Zhang’s professional debut sent shockwaves through the golf world when she secured victory at the Mizuho Americas Open in June. Her incredible win made her the first player to achieve this feat on the LPGA Tour since Japanese star Hinako Shibuno in 2019. Zhang’s triumph marked her as the eighth player since 1992 to win in their first professional start on Tour, joining the ranks of household names such as Karrie Webb.

Zhang’s extraordinary amateur career included eight wins in a single season, a record that ties her with golf legend Tiger Woods for the most wins by a Stanford player in the school’s history. Zhang’s remarkable journey saw her win 12 times in just 20 starts during her Stanford career, surpassing all other players, both male and female, including Woods.

Zhang’s reign as the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur extended over an impressive 141 weeks, a record unmatched by any other player. Her amateur tenure also featured 13 starts on the LPGA Tour, including participation in eight major championships, with her best finish being T11 at the 2020 Chevron Championship.

Currently ranked 32nd in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Zhang said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Aramco Team Series — Hong Kong. It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of such an exciting world-class event, and I’m eager to take on some of the world’s best on this fantastic stage in Hong Kong.”

Joining Zhang and Vu in Hong Kong from the European Solheim Cup team are Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Hedwall. ATS Florida champion Ciganda secured the crucial point to help Team Europe retain the Solheim Cup by defeating ATS London champ Nelly Korda 2&1 in their singles match in Spain.

Accompanying Ciganda is fellow European Hedwall, who defeated American Ally Ewing 2-Up in a decisive Sunday singles match.

Main image: Rose Zhang. Malcolm Mackenzie/LET

The post Rose Zhang among Solheim Cup stars confirmed for Aramco Team Series — Hong Kong appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“Now I realise how important that point was and I’m just really proud that I could turn my match around,” Hedwall said afterward, noting that without her point, Europe lose 15-13.

Questioned for using a captain’s pick on the 121st-ranked player in the world, Pettersen’s decision became even more cloudy when she left Hedwall on the bench for the first three sessions. A five-time Solheim Cup veteran, Hedwall was the only player on either side who did not play in a session on Friday, as Pettersen felt pressure to play her best players after the Americans swept the opening foursomes session.

“We have to put our ‘A team’ out, and she’s [Hedwall] completely in with that,” Pettersen explained.

Hedwall does not profile as an A-team member. She was the second lowest ranked player on the European squad and made her last Cup appearance was in 2019, where she played two sessions and went 0-2. Her best Solheim Cup moment was a decade ago, when in 2013 she went 5-0-0.

Hedwall’s play on Saturday afternoon didn’t exactly foretell her becoming a Sunday hero. She lost in a fourball alongside Anna Nordqvist, 2&1, the only European loss of the final team session.

It made sense then that Hedwall trailed Ewing 3-down with six holes remaining in the eighth singles match out on Sunday, a path to Europe even retaining the Cup looking in doubt.

Georgia Hall and Gemma Dryburgh had squandered their 2-up leads with four holes to play, turning into only half points and nudging the US to 11.5 points. Hedwall and Emily Kristine Pedersen faced multiple-hole deficits against the Americans, and Celine Boutier, Maja Stark, and Carlota Ciganda were all in tight matches.

Instead, the Swede started a throwback performance with six holes left, beginning the crucial comeback with her second and third birdies of the day for wins on Nos. 13 and 14.

“I was just trying to stay patient,” Hedwall said. “I didn’t make any putts on the front and it was frustrating, for sure, and the wind was turning around. But somehow I just felt like it has to turn around at some point and it truly did, which I’m very happy for.”

After a tie on the 15th, Hedwall faced a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to win her third hole in the last four, with the line going straight to the pavilion of European fans waiting to erupt. The Swede delivered, raising both arms like a conductor after draining the putt to send another roar pulsating throughout the back nine.

Pure emotion ???

Caroline Hedwall is heading to the 17th A/S#TeamEurope | #SolheimCup pic.twitter.com/EIZkcjVuYq

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) September 24, 2023

The importance of Hedwall completing the comeback increased as Yin took down Boutier, 2&1, putting the US at a 13-11 lead, and with Thompson holding a commanding lead in the anchor match. A half point from any other American else would yield a likely US victory. Yet Hedwall, headed to 17 tied up with Ewing, remained oblivious to what her match could mean for Europe’s chances.

“I wasn’t aware, to be honest, because Suzann told me this morning to just focus on myself and try to get my point, and that’s what I kept doing,” Hedwall said.

