Ko, who is playing at this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, is 93rd on the LPGA Tour CEM points list. While eligible to play in next week’s Ascendent LPGA event in Texas, she is not currently signed up for the tournament. And because of her position on the points list, Ko has qualified for just one of the LPGA’s four limited-field Asia swing events that make up the October portion of the LPGA calendar.

Meanwhile, with only the top 60 players qualifying for LPGA’s season-finale at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, Ko has work to do to be able to return to that event, where she claimed the $2 million first prize with a two-shot win over Leona Maguire a year ago.

After getting married in December, Ko started 2023 in solid form as the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings, winning the Ladies European Tour’s $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February in her first event of the year. She followed up with a T-6 at the Honda LPGA Thailand at the end of the month. That performance, however, has turned out to be her only top-30 finish this year on the LPGA in 15 starts, including four missed cuts.

“Going into the year, obviously every year is a new start, and even if you do have a good year you don’t really know what it’s going to be like, because that two months, a lot of things can happen between a week and the two months,” said Ko in an interview on Golf Channel at the Kroger Queen City Championship three weeks ago. “For sure a lot of things can change. I think I went into the year with a lot of self-pressure. You do want to continue to be on a good momentum and play well when you are playing well because I’ve gone through my own ups and downs. And when things aren’t going well, it’s not very easy to come back out of that.”

Lydia Ko won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. LET

An LPGA spokesperson explained that qualifying for the four fall Asia swing events is not based on the tour’s most recent priority list but rather on a player’s CME points position following the Kroger even. There are between 43 and 68 spots at each of the Asia events, placing Ko in the field from her points position in only the first event, the Buick LPGA Shanghai, held October 12-15.

Ko sat as the 17th alternate at the BMW, where she shot a 21-under 267 total a year ago in China to win by four shots over Andrea Lee. The only chance she could play in the event, slated for October 19-22, was if she received one of the eight sponsor’s exemptions the tournament has, which Ko was granted on Tuesday.

Ko has already received a sponsor’s exemption into the Maybank Championship (October 26-29). But playing in the BMW or Maybank off a sponsor’s exemption won’t drastically improve her odds of getting into the CME Tour Championship due to intricate rules regarding CME points. In limited-field events with no cuts, such as the BMW, the LPGA only awards CME points to sponsor’s invites if they win. All four Asia swing tournaments are limited-field, no-cut tournaments subject to the CME sponsor’s invite rule.

Currently, Ko has only two tournaments to earn CME points without a win: this week’s tournament in Arkansas, where Ko won in 2016, and in Shanghai. As of today, Ko would need a two-way T-3 finish or better to move into the top 60 from the results of one tournament. But that wouldn’t account for other players earning points in other events that might push Ko further down the points list.

There’s one more possibility Ko could take to play her way into the season-ending tournament. Currently, Ko is not listed in the field at the LPGA’s last full-field event, the Annika Driven by Gainbridge in Florida November 9-12. There’s plenty of time for that to change, as she has until October 31 to enter the event with her status.

Should Ko not fight her way into the top 60, it would be the first time since she turned professional in 2013 that the two-time CME winner would not be in the tournament’s field.

Main image: Lydia Ko. Michael Reaves

The post Lydia Ko has two LPGA titles to defend still in 2023, but needs help to play in either event. Here’s why appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The latest Aramco Team Series event gets under way in Florida on Friday, and once again a strong field has assembled to compete for the team and individual titles.

The crowds will be out in force in the Miami sunshine as two of the world’s best players headline a stacked field at Trump International, West Palm Beach.

Lexi Thompson is the home hopeful, and will be eyeing another ATS title after winning in New York last year.

“I’m overall just looking forward to the week,” she said. “The Aramco Team Series events are such great events to begin with, and I have a lot of support out there coming from Friday.

“It’s definitely a bonus to be here in Florida and it would mean the world to me to win to defend the title. I have a lot of family friends coming up to support me, so overall it’ll just be a blast of a week.

“I would say it’s a little bit of an advantage being on my home course, but you still have to go out there and hit the golf shots”.

Lydia Ko. LET

Thompson will face competition form Lydia Ko, the world No. 3 who finished third Laguna National Golf Resort Club in Singapore.

“I really enjoyed playing the ATS Singapore,” she said of her Aramco debut. “There’s not that many opportunities where you get to play in the team format and even though we are counting those individual scores, it’s nice to have that team atmosphere”.

Of the course, Thompson added: “It’s an amazing golf course. It’s so beautiful. It’s probably in the best shape that I’ve ever seen. And I’ve played out here for 10 years at least, and they have it in great shape for us.

“It’s just a very difficult golf course and they have it set up difficult as well, yardage-wise. It’s a ball striker’s golf course, you have to definitely commit to your lines off the tee. It requires a lot of really good tee shots and it’s very scenic; a lot of water, a lot of trees. But you just have to sometimes play more aggressively because you want shorter clubs coming into some of the greens because some of them are elevated and a lot of them have a lot of slope in them as well”.

