Moroccan prepares to revisit the place where it all began at KAEC

By Matt Smith
The Arab world discovered a new star in September when Morocco’s Ines Laklalech claimed her first crown on the Ladies European Tour.

The 24-year-old made history at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France in Deauville as she defeated Meghan MacLaren in a playoff at Golf Barrière.

With the victory she became the first Moroccan, Arab, and North African woman to win a title on the Ladies European Tour.

Now she is aiming to make more history as she prepares for the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah event from November 10-12. 

It was only two years ago that Laklalech teed it up at the inaugural Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens as a young amateur and now she is coming back to KAEC for the ATS finale as a professional as her first full season on as a Ladies European Tour card-holder comes to a close.  

The Casablanca native, who also competed at the Saudi International in March and narrowly missed the cut, is aiming to show what she can do back in Jeddah now she has that first LET victory under her belt. 

There is another mission that drives Laklalech to do her best and that is to inspire the next generation of Arab girls across the world, who she believes — like her — have greater opportunity than ever before to chase their own ambitions.

Laklalech, who holds a bachelor’s degree in management science from University College London, said earlier this year: “The Saudi Ladies International was actually the first LET event I played as an amateur back in 2020 and I made the cut. In 2020 it was a great, great tournament and experience, I loved it — particularly because it was in an Arab country, which to me made it even more special.”

Laklalech now knows the course a little better and knows what to watch out for.

“I know what to expect a little more,” she said of Royal Greens. “The course is great, the windy conditions mean things can get very interesting and tough out there.”

That debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International back in 2020 was a landmark moment for women’s sport within the Kingdom as it was the first ever professional, international women’s sporting event to be held in Saudi Arabia.

Now, there is no looking back as the Aramco Team Series returns for its second edition in Saudi Arabia. 

“For me, the high-level golf always happened in the US and Europe,” Laklalech said. “Now today, we’re seeing such a strong field of players playing in both the men’s and women’s events in Saudi Arabia. I would never have thought of competitive golf being played in Saudi Arabia before, especially a women’s event. To see this now though is so good for the future of golf and for all women in the Arab world.

“This shows Arab women that if they want to make a living out of their passion — be that in sport or anything else — they can, just as much as a man would. It shows that women can play competitive sports no matter what their background and no matter where they’re from.”

Laklalech first lifted a golf club aged 10 in one of the few places in Casablanca “with a green field and lots of trees”, and quickly going on to join then beat the boys’ club — of which she was one of only two girl members — at her local course, aged only 12.

“I’m excited to see what the next years hold for me,” said Laklalech. “Anything new is exciting, and this elite golf is all new to me.” 

Laklalech is only the second Arab woman to play on the LET, following fellow Moroccan Maha Haddioui, and now she is looking ahead to the future following her victory in France.

“I’ve always had very strong women in the family who I look up to. I’m hoping more North African and African women can accomplish things in sports and just pursue their dreams,” she told the BBC in Deauville.

“There is no difference between the African woman or the European one. I hope this win can prove that it is possible. I got a very warm welcome from the Moroccans who came to congratulate me at the airport, with even the policemen saying congratulations. I’m just very humbled by that and happy about it.

“Before the start of the season, I wrote down my goals. Starting a professional career, you have a certain time to get comfortable at the first tournaments. I didn’t make the first three cuts. I was very tense, very nervous. After that, there was just a click that I can’t really explain, and that made me play to my potential without thinking of what I was doing.

“I’m very happy that I passed this first step. Now I can focus on other things that I’m dreaming of.”

One dream would certainly be either holding aloft the individual or team titles in Jeddah on November 12, in front of an Arab crowd.

The post Ines Laklalech: Ready to make more history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Winning wire-to-wire to claim her first Ladies European Tour title at the LaCoste Ladies Open de France, Cristie Kerr spoke of the inspiration and frustration that served as motivation at Golf de Chantaco.