Hedwall’s head-down approach continued her triumphant comeback charge by hitting a dart at the par-3 17th’s flag. Hedwall drained her 12-foot birdie putt to take her first lead on Sunday, cleaning up an uneventful 18th after reaching the green in two to win her match, completing one of the Solheim’s best-ever comebacks and Hedwall’s first singles victory in a decade, a needed point for Europe to retain the Cup.

A massive, massive moment.

Caroline Hedwall goes 1UP heading to the 18th ??#TeamEurope | #SolheimCup pic.twitter.com/tLfEc5hPqv

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) September 24, 2023

“Somewhere I just found that power and I managed to finish this off and I’m just really proud of myself,” Hedwall said.

Main image: Stuart Franklin

The post Caroline Hedwall goes from unlikely captain’s pick to out-of-nowhere hero with incredible singles comeback appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Suzann Pettersen has announced her four captain’s picks to round out the home team that’s trying to win an unprecedented third straight Solheim Cup for Europe next month in Spain. Much like the eight automatic qualifiers who locked up their spots two days earlier, Pettersen chose experience along with a fresh face, taking one rookie (Gemma Dryburgh) and three veterans (Madelene Sagstrom, Caroline Hedwal and Emily Kristine Pedersen). With the matches set for Finca Cortesin Resort in just four weeks (September 22-24), here’s what you need to know about the newest members of Europe’s Solheim Cup squad.

Madelene Sagstrom

Madelene Sagstrom. Jack Thomas

This is the 30-year-old’s third Solheim Cup, though it’ll be the first time she’ll play the event in Europe. The Swede was a stand-out on the Epson Tour, winning three times in 2016 and earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season. She has won once on the LPGA Tour and is currently ranked No. 42 in the Rolex World Rankings. Her overall Solheim Cup record is 2-4-0.

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Emily Kristine Pedersen. Charlie Crowhurst/R&A

This is Pedersen’s third Solheim Cup as well and her first start in Europe, too. You may remember her as the player who holed the winning put for the Europeans when they closed out their upset victory at Inverness Club in 2021. The 27-year-old Dane has won five LET events in her career, including four in 2020 alone. Notably, she is one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, averaging 273 yards off the tee. Her career Solheim Cup record is 3-4-0.

Caroline Hedwall

Caroline Hedwall. Getty Images

Hedwall is the most experienced of Pettersen’s picks, set to make her fifth appearance. The 34-year-old Swede who was a stand-out at Oklahoma State who played 10 years on the LPGA Tour but never claimed a title. She does have seven wins on the Ladies European Tour, the most recent coming late last year at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España —  which was played about an hour from the 2023 Solheim Cup site.
“Having great memories from the end of last year in Andalucía, I hadn’t thought much about Solheim until I won and after that, it was a goal for the season,” Hedwall said. “I’m just really happy it became a reality and super pumped to play in Spain again.”
Her career Solheim Cup record is 8-6-1.

Gemma Dryburgh

Gemma Dryburgh. David Cannon

This is Dryburgh’s first Solheim Cup, though she has experience in team play, having competed in the 2014 Curtis Cup. The 30-year-old Scot played college golf at Tulane before turning professional in 2015. In 2022, she won the Toto Japan Classic, her first LPGA victory. She will make a good foursomes partner as she is one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour, hitting more than 82 pe rcent of fairways in the 2023 season.

Team Europe’s complete roster for the 2023 Solheim Cup

Celine Boutier
Maja Stark
Charley Hull
Leona Maguire
Georgia Hall
Linn Grant
Carlota Ciganda
Anna Nordqvist
Gemma Dryburgh
Caroline Hedwall
Emily Kristine Pedersen
Madelene Sagstrom

The post Everything you need to know about Suzann Pettersen’s four European Solheim Cup captain’s picks appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Swedish star was locked in a battle on 18-under with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux after regulation play, the duo headed for a playoff and after playing the 18th hole three times they went to the 17th hole.

It was a hole where Hedwall has had success all week and she made the green in two and sunk her birdie putt to win her seventh LET title.

“It just feels awesome, it feels forever that I have waited for that win,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I still had it in me. It’s so nice to get it together and get this win.

“It has been a roller-coaster to be honest, I had injury in 2014 that was really tough on me, and I had a hard turn on my self-confidence. That win in 2018 meant a lot to me.

“It was tough during Covid-19, I didn’t want to travel as much but now it’s more or less back to normal and it feels great. My game is coming together really nicely, and it was awesome to finish with that.”

Hedwall had a very consistent week with rounds of 70, 68, 69 and 67 to finish on 18-under.

The 33-year-old produced her best round of the week on the final day and was bogey-free rolling in six birdies on Sunday.

