CAMERON SMITH JOINS DEFENDING CHAMP VARNER IN PIF SAUDI INTERNATIONAL FIELD

Smith, the Punch GC captain, joins defending champion Harold Varner III as LIV Golf members who have announced their intentions to play in the Asian Tour’s signature event, Feb. 2-5 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Smith finished tied for fourth behind Varner at last year’s tournament. The two players were also part of the 48-man field at LIV Golf Jeddah, the final regular-season event of the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series. Smith tied for 21st at 5 under while Varner tied for 33rd at 2 under in the tournament played last October and won by Brooks Koepka in a playoff at Royal Greens.

“The Saudi International regularly has one of the biggest lineups of the season,” Smith said in a tournament release. “It’s always good to play in a world-class field. I’m looking forward to taking on some familiar faces and also competing with the best that the Asian Tour has to offer.

“I had a great experience at the Royal Greens last year and hopefully I can take it to the next level this year.”

Smith won five times in 2022, including LIV Golf Chicago in his second Invitational start. He also won the Australian PGA Championship in November for the third time, and was awarded the PGA Player of the Year. Despite playing just four of the seven regular-season LIV Golf events, he finished 10th in the Individual Champion race and then led his team to a second-place finish at the season-ending Miami Team Championship.

Varner won the PIF Saudi International in dramatic fashion last year, sinking a 92-foot eagle putt on the final hole of regulation to beat his friend – and eventual Niblicks GC Captain and teammate – Bubba Watson.

“Whenever I think back to that putt all the incredible memories come flooding back,” Varner said. “As I said at the time after winning, it’s moments and competition like that that makes you want to play, to compete, to be up there. It was a huge moment for me and for my career.

“But that’s now in the past. … Time for me to focus on replicating that as best I can next year, in 2023. Having this event so early in the season could be good for me in as much as it could set me off with confidence into an even bigger year.”

In addition to Smith and Varner, the top 30 players on the Asian Tour will also be part of the field at Royal Greens. Other players are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

Along with Varner, previous PIF Saudi International champions include Dustin Johnson (twice) and Graeme McDowell. Both players are part of LIV Golf.

“The field for the fifth edition of the event is taking shape and we are delighted to welcome Cameron Smith,” said Golf Saudi CEO and Deputy Chairman Majed Al-Sorour. “As reigning British Open champion and PGA Player of the Year for 2022, he is one of the biggest names in golf, and his participation once again shows the high level of interest in the PIF Saudi International.

“The combination of world-class golfers and mass participation programs we have developed are helping us to grow the game in the Kingdom, and year on year, we have seen more and more first-time golfers and schools taking up this wonderful sport.”

The groundbreaking LIV Golf League has announced seven of its 14 events for 2023, including stops in Mexico, Australia, Singapore and Spain, as well as three U.S.-based events in Tucson, Oklahoma City and Greenbrier in West Virginia.