January 31 - February 03
Royal Greens G&CC, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
US$3,500,000

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Round 1, Round 2, Round 3

Dustin Johnson overcame a determined challenge from Haotong Li to win the inaugural Saudi International powered by SBIA by two strokes.

“It feels really good. Any time you can win a professional golf tournament, no matter where it is in the world, it's a big win. I'm honoured to be the champion, and I'm very pleased with the win."

The World Number Three prevailed in a fascinating back nine battle with China's Li at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, birdieing the closing two holes for a round of 67 and a winning total of 19 under par.

Johnson had started the week as one of the tournament favourites, alongside the only two men ahead of him in the Official World Golf Ranking, Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka, and he lived up to that billing when he shared the lead with Li going into the final day after rounds of 68, 61 and 65.

“It's been a great week for me coming here, first time coming to Saudi Arabia, first time playing golf here, kind of first for everything.

Absolutely I would come back. I think the event went off fantastically, and I enjoyed the golf course. Obviously, I played it very well. It's a beautiful course and I really like it. I really enjoyed my week this week, and I hope to be back next year.”

He had to come from behind on the back nine though after Li, who carded an astonishing four eagles in his third round, chipped in for birdie on the ninth hole to take a one stroke advantage. Both players then bogeyed the tenth, but while Johnson birdied the next two holes, Li's challenge faltered with bogeys on the 13 th and 14 th before he pulled a shot back on the 15 th .

Johnson's lead was back to just one shot when an errant tee shot led to a bogey on the par three 16 th , but the 2016 US Open Champion hit back with consecutive birdies on the 17 th and 18 th hole to seal his first victory in a regular European Tour event and sixth title overall.

“It was tight, but I made a nice birdie on 11 and 12, so I got the lead back, but it was definitely tight, and then I made it a lot closer at the end than it should have been, hitting it in the water on 16. I followed it up with two really nice birdies on 17 and 18."

Li's birdie on the last for a round of 69 ensured he took second place on his own, ahead of England's Tom Lewis who could not quite sustain the early moment he had built with five birdies in a row to start his final round. Lewis eventually signed for a round of 65 to finish third on 16 under par, with Australia's Min Woo Lee, playing in just his second professional event, finishing a further shot back in fourth courtesy of an impressive 63.

“It was a very good match, especially the front nine when I was playing really good. The back nine, I was just a little bit off. It wasn't my best over there today again. But I learn a lot and especially that last few holes was good for me. I think he deserved to win this event.

“I'm very happy with the week. When I had four holes left, I looked at leaderboard. I had dropped to third place and so I'm very happy to finish solo second.”

Round 3 - Li fires four eagles to share Saudi lead

China's Haotong Li fired four eagles - three of which came on par fours – in a remarkable third round of 62 to share the lead with Dustin Johnson in the Saudi International powered by SBIA.

© Getty Images

“I think it's very, very lucky today. Those eagles, especially last couple shots, was really solid, but except that, honestly, my play, wasn't that good. But I did make a lot of par putts."

Li opened his round by chipping in for two on the first hole and repeated the feat for another eagle two on the tenth. That took him to four under par for the round, after two birdies and double bogey on the sixth hole on the front nine.

“On the first, that ball, the lie, wasn't that great, and firm grain. If it didn't go in the hole, it could have been off the green. It's very lucky eagle over there.

“On 10, that's what I wanted to play, that way, but just I felt like I pushed a little bit. Got a lucky bounce, kicked it left and went in the hole, which is very lucky, too."

He then finished his round in sensational style with back-to-back eagles, holing out from six feet after a fine tee shot on the 17th and from nine feet for a three on the par five last.

“On 17, that was a solid shot and I hit when I want there, so six-foot eagle putt was a little bit nervous. Then the last was another lucky bounce there. I mean, off the tee, I drove the bunker about two yards short to carry the bunker, and it bounced over the bunker, which is lucky. I hit it into nine feet, something, ten feet. Yeah, that was solid putt, actually, quite excited on that one.

“I just want to play my best tomorrow, especially compared to last week. So I just have to put myself in the position hopefully often and I get used to that feeling and play and enjoy myself on the final round.”

The 23 year old shares the lead at Royal Greens Golf and Country club on 16 under par with World Number Three Johnson, who had held a three shot overnight lead.

Johnson's round of 65 was relatively straightforward by comparison, though the American did provide some fireworks of his own when he birdied four consecutive holes from the ninth after earlier picking up shots on the second and fourth.

“I thought I played well. I probably played just as well as I did yesterday. I gave myself a lot of opportunities. I made a lot of good putts but I just holed a few more yesterday than I did today. That's the only difference.

“I heard (about Li's four eagles) when I got done, that's pretty impressive. Four eagles in a golf tournament is pretty good, but four in one round, take that any day.

“For me, I just go out and play like I've been playing and hopefully can roll in a few more putts and see what I can do. Haotong is a good player. He's obviously playing well right now. I think it's going to be kind of a tough match against him tomorrow for the most part, but I'm looking forward to it.”

