innovative format in which the world’s best golfers compete both individually and as teams over three days.
Fireballs GC, featuring captain Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra and former Torque GC player David Puig — who signed for the team as a free agent during the offseason to replace Carlos Ortiz, who moved to Torque — will return to Royal Greens as defending team champions.
“LIV Golf Jeddah was the site of our second team victory in 2023 and capped off a fantastic first full season for Fireballs GC,” said Garcia.
“We can’t wait to make our return to Royal Greens as a team, defend our title, and look forward to the incredible support of fans in Saudi Arabia for what is always a great event.”
In addition to the action on the course, organizers said the event will once again feature the popular Beach Club, a daily fireworks display, a vibrant fan village with activities for fans of all ages, and a wide range of food and beverage options.
Single-day and three-day grounds passes for LIV Golf Jeddah are available at LIVGolf.com, and include access to all fan activities.
Stars look forward to return of LIV Golf Jeddah in March
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Stars look forward to return of LIV Golf Jeddah in March
- More details revealed about this year’s competition, which will again take place at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club and be the 3rd event of the 14-event 2024 season
- Competitors will include 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm, and 2-time LIV Golf Jeddah winner Brooks Koepka, who said he looks forward to defending his title
Saudi Olympian Husein Alireza appointed to IOC Athletes’ Commission
- Rower competed in single sculls event at 2020 Games in Tokyo
- ‘I’m grateful for the trust, inspired by the responsibility,’ he says
JEDDAH: Pioneering Saudi rower Husein Alireza, who competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been appointed to the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.
Alireza, who reached the quarterfinals of the single sculls event, joins a select group of representatives from around the world tasked with shaping athlete-focused policies and strengthening the voice of competitors within the Olympic Movement.
“I’m grateful for the trust, inspired by the responsibility,” he said of the appointment, which was confirmed by IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
“This group shapes policy, protects the rights of athletes and plays a vital role in influencing the future of global sport. I look forward to doing my part and serving the movement that shaped my life.”
Alireza said his decision to seek the role was influenced by his experience of building a sport from the ground up in Saudi Arabia.
He played a central role in establishing rowing in the Kingdom at a time when the sport had no formal presence, with a small group of athletes taking responsibility for everything from securing funding and equipment to engaging with ministries, visiting schools and laying the foundations for a national program.
“That experience gave me a hands-on understanding of the entire athlete pathway, from grassroots challenges to governance decisions,” he said.
“Many athletes around the world share those same struggles for opportunity and recognition. I want to make sure their realities and their voices help shape the future of sport.”
Building a sport from the ground up had taught him the importance of athlete advocacy, he said.
“When athletes are included in leadership, development accelerates, systems become more responsive and policy moves beyond protection toward genuine empowerment.”
Alireza’s appointment follows consultations with Emma Terho, chair of the Athletes’ Commission, and reflects the IOC’s confidence in his leadership, professionalism and commitment to athlete representation. He already serves on the athletes’ commissions of the Saudi Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia.
In his new role, Alireza will contribute to shaping the global athlete experience within the Olympic Movement.
The scope of his responsibilities will be clarified in the coming months, including during the commission’s first meeting at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February, when strategic priorities and future initiatives will be set.
