Oct 16 (Reuters) – The Asian Tour postponed its season-ending Saudi International indefinitely on Friday in the aftermath of a deadly attack on the international airport in Riyadh, where the tournament was scheduled to take place next month.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, including last weekend’s attack on the capital that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.
“The decision to postpone was taken following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and ensuring the event is delivered to a standard befitting its international stature,” an Asian Tour statement said.
The $5 million flagship event, which is sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), was scheduled to take place at Riyadh Golf Club from November 18 to 21.
“The PIF Saudi International is one of the most important events on the Asian Tour calendar and we look forward to seeing our players compete in Riyadh in the future,” Asian Tour Commissioner Cho Minn Thant said.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
