Hull Relishing Return to Riyadh
A course she knows, a field she respects and a season that begins where confidence already lives
The Ladies European Tour season opens this week in Saudi Arabia, with England’s Charley Hull eager to renew an affinity with a course that has brought out some of the best golf of her career.
The four-time LET winner tees it up in the 2026 PIF Saudi Ladies International, staged from February 11–14 at Riyadh Golf Club, a venue where she has compiled an enviable record. From her victory in the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Riyadh Individual in 2024 to three further top-10 finishes, Hull has consistently found the course to her liking.
“I like how you can be quite aggressive around here,” said Hull. “It’s quite a scoreable golf course. It’s a fun track to play. I’ve got a few good memories around here, so every time I come back it makes me smile and I just enjoy it.”
That freedom to attack comes with a clear risk-and-reward edge. “You can play aggressively. If you hit it out of line, you’re on the sand,” she said, recalling a standout moment from last year. “On the 15th last year, I was in the waste bunker on the left and I hit it to 10-feet. That was an unbelievable shot, and I don’t know how I hit it there.”
Now in its seventh edition, and the third time it has been played at Riyadh Golf Club, the tournament boasts a $5 million prize fund. Hull believes the layout is maturing into its best version yet. “The golf course is a lot lusher and lot greener than we’ve had before. It takes a golf course a few years to settle in, and I feel like this golf course has really settled in now and you’re starting to get a character to this golf course,” she explained.
Beyond the conditioning, Hull pointed to the wider impact of the event. “The support of Golf Saudi has put us on a bigger stage and having the $5 million event is bringing more eyes. It’s pretty cool to have an equal prize fund with the men, that’s really important,” she said, noting the growing presence of young girls at the venue since her first visit.
Ranked fifth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Hull begins her campaign on Wednesday at 7.56am local time, playing alongside China’s Muni He and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, as she looks to turn fond memories into another strong start to the season.