“I have been hitting my driver really well the last couple of weeks and I could take advantage of the par-fives here and reach and two-putt for birdies and even make a couple of eagles,” she added. “It’s been great, I have really enjoyed playing this golf course, it was a lot of fun.

“I wasn’t sure I still had it in me, and I think I just showed myself I can, and the 2023 Solheim Cup will be a goal for next season.”

Metraux, who won the Ladies Italian Open earlier in the season, produced a final round of 69 with four birdies to finish level with Hedwall and ultimately second overall.

Sweden’s Linn Grant produced an excellent final day of 65 to secure third place on 17-under-par at Alferini Golf.

The four-time LET winner was bogey-free in her fourth round with three birdies on her front nine, before rolling in a further three on the back nine and an eagle.

She said: “It was very exciting. I came off yesterday quite frustrated, so it was nice to play a solid round today and I didn’t really think about it much until the 17th when I happened to eagle. All of a sudden, I was in the lead. I’m happy with my round and the tournament.“

???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ???

Linn Grant wins the #RaceToCostaDelSol, what an incredible season ???#RaiseOurGame pic.twitter.com/Qv4DhTb8SZ

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 27, 2022

With her third-place finish, Grant clinched the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol title having capped an incredible rookie season.

She added: “I am just very relieved, very happy. This is huge for Swedish golf, having Johanna as well as number three on the rankings. I’ve had Carro [Hedwall] as a role model myself to just see her out there winning and getting that moment for herself is awesome as well.”

Ireland’s Leona Maguire finished in fourth place with a total of 16-under, England’s Alice Hewson and Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez were one shot further back in T5 on 15-under.

Three players shared seventh place with Sweden’s Maja Stark alongside Spanish duo Carlota Ciganda and Carla Tejedo Mulet, while Olivia Cowan, Anne Van Dam and Sofie Bringner rounded out the top 10 on 12-under-par.

You may also like:
Emotional triumph for Cam Smith in Australia
Meet Dan Bradbury, DP World Tour’s newest surprise package
Cam Smith has a fantastic return to Oz
Tiger and Charlie Woods in PNC Championship field
Tiger set for rankings boost at Hero Open
Sergio Garcia to drop out of top 100
LOOK: Golf’s biggest turkeys of 2022
Rare data shows how dominant Tiger was some 20-odd years ago
All you need to know on the new golf rules for 2023
Cam Smith right at home at Australian PGA Championship
Gainer leads the way at LET finale in Spain
Adam Scott making big changes for 2023
Cameron Smith eyes winning return to Australia
‘I thought I was dying. How golf kept me going’
PGA Tour University star earns trip to Dubai Desert Classic
Jumeirah Golf Estates secures 10-year deal for DPWTC
City boss Pep enjoys World Cup break in UAE

The post Hedwall claims Costa Del Sol Open De Espana in dramatic fashion appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Read all about the 24-year-old Australian’s playoff victory over Celine Boutier in the official review edition of the LET event’s Daily News, again produced by Golf Digest Middle East, here.

Caroline Hedwall reflects on a wire-to-wire bid that was so close and yet so far at Emirates Golf Club while we talk to EGF Ops and Marketing Manager Robert Fiala and UAE national team player Abdulla Al Musharrekh who were part of the winning Pro-Am team captained by Charley Hull.

Scroll through the ISSUU link below and/or download Saturday’s ODMC Daily News to your favourite device to read offline and keep for prosperity.

This was a historic OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic after all. There mightn’t have been fans at The Faldo but there was ample drama. Enjoy.

The post Get the special Saturday review edition of the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic ‘Daily News’ here FREE! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
A cursory glance at the names beneath Minjee Lee on the front page of the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic leaderboard read like a who’s who of what might have been, tales that some were happy to articulate, others not at all.

While Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, clearly crestfallen at her playoff loss to Lee, escaped into the night without a word, Swede Caroline Hedwall and Scot Kylie Henry stuck about to add context to a dramatic Friday on The Faldo.

The leader by one heading into the final round, Hedwall eventually missed the playoff by the same margin after three front nine bogeys meant she was always playing catch-up down the floodlit stretch. She did so bravely but simply couldn’t will either of the birdie looks she had on the final two holes into the cup, including a great chance after a near repeat of her opening round slam dunk ace on 17.

The six-time LET winner eventually had to settle for T-3 alongside Laura Fuenfstueck (70) and fast-finishing defending champion Nuria Iturrioz (67) who were others to come close and finish yet so far.

“It wasn’t the start I wanted but I think I fought back very well and the last couple of holes I played really, really well, gave myself the opportunities but just didn’t make the putts in the end,” said Hedwall who signed for a 72 and a decent dollop of confidence to take into Saudi next week and beyond.

