Lydia Hall Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Lydia Hall takes on the toughest blind shot at Topgolf Dubai

Kent Gray — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 04:41:40 +0000

By Kent Gray
Welsh golfer Lydia Hall took time out from her Dubai Moonlight Classic presented by EGA preparations for a Topgolf challenge with fellow LET stars Karolin Lampert and Michele Thomson, with a number of fun rounds including a blindfold test.

On the benefits of Topgolf, she said: “It’s a great initiative to get golfers into golf and make it fun, exciting and a little bit easier than real golfing which can be scary and hard. It definitely helps your game, it’s always really good especially for us who do golf as a profession.

“It’s also nice to come out here and have some fun with an amazing backdrop here in Dubai, you couldn’t ask for a better backdrop. You can come and have great food, and have a great time with friends – it’s also great preparation for us this week.”

Lydia urged anyone keen to try the sport to make Topgolf Dubai their first port of call. “If you’ve never played golf before, this is almost the first step to come here and have a game with your friends, have a good time – next door is a fantastic club with Emirates Golf Club to go and see the head pros and teaching PGA professionals to then get on the golf course.”

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Emily Kristine Pedersen, the epitome of clutch, captures historic Saudi title

Kent Gray — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 22:27:05 +0000

By Kent Gray
With a blow of her three wood that might yet go down as the shot of her career and a delicate pitch in overtime that was nearly as impressive, Emily Kristine Pedersen turned the year most of us want to forget into a year she’ll forever savour.

The 24-year-old Dane was the epitome of clutch down the stretch before edging England’s Georgia Hall at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to capture the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on Sunday.

Pedersen’s win secured a €127,170 payday – the largest winner’s cheque outside the majors – and extended her lead in the LET’s season-long Race to Costa Del Sol to an almost unassailable 392 points over Swede Julia Engstrom.

Just two events remain – the new Saudi Ladies Team International starting Tuesday at Royal Greens and the Andalucia Open de Espana from Nov. 26 – but for now Pedersen will bask in the glory of second win of 2020 after her Czech Ladies Open victory in August.

“I’m so happy to be the first winner of this event,” said Pedersen. “It’s been such a fantastic experience to be here in Saudi Arabia with all the players here.”

Sunday started as essentially a three-player shootout by Lydia Hall’s challenge evaporated with a triple bogey on 14 en-route to a closing 76 and a share of 6th.

It came down to Pedersen and Hall. Hall lead by two with five to play but Pedersen kept on plugging away and made it into the clubhouse at -10 courtesy of a brilliant three wood to the back of the par-5 18th and a two-putt birdie.

Hall had her own birdie attempt on the 72nd hole to win outright but the putt stayed right of the cup to force a playoff.

With Pedersen pin high in two shots on the second time down 18, Hall had laid up looking to birdie the hole with a close iron strike. But the 2018 British Open champion didn’t catch it flush and watched her title hopes sink as her third found water en-route to a bogey six.

Pedersen still had work to do with water lurking beyond the green but she hit her pitch perfectly to give herself two putts for victory. She needed only one to win the playoff with a birdie.

“It was really good,” was Pedersen’s understatement when asked about her three-wood in the final hole of regulation play. “After hitting it I said to my caddie Mikey that it felt great. I knew I had to make a birdie and I just kind of felt the shot to take on.

“It was one of the best shots I’ve ever hit, because it put me in that position, and I ended up winning in the play-off.”

You can check out Pederson’s classy shot and the final round highlights here:

Watch final round highlights of the inaugural @SaudiLadiesIntl as @emilypedersen96 won her second LET title of the season & extended her #RaceToCostaDelSol lead??#SaudiLadiesIntl | #RaiseOurGame pic.twitter.com/qidT2PS3tq

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 15, 2020

Hall was typically classy in defeat.

“Emily hit an amazing shot on the last hole in regulation and it was very brave. I am really pleased for her as she’s a really nice girl,” she said.

“I played well today even though it was certainly windier than yesterday. It was just a shame my putt on 18 [the 72nd hole] didn’t go in.”

Georgia Hall hits into 18 during the final round at Royal Greens GCC.

Solheim Cup teammates Ann Van Dam (-8) and Caroline Hedwall (-7) showed their class on Sunday to finish in third and fourth respectively after impressive final rounds in the 60s. It was Hedwell’s second successive 3rd placing after she led going into the final round of the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic at Emirates Golf Club last week.

