ATS Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Iturrioz maintains lead in delayed Aramco Team Series Florida

Matt Smith — Sun, 21 May 2023 07:42:36 +0000

It is as you were at the top of the leaderboard in the latest Aramco Team Series event in Florida as Nuria Iturrioz leads by one at five-under in the weather-delayed competition at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.

After a storm held up day one, the golfers were still playing catch up when darkness fell on day two, meaning Iturrioz still has four holes to play on Sunday to complete her second round.

The Spaniard leads by one over Scottish rookie Louise Duncan, who turned pro in July last year.

Duncan, who won the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship, is looking for her first win as a professional.

She sits alongside Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda, who took advantage of the placid morning conditions by carding a three-under par 69.

“This morning I thought it was going to be a little easier, a little less windy than yesterday,” Ciganda said. “I hit some good shots, but to be honest my putting was great. I made some good up-and-downs and some good putts for birdie, so that was the key.”

Despite having to play 20 holes on Saturday, American Lindsey Weaver-Wright also shot up the leaderboard, with a second-round three-under taking her up to fifth spot.

“I played pretty steady and other than that, I made a couple of putts. These greens are kind of tricky and with the wind, it can get really tough out there, especially down the final stretch. So, I was just happy to par those holes and

then finish under par”.

Home favourite Lexi Thompson is level-par, tied 9th for the tournament, while world No. 3 Lydia Ko sits on one-under in a share of sixth.

Aside from the drama of the individual championship, it was all to play for in the team event featuring an ever-changing leaderboard throughout the day. Team Alexander finished the day at 23-under-par, leading in the clubhouse overnight. However, they have a long wait to see the final results, as ‘Team Roussin’, captained by Pauline Roussin lead the team championship at 28-under-par through 14 holes before darkness suspended play on Saturday.

60 players and ties proceed to the final round of the Aramco Team Series Florida, as the Team event concludes at the end of the second round.

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Danielle Kang makes her move as Christine Wolf and Co take team title in Singapore

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 10:35:21 +0000

Danielle Kang in action at Laguna Resort, Singapore. ATS/Neville Hopwood

Team Christine Wolf clinched the Aramco Team Series — Singapore team title on day two, while Danielle Kang flew up the individual leaderboard with one of the lowest rounds of the day, a 68.

Team Wolf, completed by South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, England’s Eleanor Givens and amateur Katsuko Blalock, finished at 29-under to close out the team title in dramatic fashion.

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— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) March 17, 2023

Alexander is no stranger to pressure after sealing the Aramco Team Series team title in Jeddah last year in a play-off, and it was she who secured the win after a glorious approach shot on 18 left a 6-footer for birdie. She duly holed the putt to help her quartet lift the trophy.

World No. 8 Kang is nicely poised heading into the final day of individual competition with a share of the lead alongside Pauline Roussin and Nicole Garcia at seven-under. Roussin’s foursome finished just one shot back in the team event as the French star competed on both fronts in the opening Aramco Team Series event of the year.

Wolf, who took a four month break to travel South America last year was delighted to seal the deal on another Ladies European Tour win. “We all knew we needed a birdie on the last few holes to win and I am so glad the girls managed to pull through,” she said.

“They’ve all played really well across the two days, and I honestly couldn’t be prouder. I don’t know how we are going to celebrate. I would think there will be a few drinks involved. Maybe some Singapore Slings.”

Teammate Alexander who has become quite the expert of winning Aramco Team Series team titles, added: “So happy to win again. I wouldn’t say I am an expert, but I have been lucky to have some really good teams.”

Kang could have been even better placed going into the weekend after firing eight birdies on day two, but four bogeys proved costly including one to finish on the ninth.

Kang is taking nothing for granted on a golf course that can bite you if you miss the fairways and said: “I’m just trying to focus on whatever the shot is in front of me and try not to think about anything else.

“It’s been a little bit of a difficult week, so my caddie and I have been just staying in our own zone, our own bubble, and I think we did a good job today and will hope for more of the same tomorrow.”

