Asian Tour Postpones $5m Season Finale Amid Saudi Security Fears

The Asian Tour has announced the postponement of the PIF Saudi International scheduled for November due to security concerns in Saudi Arabia.

A statement from the Tour said the event would not go ahead following "an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament".

It had previously said it was monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia with the backdrop of political tension and attacks on Riyadh's international airport from the Iran-backed Yemen group the Houthis.

The country remains on high alert following the last attack on 10 October, which killed at least 13 and injured over 300, and it's now been decided not to stage the Tour's biggest tournament as a result.

The Saudi International was due to take place the week after the DP World Tour's closing Tour Championship in Dubai, but both that and the preceeding Abu Dhabi Championship are still set to go ahead as planned - with Sotogrande in Spain lined-up as a back-up plan if needed.

Scheduled to take place 18-21 November at Riyadh Golf Club, the Saudi International was the flagship event on the Asian Tour schedule with a $5m payout far outweighing the usual prize purses on offer during the season.

A social media post says the Asian Tour "remains in direct contact with its players and members regarding the schedule and next steps" but with no hint that the tournament would be rescheduled.

It's another big blow to the Asian Tour in a season that saw its lucrative partnership with LIV Golf come to an end, in what CEO Cho Minn Thant told Golf Monthly had been "devastating to our tour."

Remaining International Series events had to be cancelled due to the loss of LIV funding and now the marquee tournament left on the schedule has been lost.

The Asian Tour described the Saudi International as one of the biggest events on the schedule and suggested it would remain part of its plans moving forward.

“We would like to thank Golf Saudi for its continued support and valued partnership," said Asian Tour commissioner & CEO Cho Minn Thant.

"The PIF Saudi International is one of the most important events on the Asian Tour calendar and we look forward to seeing our players compete in Riyadh in the future.”

Following the collapse of the LIV funding, the Asian Tour signed a deal with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour which will see some historic national open around the world become co-sanctioned tournaments.

With that, and the departure from funding LIV Golf, just what that means for the Saudi PIF's involvement in the Asian Tour and the sport as a whole remains to be seen.