OVER 30 OF THE WORLD'S TOP 100 GOLFERS WILL COMPETE IN THE 2022 SAUDI INTERNATIONAL
THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL, YET HIGHLY ANTICIPATED GOLF TOURNAMENT IN RECENT YEARS WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK IN SAUDI ARABIA, AS THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL TEES OFF AT THE ROYAL GREENS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB NEAR JEDDAH. IT IS THE FIRST EVENT OF THE 2022 ASIAN TOUR, THE FLAGSHIP EVENT OF THE ASIAN TOUR AND THE FIRST EVENT SINCE THE MAJOR INVESTMENT FROM THE SAUDI PIF AND LIV GOLF, FRONTED BY GOLFING ICON GREG NORMAN. AND IT WILL BE SHOWN FREE-TO-AIR ON FREESPORTS.
OVER 30 OF THE WORLD'S TOP 100 GOLFERS PLUS GOLFING LEGENDS ERNIE ELS AND PHIL MICKELSON HAVE ACCEPTED LUCRATIVE INVITATIONS TO PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT WHICH WAS, UNTIL THIS YEAR, PART OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR, NOW THE DP WORLD TOUR.
THE SAUDI'S ARE RUMOURED TO BE WANTING TO ESTABLISH A 'GOLF SUPER LEAGUE' AND THIS EVENT IS SEEN AS A WAY TO PITCH THE IDEA TO THE WORLD'S BEST GOLFERS. ALLEGATIONS OF SPORT-WASHING, AND IT BEING ALL ABOUT MONEY HAVE BEEN THROWN AROUND, WITH GREG NORMAN AND MOST OF THE COMPETING GOLFERS GETTING SLATED FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. BUT OF COURSE THEIR ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY, AND NEXT WEEK IN A MAJOR FEATURE SHANK WILL UNRAVEL THE STORY AND LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF GOLF RIGHT NOW, HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING.
IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ASIAN TOUR WILL UNVEIL THEIR 2022 SCHEDULE, INCLUDING A 10-TOURNAMENT SERIES OF EVENTS WHICH COULD FORM THE FUTURE SUPER LEAGUE CONCEPT, AT THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL.
THE DEAL TO SHOW ASIAN TOUR GOLF ON PREMIER SPORTS OWNED FREESPORTS IS A BLOW TO SKY SPORTS, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS EVENT HAVING THE STRONGEST FIELD OF THE YEAR OUTSIDE OF AMERICA SO FAR. WITH SKY'S OWNERS, COMCAST, HAVING A LONG-TERM DEAL TO SHOW THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR IT IS LIKELY THEY SAW BROADCASTING THE ASIAN TOUR AS A RISK TO THIS RELATIONSHIP GOING FORWARD, AND THEIR MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS TOO. SO IT SEEMS PREMIER SPORTS HAVE STEPPED IN.
PREMIER SPORTS BROADCASTS SCOTTISH CUP FOOTBALL, PREMIER SPORTS CUP FOOTBALL AND LA LIGA THROUGH THEIR CHANNELS ALONG WITH LA LIGA TV, AND ALSO SHOW UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP, TOP 14 RUGBY, BETFRED CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY LEAGUE, ELITE LEAGUE, NHL AND KHL ICE HOCKEY, SELECTED INTERNATIONAL CRICKET MATCHES, SNOOKER, POOL, EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL, NASCAR, COPPA ITALIA, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, AFC WOMEN'S ASIA CUP, PORTUGUESE PRIMERA LIGA, SOUTH AMERICAN FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS AND DFB POKAL, WITH MUCH OF IT SHOWN FREE-TO-AIR ON FREESPORTS.
DUSTIN JOHNSON, BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, XANDER SCHAUFFELE, BUBBA WATSON, JASON KOKRAK, TONY FINAU, PATRICK REED, MATTHEW WOLFF, CAMERON SMITH, PHIL MICKELSON, ERNIE ELS, JASON DUFNER, TOMMY FLEETWOOD, LEE WESTWOOD, GRAEME MCDOWELL, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, SERGIO GARCIA, SHANE LOWRY, TYRRELL HATTON, ABRAHAM ANCER, PAUL CASEY, KEVIN NA, JOAQUIN NIEMANN, MARC LEISHMAN, LUCAS HERBERT, IAN POULTER, VICTOR PEREZ, LAURIE CANTER, THOMAS PIETERS, Jhonattan Vegas AND RAFA CABRERA-BELLO ARE THE STAR NAMES WHO WILL BE COMPETING ALONGSIDE THE BEST OF THE ASIAN TOUR IN SAUDI ARABIA.
EACH OF THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR MEMBERS HAVE HAD TO REQUEST RELEASES FROM THEIR TOURS TO PLAY IN THE EVENT, WHICH WILL CARRY OVER 50 WORLD RANKING POINTS FOR THE WINNER, MAKING IT THE STRONGEST FIELD EVER ASSEMBLED FOR A SOLE SANCTIONED ASIAN TOUR EVENT.
