LET Concludes PIF Global Series: The Championship to Begin in 2027

The PIF Global Series on the Ladies European Tour (LET) will come to an end after the 2026 season. No comparable tournament package will replace it: Golf Saudi will focus its announced tournament investment on “The Championship” in the future. The tournament will be held in the United Kingdom from July 19 to 25, 2027; it is jointly sanctioned by the LET and the LPGA and features $4 million in prize money. The LET announced this on September 28.

This marks a shift in the nature of Saudi Arabia’s involvement—though, according to the announcement, it does not constitute a complete withdrawal from women’s golf. In addition to the tournament, Golf Saudi announced a multi-year partnership with the LET Order of Merit, the Tour’s season-long points standings. The winner of the Order of Merit is set to receive a bonus at the end of the season. The exact amount of the bonus and the total financial scope of the multi-year agreements were not disclosed.

From Five Tournaments to a Single Focus

The PIF Global Series was launched in 2021. Since then, according to the LET, it has comprised 29 tournaments across three continents. For 2026, the tournament calendar features five stops with a combined $15 million in prize money. Two of these are still to come: South Korea in October and China in November. The series will conclude after that.

The $4 million for The Championship is twice as much as the prize money for the 2026 London tournament, which was $2 million. At the same time, this means that a five-part series model with $15 million in advertised prize money is initially contrasted with a single announced tournament offering $4 million. This is a comparison of the reported prize money for these events—not the total prize money of the LET or Golf Saudi’s full future commitment. Support for the Order of Merit has also been announced, but no specific amount has been provided.

The venue for 2027 has not yet been determined. The LET announcement notes that The Championship has been held in London since 2021, but for the upcoming edition, it merely mentions the United Kingdom. The full 2027 schedules for the LET and the LPGA are also not yet available.

Unresolved Issues on the Calendar

With the new date, other tournaments are also coming into focus. Golfweek reported that the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open is no longer scheduled to appear on the LPGA calendar in 2027. According to the report, LET officials and IMG were looking for a new date; the tournament is no longer expected to be co-sanctioned with the LPGA. The Aramco Championship in Las Vegas was also reportedly not listed in a preliminary LPGA schedule for 2027.

It is therefore not yet clear exactly which event The Championship will replace on the LPGA calendar. The available reports interpret the change differently; the LET’s September 28 announcement makes no mention of either the status of the Scottish Open or the Aramco Championship. A definitive assessment will likely only be possible once the complete schedules are released. It appears that the Ladies European Tour is facing cuts to prize money and a decline in the appeal of its tournaments.

Support Beyond Tournament Week

Golf Saudi also cites the goal of expanding the sport of golf within its own country as a reason for the realignment. According to the organization, more than 15,000 people have signed up for golf lessons there; over 4,000 are on a waiting list, more than a third of whom are women. Golf Saudi estimates the number of registered golfers at around 4,500. That number is expected to rise to more than 30,000 within five years. The organization also announced a new LPGA Professionals program.

“Our focus now is on making targeted investments and building the right business model—one that commercially strengthens women’s golf and creates a sustainable path for development,” said Golf Saudi CEO Noah Alireza, according to the LET press release dated September 28, 2026.

The LPGA also views the partnership as a bridge between elite sports and development. “Our mission is not only to get more women and girls into golf, but also to create the opportunities that will keep them in the sport,” said Liz Cooper, Executive Director of the LPGA Foundation and LPGA Professionals, according to the same press release. Abeer AlJohani, Vice President of the Saudi Golf Federation, put it this way: “Our goal is for Saudi women and girls to see a future in golf—as players, coaches, and leaders.”

For the LET, the new partnership with the Order of Merit is expected to provide support beyond individual tournament weeks. CEO Tom Phillips said the investment strengthens the organization and supports the players throughout the season. “The LET is part of an important development pathway for new female golfers, including those who will emerge from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world in the coming years,” Phillips said, according to the press release.

The restructuring coincides with major changes in men’s golf: Various media reports have framed it against the backdrop of the PIF’s withdrawal from funding LIV Golf. The LET press release itself, however, makes no connection between the two developments. Furthermore, it explicitly announces Golf Saudi’s continued, multi-year investment in women’s golf.

Key details remain unresolved pending the release of the schedules: the venue for The Championship, the future scheduling of the Scottish Open, and the status of the Aramco Championship. What is certain so far is that the PIF Global Series will end in 2026 after the two remaining tournaments—and that, starting in 2027, Golf Saudi will focus its support on a tournament jointly sanctioned by the LPGA and the LET, the Order of Merit, and development initiatives in Saudi Arabia.