The tournament honored the memory of Cassandra Kirkland, an LET winner who died of lung cancer at age 32 earlier this year. Several players donated money for each birdie they made to help fund the event’s cancer charity, with Kerr donating $5,000.

Kerr has raised nearly $4 million through the creation of Birdied For Breast Cancer more than a decade ago after her mother, Linda, was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Cristie’s efforts have helped the Jersey City Medical Center start the Cristie Kerr Women’s Heath Center.

“I’m sorry, but f— cancer,” Kerr said after a closing-round 69 that gave her a four-stroke victory over Xi Yu Lin of China. “I’m so sorry to say the F wood, but I’m so sick of people losing people to cancer.”

Kerr, who turns 40 on Thursday, also was playing with a heavy heart after learning of the death of Peggy Kuehne, the mother of a trio of USGA champions, Trip, Hank and Kelli Kuehne, who passed from cancer.

“I’ve been having an angel on my shoulder all week,” Kerr said, having opened with a 62-64. “I was on a mission, and I got it done for them.”

Kerr won earlier this year on the LPGA Tour and will play in this week’s LPGA event in South Korea.

The post Death of Kuehne family matriarch inspires Cristie Kerr to her first LET victory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 35-year-old Edinburgh-based Californian has confirmed she will return to defend the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open’s Gazelle trophy when the €515,000 event returns to the Gary Player-designed oceanfront layout for its second edition from Nov. 1-4.

Allen’s year in the U.S., her first full LPGA Tour campaign since her 2005 rookie season, has been challenging with just one top-10 and six cuts made in 20 starts in 2017. But three scores of 69 in her last five rounds, even if she did miss the cut in her most recent start at the Evian Championship, the final major of the year, has the likeable American in an upbeat mood.

She hopes to ride the recent change of fortune to a confidence-boosting result at this week’s New Zealand Women’s Open before returning “home” to play at least four of the LET’s last six events, including also defending the Open de France early next month and “possibly” teeing it up at the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in December.

“I’ve had some success in New Zealand before so I’m excited for this week and then obviously I feel very happy and comfortable in Europe so I’m looking forward to spending a few weeks back on the LET. The goal is to have a strong defence in France and Abu Dhabi,” Allen told Golf Digest Middle East from Auckland.

Allen, who takes an LPGA Tour stroke average of 72.53 (133rd) into this week, is “super excited” about her return to Saadiyat and understandably so. She rolled in nine birdies in a career best eight-under 64 to win the inaugural FBMLO by five shots from Englishwoman Georgia Hall last November and can’t wait to get back on Saadiyat’s pure greens.

Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, presents Allen with the inaugural Gazelle Trophy last November after the American’s closing 64 at Saadiyat Beach.

“It just really suits me, you know when you turn up to a place, and every tee shot I saw where I was going and I just had a really solid plan, “ Allen said of Saadiyat Beach G.C.

“If you can putt on the line you meant to, they’re going to go in and that’s always great. So it’s perfect for us and it’s going to be great again I’m sure.  It was such a great event last year, so well run and I got such a great vibe there and I know that the atmosphere will be great again with the main idea being family being involved at Saadiyat.

“It’s one of the best events we have all year, it’s comparable to Dubai and everybody loves that event and I think this one is probably going to take over as my favourite event soon.”

Hall and fellow European Solheim Cup players Mel Reid, Florentyna Parker (all England), Scot Catriona Matthew (just named non-playing captain for Gleneagles 2018) and Dane Emily Kristine Pedersen are listed as Saadiyat starters alongside Allen on the LET website.

Indian teen Aditi Ashok, who shared third place at Dubai last December to secure LET Rookie-of-the-Year honours, and the golfing royal, Dame Laura Davies, are also listed although no other confirmed names have yet been released.

The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is free to attend. Visit fbmladiesopen.com for more information and follow on Instagram, Twitter (@FBMLadiesOpen) and Facebook.

The post Beth Allen promises to bring something resembling her A-game to Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open defence appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.