LPGA strikes deal to sanction Saudi-backed tournament at Shadow Creek
Summary
The LPGA has agreed to co-sanction the Aramco Championship, a Saudi-backed PIF Global Series event, which will be played at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas from April 2-5. The field will feature 120 players from the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour competing for a $4 million purse, one of the largest purses outside the majors. This is the first major scheduling move announced by new LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler and marks the LPGA’s fourth co-sanctioned event with the LET.
Key Points
- The Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek (April 2-5) will be co-sanctioned by the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour with a $4m purse.
- The tournament is part of the PIF Global Series, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has previously invested heavily in professional golf.
- The Aramco/Team Series began in 2020 and has run in multiple countries; this is a step up in profile for the LPGA schedule.
- LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler framed the deal as part of building a more global schedule for the tour, while PIF officials say the investment supports growth in women’s golf.
- The announcement acknowledges potential criticism but indicates broad board-level support from the LPGA and LET and positive player feedback about the event.
Content Summary
The agreement brings a high‑purse, Saudi-backed event to a marquee U.S. venue, Shadow Creek, and formally ties the LPGA into the PIF Global Series calendar. The event will feature players from both the LPGA and the LET, and will be one of five tournaments in the PIF Global Series for the coming year. Shadow Creek’s event is notable because it will be the only PIF Global Series stop that counts for LPGA official money and season points. The piece outlines PIF’s broader involvement in golf — including links to LIV Golf — and the 2023 framework talks between PIF and major tours, which later stalled. LPGA and LET executives and PIF representatives are quoted, and the story notes player familiarity with Aramco events and their growing role on the women’s tour landscape.
Context and Relevance
This matters because it reflects an ongoing realignment in professional golf financing and scheduling. PIF has become a major financier in the sport, and the LPGA’s decision to co-sanction a PIF-backed event signals increased commercial ties despite the controversy that often surrounds Saudi investment in sport. For followers of women’s golf, it means more high‑value playing opportunities and a strengthened global schedule. For observers of sport governance and geopolitics, it’s another example of how sovereign wealth funds are reshaping elite sport calendars and partnerships.
Why should I read this?
Quick and simple: if you care about women’s golf, who’s paying for it, or how big tours are reshuffling events, this is the headline move everyone will be talking about. It affects the calendar, prize money and which results count — and it’s one of those deals that sparks debate off the course as much as interest on it.
Author style
Punchy: this is a significant schedule and money play by the LPGA under its new commissioner. If you follow the sport, read the detail — it explains where the tour is heading commercially and why Shadow Creek matters beyond just great scenery and big purses.