COVERAGE WILL BE PRODUCED BY IMG AND COMMENTARY WILL BE THE ASIAN TOUR WORLD FEED (AS FAR AS WE KNOW RIGHT NOW) AND THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL WILL BE BROADCAST AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES IN THE UK:
THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY 8AM
FRIDAY 4 FEBRUARY 8AM
SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY 8.30AM
SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY 8.30AM
FreeSports, which launched in August 2017, is available on Sky HD Channel 422, Virgin TV HD Channel 553, Freeview Channel 64, BT/TalkTalk Channel 64 and online via the FreeSports Player. ACCOUNT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO WATCH ONLINE.
OVER 30 OF THE WORLD'S TOP 100 GOLFERS PLUS GOLFING LEGENDS ERNIE ELS AND PHIL MICKELSON HAVE ACCEPTED LUCRATIVE INVITATIONS TO PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT WHICH WAS, UNTIL THIS YEAR, PART OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR, NOW THE DP WORLD TOUR.
THE SAUDI'S ARE RUMOURED TO BE WANTING TO ESTABLISH A 'GOLF SUPER LEAGUE' AND THIS EVENT IS SEEN AS A WAY TO PITCH THE IDEA TO THE WORLD'S BEST GOLFERS. ALLEGATIONS OF SPORT-WASHING, AND IT BEING ALL ABOUT MONEY HAVE BEEN THROWN AROUND, WITH GREG NORMAN AND MOST OF THE COMPETING GOLFERS GETTING SLATED FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION. BUT OF COURSE THEIR ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY, AND NEXT WEEK IN A MAJOR FEATURE SHANK WILL UNRAVEL THE STORY AND LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF GOLF RIGHT NOW, HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING.
IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ASIAN TOUR WILL UNVEIL THEIR 2022 SCHEDULE, INCLUDING A 10-TOURNAMENT SERIES OF EVENTS WHICH COULD FORM THE FUTURE SUPER LEAGUE CONCEPT, AT THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL.
THE DEAL TO SHOW ASIAN TOUR GOLF ON PREMIER SPORTS OWNED FREESPORTS IS A BLOW TO SKY SPORTS, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS EVENT HAVING THE STRONGEST FIELD OF THE YEAR OUTSIDE OF AMERICA SO FAR. WITH SKY'S OWNERS, COMCAST, HAVING A LONG-TERM DEAL TO SHOW THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR IT IS LIKELY THEY SAW BROADCASTING THE ASIAN TOUR AS A RISK TO THIS RELATIONSHIP GOING FORWARD, AND THEIR MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS TOO. SO IT SEEMS PREMIER SPORTS HAVE STEPPED IN.
PREMIER SPORTS BROADCASTS SCOTTISH CUP FOOTBALL, PREMIER SPORTS CUP FOOTBALL AND LA LIGA THROUGH THEIR CHANNELS ALONG WITH LA LIGA TV, AND ALSO SHOW UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP, TOP 14 RUGBY, BETFRED CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY LEAGUE, ELITE LEAGUE, NHL AND KHL ICE HOCKEY, SELECTED INTERNATIONAL CRICKET MATCHES, SNOOKER, POOL, EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL, NASCAR, COPPA ITALIA, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, AFC WOMEN'S ASIA CUP, PORTUGUESE PRIMERA LIGA, SOUTH AMERICAN FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS AND DFB POKAL, WITH MUCH OF IT SHOWN FREE-TO-AIR ON FREESPORTS.
DUSTIN JOHNSON, BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, XANDER SCHAUFFELE, BUBBA WATSON, JASON KOKRAK, TONY FINAU, PATRICK REED, MATTHEW WOLFF, CAMERON SMITH, PHIL MICKELSON, ERNIE ELS, JASON DUFNER, TOMMY FLEETWOOD, LEE WESTWOOD, GRAEME MCDOWELL, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN, SERGIO GARCIA, SHANE LOWRY, TYRRELL HATTON, ABRAHAM ANCER, PAUL CASEY, KEVIN NA, JOAQUIN NIEMANN, MARC LEISHMAN, LUCAS HERBERT, IAN POULTER, VICTOR PEREZ, LAURIE CANTER, THOMAS PIETERS, Jhonattan Vegas AND RAFA CABRERA-BELLO ARE THE STAR NAMES WHO WILL BE COMPETING ALONGSIDE THE BEST OF THE ASIAN TOUR IN SAUDI ARABIA.
EACH OF THE PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR MEMBERS HAVE HAD TO REQUEST RELEASES FROM THEIR TOURS TO PLAY IN THE EVENT, WHICH WILL CARRY OVER 50 WORLD RANKING POINTS FOR THE WINNER, MAKING IT THE STRONGEST FIELD EVER ASSEMBLED FOR A SOLE SANCTIONED ASIAN TOUR EVENT.
COVERAGE WILL BE PRODUCED BY IMG AND COMMENTARY WILL BE THE ASIAN TOUR WORLD FEED (AS FAR AS WE KNOW RIGHT NOW) AND THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL WILL BE BROADCAST AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES IN THE UK:
THURSDAY 3 FEBRUARY 8AM
FRIDAY 4 FEBRUARY 8AM
SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY 8.30AM
SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY 8.30AM
FreeSports, which launched in August 2017, is available on Sky HD Channel 422, Virgin TV HD Channel 553, Freeview Channel 64, BT/TalkTalk Channel 64 and online via the FreeSports Player. ACCOUNT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO WATCH ONLINE.