Aussie Stephanie Kyiacou, who started 2020 by winning the Ladies Classic Bonville as an amateur, finished T-4 with Van Dam to move up to fourth in the Race to Costa Del Sol rankings.

Sunday’s low round was recorded by Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, whose stunning run of nine birdies in 16 holes – following a triple-bogey on the second – led her to a 67.

Attention now turns to the $500,000 Saudi Ladies Team International (Nov. 17-19) – a first-of-its-kind tournament where 36 team captains recruit their players using a live NFL-style draft system.

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Sunday showdown in Saudi as Emily Kristine Pedersen battles to hold off the Hall’s, Lydia and Georgia

Kent Gray — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 23:28:34 +0000

Friendly rivalry: Georgia Hall and Emily Kristine Pedersen share a joke at Royal Greens on Saturday.

By Kent Gray
While the green jacket is Dustin Johnson’s to lose at Augusta National, the new LET event competing for global attention 11,284km away in King Abdullah Economic City is a much tighter affair heading into Sunday.

Welshwoman Lydia Hall and Danish Race to Costa Del Sol leader Emily Kristine Pedersen will take a joint -10 lead into the final day of the inaugural $1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club near Jeddah.

They will be joined in the final three-ball by England’s Georgia Hall — named after the home state of the Masters – who is a shot further back on a quality leaderboard where Celine Herbin (France) and Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) at -7, and even German Esther Henseleit at -6 cannot be discounted.

It’s a far cry from Augusta where world No.1 Johnson will take a four-stroke buffer into Sunday over Aussie Cameron Smith, Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Korean Sungjae Im. The action will be over in Saudi by the time the leaders set off in pursuit of the green jacket but the LET event shapes, potentially, as the more dramatic finish.

Emily Kristine Pedersen.

Playing in the same three-ball that will be last off Royal Green’s 1st tee Sunday. Denmark’s Pedersen relinquished her overnight lead on Saturday through no fault of her own, carding a one-under 71 that saw her balance out two dropped shots with three smart birdies.

Lydia Hall’s five birdies in a three-under 69 saw her make up two strokes. Her namesake also carded a 69, leaving her one back ahead of the three-ball’s 11.02am (8.02 GMT) final day tee-time.

Pedersen was pleased to survive a topsy-turvy third-round relatively unscathed.

“I am really satisfied to still be in the lead after today. I was a little all over the place, hit some really awful tee shots and it is hard to score when you are not in the fairway. I kept grinding out there, I still hit 16 greens in regulation and that kept me in it.”

“It’s good to be playing with those two again. They are playing good golf, making loads of birdies and it’s fun to be out there.”

Lydia Hall has a similar “fun” vibe – and the momentum – heading into Sunday.

Lydia Hall.

“I got off to a fast start and holed a good putt on the first, shaved the hole on the second and made a really good putt on the third. The wind picked up on the back nine – I had two bad swings all day.”

Georgia Hall has the invaluable experience of a major championship win at the 2018 Women’s British Open in her corner ahead of the final round showdown.

“I was very steady today. I thought I could have holed maybe one or two more putts towards the end, but my long game was really good. The course was very different today – it wasn’t as windy as yesterday. It was very hot.

Georgia Hall.

“It was great playing with Lydia and Emily, I know them both very well. Me and Emily are good friends and it was just fun. I’m looking forward to the same three-ball tomorrow, all nice girls!”

A group of seven players – including Scotland’s Carly Booth, Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia, India’s Aditi Ashok and Caroline Hedwall of Sweden – all sit T-7 at -4 and will jockey for top-10 finishes.

All smiles @saudiladiesintl ? #SaudiLadiesIntl | #RaiseOurGame pic.twitter.com/X03FBbrmt6

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 14, 2020

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Playing ‘more humble’, Emily Kristine Pedersen proves form is temporary by nabbing halfway lead in Saudi

Kent Gray — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 01:31:23 +0000

By Kent Gray
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Just ask Emily Kristine Pedersen.

The 24-year-old Dane entered last week’s Moonlight Classic in Dubai with the lead in the LET’s season-long Race to Costa del Sol and strangely changed the way she’d played to get into pole position. The result? A +8 total for a share of 41st place in the 56-strong field, 18 strokes behind Aussie winner Minjee Lee.

“I think I put too much pressure on myself during last week’s event in Dubai and thinking I needed to defend. I’ve just tried to be a bit more humble this week,” said Pedersen.

