PIF continues to transform women’s golf as title partner of revamped global series

The PIF Saudi Ladies International offers a prize purse of $5 million, one of the largest in women’s professional golf. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 08 May 2025
Follow

PIF continues to transform women’s golf as title partner of revamped global series

  • Renamed PIF Global Series comprises 5 tournaments
  • $13m prize pool among highest outside of the Majors

RIYADH: Golf Saudi and the Public Investment Fund announced on Thursday a revamped global series that spans five women’s golf events on the Ladies European Tour, reinforcing the PIF’s long-term commitment to female sport.

The newly named PIF Global Series will feature the five tournaments across three continents in 2025, with each event having a novel format that features team and individual competitions.

There is a prize purse of $2 million for each of the four tournaments, among the highest in women’s golf.

The PIF Saudi Ladies International has been added to the 2025 roster of tournaments, strengthening the series’ position as a key fixture alongside the regular LET schedule and Major competitions.

The PIF Saudi Ladies International offers a prize purse of $5 million, one of the largest in women’s professional golf.

Alanoud Althonayan, head of events and sponsorships at the PIF, said the company “continues to be a catalyst for the growth of women’s sports, committed to delivering long-term transformative impact by inspiring and empowering female athletes at every level.

Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “We are humbled to have this partnership with PIF that aspires to grow the women’s game locally in Saudi Arabia and around the world.

“We have witnessed significant growth in local interest through hosting international tournaments, with over 6,000 individuals registering for our free ‘GoGolf’ lesson program.”

Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “These tournaments are well-supported by our members through their end-to-end event experiences and competitive environments.

“This partnership with PIF continues to raise the level of competition and commitment to the women’s game, to ensure our players have the best possible opportunities to develop and succeed on the world stage.”

England’s Charley Hull, Golf Saudi ambassador, said: “Golf Saudi and PIF have proven to be real game changers for women’s golf, once again backing up their commitment to creating equal opportunities and raising the bar for the players.

“I love playing either as an individual or in a team, so I can’t wait to tee it up at series events throughout the year and hopefully inspire more and more young people into golf around the world.”

The five events comprising the PIF Global Series are:

PIF Saudi Ladies International: Riyadh Golf Club, Riyadh (Event was played in February and won by world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul)

Aramco Korea Championship: New Korea Country Club, Seoul, South Korea (May 9-11)

PIF Championship: Centurion Club, London (Aug. 8-10)

Aramco Houston Championship: TBC, Houston (Sept. 5-7)

Aramco Shenzhen Championship: Mission Hills, Shenzhen, China (Nov. 6-8)


US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

Updated 13 January 2026
Follow

US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues

The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and ​America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.

The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US ‌secure, with over ‌a million travelers expected ‌to ⁠visit ​for ‌the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.

The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both ⁠European and US airports.

“We are entering a new era ‌to defend our air ‍superiority to protect our ‍borders and the interior of the ‍United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including ​tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.

The DHS did not specify ⁠which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.

Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for ‌defending against drone attacks.