“Yeah, absolutely, I mean I feel well with my game, I’m playing solid. I just need to get that momentum I had the greens the first day [a 65] and I know I can score low.”

Henry was never really in ‘what might have been’ range after starting the final round so far back. But she was elated all the same with a course-record 63 to catapult herself from +3 to -6 and into the top-10. The highlight came at the par-3 8th where she summoned an 8-iron to a foot from the cup but her most impressive moment came afterwards when she spoke on behalf of all those with Moonlight narratives good, great and sad.

“I’m just so delighted to be playing tournaments,” Henry said. “I’m so grateful to everybody at the LET who is working doubly hard and all our sponsors who’ve got us back up and running through this pandemic. It’s made us all remember how much we love the game and we’re really appreciating the opportunity to be out here competing for a living.”

The post The contrasting final-round fortunes of Hedwall, Henry and co. appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Leader Caroline Hedwall has a criminology essay to submit before she joins the gaggle of big names eyeing the heist of the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic’s coveted Dallah Trophy.

By Kent Gray
It would be fitting if evidence for the paper Caroline Hedwall had to submit overnight as part of her criminology degree was sourced from a suspenseful, real-life thriller. That certainly shapes as the genre of Friday when the Swede gets back to her day job, albeit after hours, at the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic.

The 31-year-old, suddenly playing well after the mystery of eight missed cuts in her last nine starts, will take a one-stroke buffer over England’s Meghan MacLaren into the final round of the $285,000 LET Pro-Am at Emirates Golf Club.

With six LET titles on a résumé boasting 15 wins worldwide, and a 8 win-6 loss-1 half record in four Solheim Cup appearances, Hedwall is no stranger to winning, nor pressure. But the final round of the Moonlight, under The Faldo’s floodlights, is set up for a spine-tingling finish courtesy of a classy and tightly-packed leaderboard.

After a bogey-free second round 70 to move to -9, Hedwall will be out in the final three-ball alongside -8 MacLaren and -7 Minjee Lee. Lee’s presence, in particular, will likely give Hedwall the chills after the Aussie made Thursday’s biggest move with a 65. At No.9 in the world ranking, Lee owns the tag as the Moonlight’s highest-rated player and also has the experience of five LPGA Tour wins to bring to the 1st tee Friday.

The threesome immediately behind Hedwall and co., who will tee off five minutes ahead in group 1A in a quirk of the 5pm shotgun draw, won’t provide the 36-hole leader with much comfort either.

Also at -7 and just two strokes back is Laura Fuenfstueck (70). The German will be joined by former world No.1 Lydia Ko (70) and French Solheim Cupper Celine Boutier (71) who shared fifth place with the Kiwi star on -6. Ominously, the trio of Lee, Ko and Bouiter bring a total of 21 LPGA Tour and eight LET wins to Friday’s title fight.

Laura Fuenfstueck. Photo by Tristan Jones/LET

After a quick turnaround from her opening night 65 which included a slam dunk hole-in-one, Hedwall had to rise early for her ultimately flawless but slightly frustrating second round.

“I have been playing very steady, hitting a lot of greens and I’ve been good within two metres of the hole. Today I had a lot of putts that didn’t drop so maybe five-under would have been a fair score. But I’m in a good position for tomorrow and I am happy with my game,” said Hedwall who finished T-5 in Dubai last year.

“Today was so different. It was quite hot but … the turnaround was probably the hardest part, falling asleep yesterday and then having to be back up, I only had 6½ hours sleep. I have plenty of time to rest for tomorrow. I am going to try and get my energy up, relax and chill.”

That was until Hedwall remembered her homework assignment waiting back in the players’ hotel.

“I am actually studying criminology at the moment to try and get a degree. It is nice to have something to focus on when you are back in the room. It is stressful at times with 100 percent of the course completed remotely. I’ve been doing lots of essays and I have one to do tonight as the deadline is tomorrow.”

The only crime on Friday then? Perhaps that you forget to tune in on TV – Dubai Sports Channel in the UAE – to find out if Hedwall was the one, ahem, whodunit.

It won’t be a surprise if MacLaren, Lee or Ko spoil Hedwall’s wire-to-wire attempt mind you.

Ko finished with two birdies, including a chip-in from a hanging lie on the 16th, in her final three holes to keep herself in the tournament. But the Kiwi, who owns five LET titles to go with her 15 LPGA Tour wins, is having to learn how to putt the grainy Faldo greens at night on the job.

