The 2024 PIF The Saudi International boasts a loaded field with 42 LIV golfers. The tournament, a former DP World Tour event, now serves as the season finale of the Asian Tour. Among the bigwigs, defending champion Abraham Ancer returns to Riyadh. But the Mexican International is just one of the big names landing in the Riyadh Golf Club for the $1M paycheck. Some past regulars and some new names will also join him in the quest for an International Series title. Here are five of Ancer’s LIV Golf mates you should watch out for.

Tyrrell Hatton 

Hatton is arguably the leading contender to lift the silverware by the end of 72 holes. The Legion XIII player has been in stellar form this year, netting top ten in each of his last four appearances, including a title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. In addition, Hatton also won his maiden LIV Golf title in Nashville. He last played here in 2021, netting a T6. 

Cameron Smith

The Aussie has been on a phenomenal ride in the last few weeks. Barring the T39 this Sunday at the Australian Open, the Ripper GC captain has netted three consecutive top-three finishes in as many appearances. Smith teed off in the 2021 iteration but missed the cut at the Royal Greens and Golf Country Club, Jeddah. 

Dustin Johnson 

Having secured the first transfer for his LIV Golf team, Dustin Johnson is coming back to a known turf. DJ has won twice here (2019 and 2021). At that time, it was a DP World Tour event; now it is included in the Asian Tour. Johnson’s form has, however, dipped this season, having only two top tens this year and two missed cuts in the majors. 

Sergio Garcia

The former Masters winner will tee off for the first time since the LIV Golf season ended in October. Sergio Garcia has entered the field thrice, the last being in 2021. The Spaniards had a rocky history here, though. Garcia was disqualified in the inaugural edition of the PIF Saudi International for damaging multiple greens in frustration over poor play. Five years removed from that incident, the Spaniard will surely look to rewrite that history. 

Bubba Watson 

The RangeGoats captain has been relegated from the LIV Golf after a dismal season that saw him failing to net a single top-ten. Bubba Watson recently teed off in the BNI Indonesian Masters, landing in the Southeast Asian nation for the first time in his career. Watson netted a T13 but was more in the news because of his heartwarming gesture to a family in need. Watson made a hole-in-one and announced he would personally donate a house in addition to the one already donated by Habitat Humanity Indonesia. 

The PIF Saudi International tees off on December 4, Wednesday at the par-71 Riyadh Golf Club. Unlike LIV Golf tournaments, this one features a 36-hole cut with top-65 and ties advancing to the final two rounds. The total purse of the tournament is $5M, the biggest in the Asian Tour.