The pair have a five shot advantage on the rest of the field, with England's Tom Lewis leading the chasing pack after firing eight birdies in his round of 62 to move to 11 under par. A further two shots separate Lewis from New Zealand's Ryan Fox and France's Alexander Levy, both of whom signed for rounds of 67.

Sergio Garcia disqualified from the Saudi International

Sergio Garcia has been disqualified from the third round of Saudi International powered by SBIA under rule 1.2a.

Rule 1.2a allows for disqualification if a player has committed serious misconduct.

Sergio Garcia said: “I respect the decision of my disqualification. In frustration, I damaged a couple of greens, which I apologise for, and I have informed my fellow players it will never happen again.”

Round 2 - Pieters on top in Saudi International

Dustin Johnson demonstrated his class with a stunning nine under par second round of 61 to lead the inaugural Saudi International powered by SBIA by three shots at the halfway stage.

© Getty Images

“It was really good. Obviously you always have fun when you're playing well, but I did a lot of the same things I did yesterday. The greens rolled a little bit better today. I felt like I paid a lot more attention to exactly what the putts were going to do and just tried to make sure I just trusted the line that I was playing and made some putts today. I drove it really well and gave myself a lot of opportunities.

“I like the golf course. If I keep driving it like the way I am right now -- I switched to the M6 driver this week, and I really like it. I'm driving it really well right now, so if I keep hitting it in the fairway, I'm going to really like this golf course.”

The American took full advantage of the benign morning conditions at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to move to 11 under par for the tournament, ahead of China's Haotong Li (65) and South Africa's Zander Lombard (67) who share second place on eight under.

“I am very pleased," said Li. "I played quite solid out there. I'm disappointed with the fourth hole, which is a birdie hole but became a bogey, which is a two-shots there. But I think everything I did very well.

“After a long off-season I'm getting used to start playing again on the course, and I am especially putting very well. Hopefully I can continue this feeling for the weekend.”

Johnson signalled his intent by beginning his round with consecutive birdies after starting on the tenth tee and he added a further five birdies along with an eagle on the par five fourth hole, where he sank a 30ft putt from the fringe.

The World Number Three was in imposing form as he put daylight between himself and the rest of the world class field, which includes last week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Bryson DeChambeau, who goes into the weekend seven shots back on four under par after his second consecutive round of 68.

Reigning Masters Champion Patrick Reed, who was presented with Honorary Life Membership of the European Tour after his round, rallied on the back with three birdies in his final five holes to ensure he will also be in action at the weekend, but he will have to make up nine shots on his Ryder Cup teammate Johnson.

World Number One Justin Rose will be absent for the final two rounds though following a round of 72 which left him on two over par, two shots adrift of the cut.

Round 1 - Pieters on top in Saudi International

Thomas Pieters fired a seven under par round of 63 to open up a two shot lead from a group of six players after the first round of the Saudi International powered by SBIA.

© Getty Images

The three-time European Tour winner carded seven birdies and no bogeys at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to pull clear of English duo Alfie Plant and Ross Fisher, South African pair Zander Lombard and Justin Harding, Italian Renato Paratore and Australian Jake McLeod.

“I hit my wedges and short irons really close to the hole," said Pieters. "I think I had maybe ten good chances for birdie and made seven of them. It's a very good day on the greens, as well. Long putts, as well. It's tricky because the greens are not that fast. I think I did everything pretty well today.

“My game is pretty decent. I haven't clicked all the right parts together yet. I hit it great in Abu Dhabi and lost a bit of the putting there on the weekend. I think if I can just keep doing what I'm doing, and one of these weeks, the putts will drop and hopefully have another good result.”

Pieters' last victory came in the 2016 Made in Denmark – a month before he made his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine – but the Belgian feels his game is moving in the right direction so far in 2019, following top 30 finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this month.

Plant, who is playing on a sponsor's invite, had set the early pace after a superb run of seven birdies in eight holes to finish a front nine of 28 after starting on the tenth tee. But the former Walker Cup player dropped two shots in his final four holes to slip back to the group on five under par where he was joined by Lombard, who produced the finish of the day with four consecutive birdies to close his 65.

“I didn't realise I was on 28, actually, until I've just come in," said Plant. "I've never shot 28 before on the front nine or back nine. I enjoyed it. I was hitting them close. I holed one from 30 feet early on and everything was inside six feet. The wind definitely got up through our back nine.”

Reigning Masters Champion Patrick Reed made a steady start with a three under par round of 67, while the world's top three players, Justin Rose (70), Brooks Koepka (69) and Dustin Johnson (68) have some ground to make up on Pieters.

“We had it calm this morning and knew tomorrow afternoon obviously the wind is going to pick up, so you had to take advantage of the golf course this morning," said Rose. "I had the opportunity to hit a lot of shots close to the hole and couldn't make the putts. Collectively, our group was probably the worst putting round I've seen for three professional golfers in a long, long time but the greens were very tricky, very, very grainy. It was tough to factor it in. I certainly missed ten putts probably within six to ten feet range. You make half of those and it's a good round of golf.”