“Ah, yes, my putting stats definitely agreed to that,” said Ko when asked if she was struggling on the greens.

“I really had trouble with my distance control. It’s difficult because you see the dark and the light and I think your depth perception is a little off, even just with the length of the holes. I had one hole yesterday where I felt like I could get close to the green [off the tee] on the par-4 and today it felt like a par-5, it just shows you how different it is.

“But it’s fun, it’s a unique format and definitely an interesting factor about this tournament.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to learn a few things from today but in some ways, because it is dark, I think it eliminates some of the things you see and it makes you focus on the shot you want to hit. In some ways it really dials in your targets which is nice, especially on tricky driving holes.”

Switzerland’s Kim Metraux is solo 7th on -5 while defending champion Nuria Iturrioz isn’t out of it in a quartet a shot further back. But Friday shapes as a battle between the final two three-balls. The scene of the great Dallah Trophy heist has been set.

The post Caroline Hedwall, pro golfer by day, amateur crime sleuth by night, scripts Moonlight thriller appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

There is no cut at the 54-hole Ladies European Tour Pro-Am, mercifully, but after her opening 10 holes on Wednesday evening the 31-year-old Swede must still have feared another ho-hum week was in the offing. There was nothing overly alarming about her bogey-free start but Hedwall was chugging along relative to German Laura Fuenfstueck, the clubhouse leader at -5, and others out in the evening wave.

But if this crazy old year has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. So it proved as the duel LET and LPGA Tour member produced a slam dunk hole-in-one on the 17th amid a late Faldo birdie fest to rocket to the first-round lead.

A stunning seven-under-par 65 – after picking up all seven shots to par in her final eight holes – will see Hedwall start Thursday’s second round with a two-stroke lead over Celine Boutier after the French Solheim Cupper returned a floodlit 67 to match Fuenfstueck’s daylight equivalent. Former world No.1 Lydia Ko mixed six birdies and an eagle with four bogeys in a 68 and lurks ominously in solo 4th, a shot ahead of four players on -3 including defending champion Nuria Iturrioz and Dubai-adopted Scot Alison Muirhead. Just 13 of the 56 players bettered par.

Starting the evening shotgun on the 6th, Hedwall went unnoticed by the TV cameras until she backed up a birdie on 16 with her pin-breaking ace on the 17th (her 12th hole) with a sweet six-iron struck exactly 162 yards. Indeed, it was so flush, Hedwall feared the worse.

“I heard how it hit the pin and then I thought it came off [the green] because something white flew off the flagstick. I thought my ball was in the bunker. I walked up and saw a ball in the bunker and remarked ‘there it is’ but my Pro-Am partner said that it was his ball. So I walked up to the hole to double-check and it was there,” said Hedwall. “I realised just after the hole-in-one that I’d won a [OMEGA] watch, which is cool.”

Hedwall went on to birdie the tricky 18th, added a birdie two on the 2nd and further gains on the 3rd and 5th. She has pedigree – six LET wins – if not recent form – she was 161st in the Race to Costa Del Sol standings and 159th in the world rankings heading into Dubai – to believe she can kick on this week even if the conditions are unusual.

“I made quite a nice few par putts on the front nine, which gave me momentum with my putting. Eventually, the longer ones fell in as well. It was a nice solid round of golf, I am really happy,” she said.

“Night golf is hard, particularly with my vision. I have to trust my caddy to see the ball for me. So it is tricky and hard to read the greens and [you must] be particularly careful seeing all the slopes and walk around the hole because it doesn’t come naturally when you stand behind it like you usually do.”

Fuenfstueck has played every event of this interrupted 2020 LET season and has eight top-10s in 32 career starts. A breakthrough win begs.

Laura Fuenfstueck.

“I came out to Dubai a bit early to practice on a few of the golf courses around here…there’s just so many nice ones so I just tried to prepare as well as I could. I’ve played as much golf as I could this year and although I still missed a few putts out there, I am really pleased with my day.”

The 25-year-old, like Kiwi Ko, will have to negotiate The Faldo’s LED lights in the second round but rather spookily predicted Hedwall’s pace-setting round and sees no reason why something similar can’t be achieved on Thursday.

“Perhaps there will be less wind and I think there is a low number out there so I am anticipating someone shooting as low as seven-under-par this afternoon,” said after her daylight round. “The greens are easier to read in the sun because you can tell the grain a bit more but maybe I will find out what it will be like tomorrow.”

Roll on the second round.

Lydia Ko lurks ominously but will need to negotiate The Faldo’s floodlights for the first time on Thursday.

The post Swede Caroline Hedwall slam-dunks ace en-route to OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic lead appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.