Thai golf sensation Thitikul, LET Order of Merit winner Grant confirmed for Aramco Saudi Ladies International

RIYADH: The line-up for the 2023 Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund has been further strengthened with world No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul and 2022 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit winner Linn Grant taking their place among 15 of the world’s top-30 female golfers.

Taking place at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City from Feb. 16 to 19, the tournament will be the third stop in a record-breaking 2023 LET season, featuring 30 events in 21 countries with a total prize fund of 35 million euros ($37.4 million) up for grabs.

The event has a prize purse of $5 million, the largest outside of the majors and matching the men’s event, the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers.

Thai 19-year-old Thitikul said: “It has been a while since I last competed in Saudi Arabia. I remember playing at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in 2021 and had strong results in both events.

“I hope to go one better than I did at the 2021 Aramco Saudi Ladies International and enjoy a great start to my 2023 season.”

In her first year of the Ladies Professional Golf Association last year, Thitikul claimed two victories and 16 top-10 finishes and unsurprisingly took home the 2022 Louise Suggs rookie of the year award. The young superstar also performed impressively in the majors, securing three top-10 finishes in five majors last year.

Before her time in the LPGA, Thitikul wrote her name in the history books of the LET. In 2021, she became the youngest player to win the LET’s Race to Costa del Sol while also taking back the rookie of the year and players’ player of the year titles. In addition, she was the youngest golfer, male or female, to win a professional golf