Golf Saudi: More LPGA-European tour co-sanctioned events in North America likely
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Shadow Creek was selected as the first site in which the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour would co-sanction an event in the United States — brought together by Golf Saudi — and there likely will be plans to expand this arrangement elsewhere in the country. The $4 million purse for a nonmajor attracted 38 of the top 40 players to the Aramco Championship, which also has drawn noticeably larger crowds than in previous years to this exclusive course hidden away in the Las Vegas suburbs.
Players receive points that count toward the LPGA Tour and LET, and the tournament also is part of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Global Series. Golf Saudi and the PIF collaborate to promote and invest in the sport. Golf Saudi chief investment officer Thomas Rudy called the tournament "a strong case study” to expand this arrangement to other parts of the U.
S. “We haven’t finalized our 2027 schedule yet — that usually happens later in the year — but I’d be surprised if we don’t have events in North America again,” Rudy said Saturday during the third round of the Aramco Championship. “We’re exploring all options, especially working in conjunction with LPGA and LET.
Given the success here, we’d love to replicate it in the future. ” Rudy was quick to say the PIF Global Series and Golf Saudi were not looking to replicate a women's version of LIV Golf, which through its large financial promises has lured away top PGA Tour players and created a split that still hasn't been resolved . “First, we’re not LIV Golf," Rudy said.
"We want to support the best women’s golfers with amazing tournaments around the world. “Our job is not to run another league or disrupt existing organizations. I think you see that clearly here by bringing sanctioning bodies together.