Saudi fund that backs LIV Golf will be title sponsor for Ladies European Tour series

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is expanding its role and taking a bigger financial stake in women’s golf.

Announced on Wednesday, the fund that is estimated to be worth $925 billion and the primary investor in LIV Golf on the men’s pro side is becoming the title sponsor of the series on the Ladies European Tour that has been previously headlined by Aramco, the Saudi oil company.

Now known as the PIF Global Series, the five tournaments have combined purses of $13 million, including $5 million for the PIF Saudi Ladies International. That event was played in February and won by World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

The tournaments, as played in the past, are both team and individual competitions, and the next PIF-sponsored event in the series is this week in South Korea. To follow are events in London, China and Houston—the latter to be played Sept. 5-7 at a site still to be determined.

The previously dubbed Aramco Series has existed since 2020 and has included five events in each of the past three years. LPGA and LET players have been regular participants, and among the winners are Americans Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee in addition to European stars such as Charley Hull, Leona Maguire and Celine Boutier.

Hull, currently ranked 14th in the world, is a Saudi Golf ambassador and won the Riyadh tournament last year.

“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,” Hull said in a press release. “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.”