KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY: Golfers, entertainers and visitors to the second Saudi International golf tournament have hailed the event, which attracted more than 25,000 fans, as a 鈥渨onderful experience.鈥�

King Abdullah Economic City鈥檚 (KAEC) Royal Greens Golf and Country Club played host as spectators descended on the Red Sea coastal course to watch one of the European Tour鈥檚 strongest fields battle it out over four days.

For many it was their first foray into the sport, and as well as being able to see top players such as world No. 1 Brooks Koepka, visitors also attended concerts involving DJs Zedd, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, and Canadian singer Bryan Adams.

Northern Ireland鈥檚 Graeme McDowell, who won the competition by beating defending champion and US powerhouse Dustin Johnson by two shots, said he had loved his time in the Kingdom.

鈥淭he week really exceeded my expectations on a lot of levels. The hotel was very comfortable; the golf course was fantastic. They took great care of us. I think they did a really nice job with the staging and the things they have done this week. It was a fun event.

鈥淥bviously golf is an emerging sport here and (we want to help) contribute to where this nation wants to go. I wish this country well, I really do in golf, and hopefully I鈥檒l be back to defend next year,鈥� the 40-year-old added.

Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson, 49, was making his first competitive visit to the Kingdom. He too was full of praise for both the event and hospitality. 鈥淚鈥檝e had a great week, and this is really, again, been a great week for me to build off my game. We were treated so well and had a wonderful experience here.

鈥淭he course is spectacular. I鈥檓 very pleasantly surprised at what a quality golf course this is, because I know there鈥檚 a lot of growth and a lot of courses being built, and this is a great standard to try to keep up with.鈥�

Meanwhile, Puerto Rican singing sensation Luis Fonsi 鈥� who performed to a packed crowd on the third night of the Saudi International, powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers 鈥� was delighted by the response he had received playing his first gig in the Kingdom.

Posting online, he said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice to be able to do a concert in a place where music manages to connect us as if we speak the same language, regardless of race or culture. (The concert) was one of those you don鈥檛 forget. I can鈥檛 wait to be back.鈥�

Omar Mattar, 23, made the trip to KAEC from Jeddah with two friends. He said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e big sports fans but golf for us, like many people in 黑料社区, is a very new sport. Being huge Zedd fans, we decided we鈥檇 come through to see what the golf was like before going to the concert at night. It feels bigger and better than last year.

鈥淭he players made the game look so easy. When we tried playing in the entertainment zone, we realized it鈥檚 a bit harder than it looks. But it was a great experience and the concert was incredible. We鈥檒l be back next year, without a doubt.鈥�

Hosts Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation were delighted with the success of the event and what they regard as the latest step on a quest to get Saudis playing golf and enjoying the sport.

Majed Al-Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: 鈥淭o have the top names in golf once again appear at the Saudi International was a real honor for us. Graeme鈥檚 (McDowell) performance all four days was outstanding, and he is a worthy champion.鈥�

鈥淭he tournament continues to shape our collective vision for golf in the Kingdom, introducing the game at every level. I hope even more visitors turn out to join us in 2021 as golf becomes part of the fabric of modern-day 黑料社区.鈥