Golf Saudi chief eyes second European Tour event along with PGA Tour event

Majed Al Sorour, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, speaks at the inaugural Golf Saudi Summit in King Abdullah Economic City

The ambitious plan was revealed by Majed Al Sorour, CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, as he spoke to reporters on the opening day of the inaugural Golf Saudi Summit.

Graeme McDowell won the second staging of the $3.5 million Saudi International on the European Tour event on Sunday at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.

That is also where a new Ladies European Tour event is being staged next month, when the prize fund will be $1 million.

"We’re not going to stop with one (event)," said Al Sorour. "We’re in communication with the Asian Tour, we’re in communication with the [European] Tour to have a second event.

"We have the Ladies European Tour and they merged together with the LPGA, so hopefully we get to the point where we have an LPGA event.

"And, of course, we’d love to have a PGA Tour event. One and a half years ago, I sat with Ty [Votaw, the PGA Tour's chief marketing officer) and had a great conversation on having an idea of putting a PGA Tour event in Saudi Arabia.

"One of the things that we also want to discuss with him is a World Cup and how we’re going to do that in Saudi Arabia, if that’s possible."

On the opening day of the summit, Al Sorour told delegates the Kingdom will become "golf’s most dynamic market within a decade” and the next step is to build more courses.

"Now, all these are great," he added of the planned events. "But we need the places for them. When we start building the next championship course, then we can have other exciting tournaments."

Al Sorour is the man who has signed the big cheques for the likes of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson to play in the first two stagings of the Saudi International.

It is believed the proposed new Premier Golf League would involve Saudi money and he was asked about the move to set up a breakway circuit.

"We can address it in multiple ways," he said. "Is it good for the game or not? This is what we’re thinking. If something is good for the game, we should just listen to the people who are leading it, sit down with the PGA Tour if the time permits.

"We’re just here to listen. We love the game and our love for the game will do whatever it takes to make the game great."