KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY: Kevin Na, Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, Jason Kokrak and Talor Gooch have been confirmed for the Asian Tour’s flagship $5 million PIF Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, which will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from February 2-5.
The four Golf Saudi ambassadors join a strong field, featuring World No. 3 Cameron Smith and defending champion Harold Varner III, who memorably secured a thrilling last-gasp victory with an unforgettable 90-foot eagle putt on 18 last year.
The Asian Tour’s top 30 players at the close of the 2022 season have also earned a spot at the big-money event. Kokrak secured three PGA Tour titles, the CJ Cgshipup, Charles Schwab Challenge and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open, in a 13-month period from 2020-2021, while evergreen golfer Kevin Na has five PGA Tour wins, including the Sony Open in Hawaii in 2021, and one Asian Tour victory — the Volvo Masters of Asia — under his belt in a long and storied career.
American star Gooch, 31, won the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic in 2021, and Spaniard Lopez-Chacarra reached no.2 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking system before turning professional and claiming his first tournament win in just five starts last season.