Abraham Anser (Mexico), who turned to LIV golf, and Cameron Young (USA), the 2022 American Professional Golf (PGA) Tour rookie king, compete to win by two strokes at the PIF Saudi International (total prize money of $9 million), the opening game of the 2023 Asian Tour season.
In the third round of the tournament held at the Royal Greens GCC (par 70) near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the 4th, Anser, who is ranked 37th in the world, shot 6-under-par 64 with 6 birdies without a bogey, taking the sole lead with a total of 17-under-par 193. Cameron Young (ranked 17th in the world) cut 5 strokes with 7 birdies and 2 bogeys and recorded a total of 15 under par 195 strokes, chasing 2nd place alone by 2 strokes.
With a big difference from the joint 3rd place group (10 under par, 200 strokes), such as Sadom Kakanzana (Thailand) and Lucas Herbert (Australia), it seems that the competition has been narrowed down to a championship competition between the two. Foreign media such as the US and Europe are focusing on the competition between LIV Golf players and PGA players to win the tournament sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Fund (PIF), which is the source of funding for the LIV Golf Invitational.
In an article titled ‘LIV Golf and PGA Tour Collide, This Time Anser and Young’, US Golf Week said, “Last week at the DP World Tour (European Tour) Dubai Desert Classic, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed competed for the championship, and this week Anser and Young faced each other.” Anser played on the PGA Tour and switched from the second round of LIV golf at the end of June last year. Young submitted a participation permit to the PGA Tour Secretariat, received approval, and competed in the event. The Royal Greens Golf Course, the site of the tournament, is a symbolic place where the final game of LIV golf will be held in November. 안전놀이터
Anser said, “It was a day of solid play. I am happy” and expressed his goal for the final round, “I want to have a good match like the last three days.”
“I also played very solidly,” said Cameron Young, who shot 5-under-par 65 for three days in a row. “Anser plays very good golf. Tomorrow’s championship competition will be a very fun round.”
Jason Cocrack (USA) finished 6th (9 under par, 201 strokes), and Mito Pereira (Chile) and Paul Casey (England) tied for 7th place (8 under par, 202 strokes). Reed (USA), who finished runner-up last week, is tied for 14th (6 under par 214 strokes).
Kim Young-soo, the winner of the 2022 Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Grand Prize, reduced 2 strokes with 3 birdies and 1 bogey, and ranked 41st with a total of 3 under par 207 strokes, the highest among Korean players. Moon Gyeong-jun and Park Sang-hyun are tied for 45th (2 under par, 208 strokes), and Lee Tae-hee is tied for 55th (even par, 210 strokes).
The final round of the tournament starts at 1:32 PM Korean time. The championship group with Abraham Anser, Cameron Young, and Matthew Wolf (USA) tees off at 5:55 p.m.