The American who recently designed a putter dubbed the ‘DK Special’ in collaboration with Scotty Cameron, added: “I have 14 clubs in my bag. I’ve been doing really, really well. Had some tough chips coming in and I made some good ups and downs. Driver has been really great too, so I can’t just say specifically it’s only the putter.

“I had a few three-putts today and yesterday, I think overall you have to strike it well off the tee and have good shots into the greens and give yourself opportunities.”

World No. 1 Lydia Ko will be looking for a final day charge as she is just three shots back from the lead after shooting a 68, while Dubai’s Chiara Noja moved up to joint-seventh alongside Ko thanks to a second-round 69.

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Aramco Team Series returns to Jeddah for final leg after LIV Golf drama

Matt Smith — Sun, 23 Oct 2022 16:41:48 +0000

Pia Babnik is returning to the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah

By Matt Smith
Only a few weeks after the final-day drama at the LIV Golf Jeddah finale, the team action returns to Royal Greens on the Red Sea in Saudia Arabia — and this time it is the turn of the ladies.

Following the dramatic playoff victory for Brooks Koepka over Smash teammate Peter Uihlein in the LIV Golf indivudual showdown in Jeddah ahead of the $50 million Team Championship in Miami, the Aramco Team Series will come back to the same venue in November for the conclusion of its second full season.

The Ladies European Tour event comes back to Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah on 10-12 November.

Bronte Law. ATS

The stars are set to return also, with 2021 ATS Jeddah individual winner Pia Babnik, 2022 London champ Bronte Law and 2021 Sotogrande winner Alison Lee. Other big names include Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen, and rising Dubai star Chiara Noja, who shone at the New York event two weeks ago.

The Series has already graced the shores of Bangkok, London, Sotogrande and New York throughout 2022 and the innovative tournament will once again conclude in Jeddah.

Majed Al-Sorour, Golf Saudi Deputy Chairman and CEO, is delighted to take the ATS back in Jeddah: “The Aramco Team Series has delivered some incredible golf across its four events around the world so far, and we expect it to be no different in Jeddah in November.

“We are always keen to bring these global events to Saudi Arabia to continue our drive to grow participation and the game of golf in the Kingdom. Bringing world-class golf events and some of the best female golf players in the world allows us to do just that.

“I look forward to welcoming the players to Jeddah and the beauty of Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in November and encourage everyone to come and enjoy the Aramco Team Series and the amazing female golfers appearing.”

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Lexi Thompson halts three-year drought by winning Aramco Team Series in New York, as Dubai’s Chiara Noja impresses

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 07:03:26 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
It was a Ladies European Tour event held in New York, with amateurs teaming with the pros, but the circumstances were of no concern to Lexi Thompson. Not when she’d finally lifted a trophy again.

Thompson shot three-under-par 69 on Saturday at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point to win the LET’s Aramco Team Series event. With an 11-under total, the World No. 8 beat Brooke Henderson (68) and Madelene Sagstrom (69) by three shots after she’d taken a two-stroke lead with a 65 on Friday.

The victory was Thompson’s first since she won the 2019 ShopRite Classic for her 11th LPGA Tour win and was followed a string of difficult losses. Thompson’s only previous victory on the LET came in the 2011 Dubai Ladies Masters.

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“I came into today just the way I played yesterday, just playing aggressive golf, and being kind of fiery,” said Thompson, 27.

“I’ve been working extremely hard on my game,” she said. “I felt like it was a matter of time but just wanted to play golf and put myself in contention in the final rounds and learn from the losses that I had and what I needed to work on which I brought into today.”

The Aramco Series, comprised of six events, is backed by Golf Saudi and carries points for the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and the LET’s Race to Costa del Sol.

Dubai’s Chiara Noja finished an impressive T-11 on three-under after a final-round 70.