Fast-forward to Friday at King Abdullah Economic City and Pedersen’s reset is working a charm. A sparkling 67, capped with a closing eagle, propelled her to -9 and the top of the $1m Aramco Saudi Ladies International leaderboard.

Pedersen will take a two-stroke lead over Welshwoman Lydia Hall into moving day at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with first-round leader Georgia Hall hanging on at -6 after a wind-impacted 73 to go with her opening 65.

Taking advantage of the calmer morning conditions, Pedersen overcame an opening bogey to go out in even par before playing her inward nine, Royal Green’s outward nine, in four-under. The eagle on the 9th, set up with a sweet hybrid into the par 5, was in stark contrast to her bogey on the same hole in her opening round of 67.

“I think I liked the pin a bit more on nine than yesterday, when I went in the water, as I could be a bit more aggressive. It’s always nice to finish like that.”

Lydia Hall got it to -8 at one stage but settled for a 71 to go with her opening 66.

Lydia Hall.

“It was a lot breezier this afternoon, a two-club wind in a lot of the holes,” said Hall. “My goal was to stick on level par so overall I’m really pleased. It’s so important to play one shot at a time – especially around here in the wind. I’ve been clear and focused over my shots so far and that’s my strategy going into the weekend.”

Georgia Hall, 24, was solid before a double bogey on 15 and bogey on 16 halted the former British Open champion’s momentum.

German duo Esther Henseleit and Laura Fuenfstueck are one back on -5 heading into the weekend. Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, whose brilliant, eight birdie 65 matched Hall’s course record established in the opening round, is at -2.

Impressive Moroccan Amateur, Ines Lakalech and leading Arabic player Maha Haddioui both made the cut.

In celebration of the launch of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering National Golf Sustainability Strategy the @SaudiLadiesIntl went green today.

In support of @Golf_Saudi new eco-initiative the players wore green & pin flags went green ?#SaudiLadiesIntl | #GreenAgenda pic.twitter.com/I0HS43PPxe

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 13, 2020

Wearing green in support of @Golf_Saudi new eco-initiative ?#SaudiLadiesIntl | #GreenAgenda pic.twitter.com/jR53Ko0oTv

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 13, 2020

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Georgia fires course record 65 as not one, but two Halls head Saudi leaderboard

Kent Gray — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 01:58:31 +0000

Georgia Hall with her bogey-free card at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on Thursday.

By Kent Gray
If Georgia Hall’s opening rounds had been just one or two shots better each day, maybe Minjee Lee wouldn’t have waltzed away with the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic last week.

It’s a big if, of course, but rounds of 72-73 left the Englishwoman with too much to do in the final round at Emirates Golf Club even though an eye-catching 65 propelled her into the top-10 to finish four shots adrift of Lee. Fast-forward the best part of a week and Hall clearly had no intention of repeating her slow out of the blocks start in Saudi Arabia.

With a bogey-free 65, the 2018 British Open champion established the women’s course at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah City and the early advantage after the opening round of the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International on Thursday.

She’ll take a one-stroke lead over her Welsh namesake, Lydia Hall, into the second round of the $1 million LET event. Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom and Denmark’s Emily Pedersen – who leads the season-long Race to Costa Del Sol rankings and seems to have quickly rebounded from a forgettable week in Dubai – start Friday five-under, two shots strokes adrift of Georgia Hall.

Georgia Hall.

“I’m pleased with today,” the leader said. “I tried to make the most of the morning tee-time. It was still pretty windy in my back nine but I’m very happy with my round.

“I got off to a very fast start and managed to keep the putts going in the hole, which is always a good thing. My pace putting was very good today, so hopefully I can bring that into tomorrow. I think it’s going to be pretty windy tomorrow afternoon like this afternoon, so I’ll have to play it a little ‘Linksy’ I think.”

Lydia Hall, who carded eight birdies in a six-under 66, was likewise happy with her Thursday work.

Lydia Hall.

“I’m really pleased with how I started. I got off to a fast start in the back nine – my front nine – and I think it was the nicer nine to play to get the score going,” said the Welshwoman.

“It was definitely an advantage to start on hole 10 this morning as you didn’t have much of a wind, the holes are a little shorter and there’s not many you’re going into the wind.

“I’ve been playing fairly solidly over the last couple of weeks even though scores haven’t showed, but I putted really well today as you can imagine from the score.

“It’s nice to see two Halls at the top for a change.”

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