The 72-hole stroke play event will be held at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, from November 29 to December 2, bringing down the curtain on the ADT’s 2023 calendar in spectacular fashion and taking total ADT prize money for the season beyond the $1 million barrier.

Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco has a history of over 75 years supporting golf in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are proud to continue our tradition across the company and the Kingdom. We believe partnership with the Asian Development Tour is a natural fit with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and Aramco’s mission to promote sports, and particularly golf, among the youth of Saudi Arabia.”

Cho Minn Thant, the Asian Tour Commissioner & CEO, added: “This is wonderful news for the Asian Development Tour, the Asian Tour’s flourishing feeder circuit, and we are truly appreciative to Aramco for their support.

“I know that all those who play on the ADT will welcome this exciting news, which, I’m sure will motivate them to work even harder as they bid to progress their way onto the Asian Tour,” he added.

With the top 10 players on the ADT’s end-of-season Order of Merit earning promotion to the Asian Tour in 2024, the Saudi Aramco Invitational will prove decisive in determining who makes it through.

Cho added: “Where Energy is Opportunity is Aramco’s tagline. The Saudi Aramco Invitational will energise and provide opportunity for the region’s up-and-coming professionals, as well as elite amateur players. We’re grateful to Aramco for their vision and commitment to the development of golf.”

The 120-strong field for the Saudi Aramco Invitational will be made up of 70 players from the ADT, 40 players selected by Aramco and 10 invitees.

Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij triumphed in the 2022 inaugural tournament, which was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.

Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, creating value across the hydro-carbon chain and delivering societal and economic benefits to people and communities around the globe who rely on the vital energy it supplies.

“Aramco takes great pride in sponsoring and hosting Asia’s best up-and-coming talent at our beautiful, yet challenging, golf course,” said Al-Nuaim.

“We are always seeking strategic and long-term partnerships and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour.”

The post Saudi Aramco Invitational provides energy boost to the Asian Development Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Manon De Roey was the solo star in the inaugural Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series — Bangkok, holding off Thailand’s home hope Patty Tavatanakit for her first ever career title.

A bogey-free six-under-par closing round at Thai Country Club was enough to overhaul world No. 13 Tavatanakit, who led by two after the second round. But the 2021 ANA Inspiration champion struggled to a final day one-over 73, and playing partner De Roey flourished, finding six birdies as she romped to a three-shot victory and her maiden Tour title.

“It feels great,” said De Roey – the first Belgian to win an LET title in 25 years. “I was waiting for this for a long time so I’m very happy.

“It was actually a really good day. I started quite strongly. I was hitting it quite close, made birdie on the second. I just stayed patient and I dropped in some good putts.

“I’ve been working hard on my game, just trying to stay patient for the win. I was really hoping for this last year, so I’m really happy I got it now this year.”

The 30-year-old added: “I have a pretty good record in the Aramco Team Series events – I’ve picked good teams. But I love it. The first few days I really played for the team. They really pushed to make a lot of birdies. Yeah, super happy. I mean, it’s been a long time for me. I fought really hard and I’m happy I came through.”

Played over three days, this was the first $1 million Aramco Team Series tournament to run under 2022’s new format, in which its $500,000 prize-fund team element – where three LET professionals team up with an amateur golfer – is battled out over only 36 holes.

That title was claimed a day earlier by Team Hillier: Australian Whitney Hillier, Krista Bakker of Finland, Thailand’s Chonlada Chayanun, and Bangkok businessman Pattanan Amatanon.

Now up to five events per season, the Aramco Team Series next heads to the UK for the Aramco Team Series – London, which will take place at Centurion Club in St Albans, June 16-18.

The post Aramco Team Series — Bangkok: Belgian Manon De Roey  denies home hope  Patty Tavatanakit for first Ladies European Tour title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Patty Tavatanakit held on to her individual lead as Team Hillier triumphed at the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok on Friday.

The innovative Ladies European Tour tournament runs a three-day individual strokeplay competition alongside the two-round, four-player team event and it was Whitney Hillier and her crew that came out on top to lift the team trophy at Thai Country Club.

Hillier, Chonlada Chayanun, Krista Bakker and amateur Pattanan Amatanon backed up their excellent first round to seal a three-stroke victory with a 15-under-par final round.

It was a first LET title for Hillier and Chayanun, while it is back-to-back victories for Bakker, who was part of Team Pedersen in Jeddah last November.

Captain Hillier said: “I’m so proud of my team. Even from the start of yesterday morning we just had a good vibe. Everything just flowed and obviously we played great golf, but we had a lot of the fun, so that was the most important thing too. This is my 10th year on tour, and for my first win to be in a team event, like that’s pretty cool. I’m just looking forward to tomorrow too, now.”

Bakker added: “It’s great to be here winning again. We had so much fun and as Whitney said, yesterday we started to play good right away and making birdies.”

It was a fantastic day for Chayanun, whose home club is Thai Country Club, in the Individual competition as she carded a 67 (-5) to help her team and climb up the individual leaderboard.

“I’m just happy,” she said. “I never thought about winning and we did it as a team, so I’m really happy. I’m so proud of my team. Everything was perfect today. I made so many pars and had like eight birdies, so that’s the secret. I got so much good energy from my team. They are really supportive, so that just made me keep going.”

Team Simmermacher led by Magdalena Simmermacher alongside Charlotte Liautier, Isabella Deilert and amateur Sirapob Yapala, finished in second place on 28-under, while Team Tavatanakit were third with a total of -26 and one shot further back in a tie for fourth place were Team Moriya Jutanugarn and Team Lampert.

Patty Tavatanakit. Aramco

In the individual competition, which concludes on Saturday, Tavatanakit signed for a three-under 69 to improve to nine-under.

The Major winner (she claimed the 2021 ANA Inspiration) rolled in birdies on seven and nine before dropping a shot on the 12th, but the Thai star rolled in back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to hold a two-shot lead heading into the final day.

“It was pretty good,” said Tavatanakit. “Walking off the course without my A game and being on top of leaderboard is always a nice feeling. If anything, just seeing a little bit of confidence that I left a lot out there and a lot of things could be improved tomorrow. I didn’t really have the right flow today, but I stayed patient and a couple putts dropped at the end so that helped a lot.”

England’s Felicity Johnson and Belgium’s Manon De Roey sit two shots off the lead on seven-under having fired rounds of 68 and 67, respectively.

“I played nicely and played really steady, I’m happy with my rounds from today and yesterday,” said Johnson. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens.

“Myself and my caddie did a lot of good work at the start of the week of where we’re trying to hit approach shots and to figure out the grain as the ball is making its way to the hole on the greens.”

De Roey added: “I feel great, I was just playing for the team today and trying to make as many birdies as possible. Last week I wasn’t playing my best golf, but I was able to make a lot of birdies and that built my confidence for this week, and I feel a bit more comfortable.”

? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?@Beany25 equalled the course record with a stunning 6⃣6⃣ (-6) to move into contention in Thailand ??#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/AXIISiINpT

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 13, 2022

Two-time Major winner Ariya Jutanugarn is on six-under alongside Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson with five players in a tie for sixth place on five-under including Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, who fired the best round of the day with a 66.

“I haven’t been playing much or practicing so didn’t quite know what to expect,” said the two-time winning Solheim Cup captain.

“I played well today, and I putted well. Kind of every little thing everything went for me. I’m disappointed in my finish. As a golfer you’re never too thrilled, but overall delighted.

“I picked out a new putter just before I came here and that’s been working so well. My caddie reads the greens great, so I just leave it to her, and she just points, and I try and hit it where she says.”

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