The Aramco Team Series reaches its 2022 climax next month for the final event of the year in Jeddah at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

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Team Gustavsson win in New York as Thompson and Korda get set for Saturday showdown and Dubai’s Noja surges

Matt Smith — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 07:33:16 +0000

By Matt Smith
Johanna Gustavsson led her side to victory in the Aramco Team Series — New York team event at Ferry Point on the Ladies European Tour.

WATCH: Highlights from New York

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The Swedish skipper joined Jessica Karlsson, Karolin Lampert and New York college star Jennifer Rosenberg on the top step of the podium amid perfect playing conditions at Trump Golf Links to finish on 23-under-par.

“It’s a win and it’s a team win and it’s just great to celebrate with the others and have this kind of experience,” said Gustavsson. “The joy of winning is so much better when you share it as well. It’s just been great and having Jennifer with us, she’s got a bright future, turning pro soon, and I think we’ll see her again.”

Runners up in the team competition was Team Hewson (-21) with Team Maguire (-19) and Team Babnik (-19) in third respectively.

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In the individual competition World No. 8 Lexi Thompson shone in the sunshine — following Thursday’s stormy weather — with a round of 65 to finish on eight-under-par to take a one-shot lead into the final round on Saturday.

“It was a great day out there,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for better weather compared to yesterday and it was obviously a little softer due to the rain. It’s a tough track and it can get windy — so you just have to take advantage of the easier holes.

“All I can focus on is my game and my emotions, so I’ll just try and take that into tomorrow,” added Thompson. “I’m sure I have to come out and play my A Game. But all I can focus on is my game and my emotions.”

World No. 4 Nelly Korda is lurking one stroke back of the leader after a second round of 67 took her to seven-under.

Chasing Thompson and Korda is Madelene Sagstrom (-5) and World No. 6 Brooke Henderson (-4.)

Dubai youngster Chiara Noja took advantage of the more benign conditions to card a 68 and move up to a share of ninth on one-under.

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Aramco Team Series events could settle 2022 Ladies European Tour Race to Costa del Sol, with end in sight

Matt Smith — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 09:05:00 +0000

By Matt Smith
The Ladies European Tour comes to a head over the coming weeks, with the Aramco Team Series top of the agenda as we head to Ferry Point in New York and then Royal Greens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

While individual honours have been shared over the past nine months, we still need to settle the small matter of the best one out there as the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol — the season-long competition to crown the LET’s number one player — reaches its climax.

Out in front is Sweden’s Linn Grant with 3,394.91 points from 16 events and it has been an incredible rookie year for the 23-year-old with four victories on the LET in 2022.

The Swede’s wins have come at the Joburg Ladies Open, Belgian Ladies Open, Scandinavian Mixed and Skafto Open, as well as eight further top-10 finishes.

And Grant returned to the top of the standings following her runner-up finish at the Swiss Ladies Open and extended her lead with T19 at the Women’s Irish Open.

Maja Stark. LET

It remains a close contest though as Grant’s compatriot and friend Maja Stark sits just behind her in the rankings with 3,192.4 points having played 15 events.

The 22-year-old has notched up three victories on the LET in 2022 with wins at the Women’s NSW Open and Amundi German Masters, as well as at the World Invitational.

Stark’s win in the co-sanctioned event in Northern Ireland led to her becoming a member of the LPGA Tour and heading to the United States for the end of the summer run.

But despite this, the 22-year-old is still in with a chance of winning the Race to Costa del Sol having entered the Aramco Team Series — New York and the season-ending finale — the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open, with Jeddah slotting in between these events.

Johanna Gustavsson completes the trio of Swedish stars at the top of the standings, and she has 1,885.63 points from 21 events.

And although, Gustavsson is still in search of her maiden LET win, she is having her best season to date with seven top-10 and fourth top-20 finishes so far this year.

Belgium’s Manon De Roey sits in fourth place with 1,729.21 points with Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher in fifth on 1,515.88 points.

It is tight behind with England’s Meghan MacLaren in sixth (1,502.19), Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivino in seventh (1,399.71), South African Lee-Anne Pace in eighth (1,322.05) and English duo Georgia Hall and Liz Young currently rounding out the top 10.

At the conclusion of the season, the top 10 in the Race to Costa del Sol have the opportunity to go to the final stage of LPGA Q-Series, so it is still all to play for in the final four events of the year.

Roll on New York!

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Ladies European Tour aiming higher than ever ahead of expanded Aramco Team Series

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 08:46:49 +0000

Alexandra Armas. Ladies European Tour

By GolfDigestME.com
The Ladies European Tour (LET) is set to embrace more unique approaches to elite-level tournament golf to elevate the women’s game, says Tour CEO Alexandra Armas.

This year’s season is the most lucrative in LET history, with 34 events across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and as far afield as the United States and Australia.

Following on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ladies European Tour returned from stronger than it went in back in 2019.

Last season’s introduction of the Aramco Team Series (ATS) events brought four $1million prize-fund tournaments to the calendar, taking the Tour to London, Sotogrande in Spain, New York and Jeddah for three-days of team and individual competition in a new-look format.

Each ATS event sees up to 36 team captains pick a teammate, then be assigned a randomly selected third teammate and an amateur golfer, who plays with a handicap. Together, they then compete over Thursday and Friday as a fourball, with the two lowest scores per hole recorded and the lowest total score winning.

Many of the game’s biggest stars played last year, including the likes of Atthaya Thitikul, Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Anna Nordqvist, the Korda sisters and Lexi Thompson.

The concept of a combined team and individual tournament came from Armas herself and was backed by Golf Saudi and their sponsor Aramco.

Now, following a successful debut year, the Aramco Team Series events return for 2022, but this time with the addition of the Aramco Team Series — Bangkok, to be played in Thailand on May 12-14th.

The events return with a revived format (two days of team competition, then a closing day individual-only battle), and, importantly, the opportunity for players to earn further prize money, with a share of another $1million added to the year’s kitty.

“It’s exciting growth,” said Armas, now into her third year as head of the LET. “Coming out of the pandemic we were looking for partners that would not just allow us to push the Tour forward, but also offer a strategic commitment to our players. The partnership with Golf Saudi and Aramco has helped us to achieve that.

“Now, as we emerge from the pandemic, the addition of the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok has truly helped us to elevate the Tour by driving up the prize funds. The players enjoy playing in the team format and the organisation around each of the Series’ events, from the quality of the courses to the build, facilities and the hospitality around them is elevating the standards across the board. To many of our members, these events feel like majors – and they look forward to playing in them almost as much.”

“In devising the concept for the Aramco Team Series events, we wanted to innovate and do something different. The LET is looking at ways of engaging with our fanbase to get them hooked on watching golf more regularly. New creative ideas and different ways of doing things can help with that.”

The Aramco Team Series returns for 2022. Ladies European Tour

The Aramco Team Series certainly does encompass everything Armas seeks to achieve Tour-wide. While attracting the biggest names in golf, they also mix things up – from its format and NFL-style draft, to players walking onto the tee to their choice of music. Events last year also had live on-course DJs and other non-traditional approaches designed to change and retune the tone.

“The Aramco Team Series events appeal to established golf fans and the next generation coming into the game,” said Armas. “Each of the ATS events last year brought about some truly thrilling golf and epic climaxes, with three of them going to play-offs. Our refined format for this year will only heighten that experience — for players and fans alike — and I’m excited to get 2022’s Series under way in Thailand.”

As key backers of the Series, Golf Saudi are also thrilled to see the event grow in stature for 2022.

Deputy Chairman and CEO Majed al Sorour said: “The format of the Aramco Team Series was a prospect that we were desperate to be involved in from the get-go — and for a debut event, it could really not have gone any better last year. The players loved it and it allowed us to grow the women’s game, including by taking the Ladies European Tour to the States for the first time in its history with the Aramco Team Series — New York.

“To be expanding the Series into a new territory with our Thailand event for 2022 is a massively exciting next step. We can’t wait to be part of it and to see the role all five events continue to have in advancing women’s golf.”

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