Ko is making her first appearance at Trump International and is getting used to the set-up. “The golf course is nice, it’s tricky,” she said. “I had zero idea what the golf course was like before seeing the course for the first time yesterday, but there’s some longer holes and some shorter holes. It’s a really good golf course, the greens are quite small so I think when you’re on the green you’ve got a pretty good chance of having a birdie opportunity, but it’s also just as easy to not be on it.”

The Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour is competed across five global destinations throughout the year. After starting the season off in Singapore, the series moves this week to Florida, then on to London and Hong Kong before concluding in Riyadh in October. The Aramco Team Series Florida consists of 36 teams comprising of one amateur and three professionals who compete for a $1million prize fund. Aside from the team event, there is a three-day individual stroke play competition contested amongst the professionals which contributes to both Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex World Ranking points.

Ko is teamed with Tereza Melecka and Marianne Skarpnord, while Thompson will have Lydia Hall and Kelly Whaley for company.

Six-time LPGA Tour winner Jessica Korda and Race to Costa del Sol leader Aditi Ashok will also tee it up in Florida, alongside Sweden’s Linn Grant and Johanna Gustavsson, who was the winning team captain in the US last year 2022.

Also playing will be multiple tour winners Anne van Dam, Marianne Skarpnord, Stephanie Kyriacou, Pia Babnik, Alison Lee, Emily Pedersen, Carlota Ciganda, Lindsey Weaver Wright, Olivia Cowan, Chiara Noja and ATS Singapore champ Pauline Roussin

The post Lexi Thompson eyeing more Aramco Team Series success at ‘home’ in Florida appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The No. 2 player in the world, Lydia Ko will be competing in the second event of the 2023 Aramco Team Series at Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach. The second installment of the ATS takes place from May 19-21, and will see the best players from professional women’s golf compete for the $1 million prize fund in Florida.

Ko is relishing her return to the Aramco Team Series and is hoping to improve on her debut performance in Singapore which saw her finish in third place behind eventual winner Pauline Roussin. “After playing my way into contention in Singapore, I’m looking to build on my success in the Aramco Team Series this time in Florida. I really enjoyed this format when I played in my debut, and the team element of the event adds a new dimension and a bit of additional pressure where you’re playing for your teammates as well as for yourself.”

The New Zealander’s form is trending in the right direction heading into Florida, having already enjoyed victory this year at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February. It was the 26th victory of Lydia Ko’s career, and her second in the Saudi event thanks to a four-under final round of 68 which gave her a 21-under total at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club near Jeddah.

“It was great to get the win in Saudi Arabia in my first start of the year,” Ko said. “It’s always great to get your season off to a winning start especially when you’re competing against a strong field on a great course.

“The addition of the Aramco Team Series and Saudi Ladies Invitational events have accelerated the growth of the Ladies European Tour with some of the best players in the world now competing in these high-profile events. If you look at the previous winners of the Aramco Team Series, I’ll definitely have to bring my best game heading into Florida.”

The ATS on the Ladies European Tour is competed across five global destinations throughout the year. After kicking off in Singapore, the series moves on to Florida, London and Hong Kong before concluding in Riyadh in October. May’s event consists of 36 teams comprising one amateur and three professionals who compete for a $1million prize fund. Aside from the team event, there is a three-day individual stroke play competition contested among the professionals which contributes to both Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex World Ranking points.

The post World No. 2 Lydia Ko confirmed for Aramco Team Series Florida at Trump International appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Past champion Lexi Thompson missed the cut for the first time in the Chevron Championship. Stacy Revere

Through 36 holes at the Chevron Championship, some of the best players have answered the first test Carlton Woods has put out. A Lim Kim, who won the US Women’s Open in 2020 at nearby Champions Golf Club, set the pace at eight-under. This year’s Honda LPGA Thailand winner, Lilia Vu, sits a stroke back alongside eight-year tour veteran Megan Khang. Rolex Women’s World Ranking No. 2 Nelly Korda joins fellow major champions Patty Tavatanakit and Brooke Henderson two shots off the lead.

Nine other LPGA winners lurk within five of Kim, setting up a clash over the final 36 holes to become the first victor at the Chevron’s new home. However, multiple potential contenders heading into the week weren’t among the 68 players to make it to the weekend, with the cut coming at one-over.

Lexi Thompson (74-72, two-over)

Thompson’s impressive Chevron Championship run closes with the tournament’s new chapter at Carlton Woods. This week is her first missed cut at the championship in 14 starts. Since the 28-year-old’s victory in 2014, Thompson has posted seven top-10s in nine appearances, with an average finish of ninth. Two starts into 2023, Thompson has yet to play on the weekend.

Stacy Lewis (73-74, three-over)

Stacy Lewis. USWO

The matriarch of the Carlton Woods edition of the Chevron Championship, having grown up three miles from the course and sleeping in her parent’s home this week, can now focus on her role as the Team USA Solheim captain. Lewis, 38, quietly rounded into form going into the Chevron by posting her first top-10 since last July at the LPGA Drive On Championship in March. She tied for 23rd at the Lotte Championship last week.
Lewis got to one-under for the championship on her fourth hole of the second round. But she posted four bogeys and a double over the last 14 holes.

Lydia Ko (71-76, three-over)

Lydia Ko. ATS

The first opportunity Ko had to win her way into the LPGA’s Hall of Fame ended early. The No. 1 player in the world opened with a one-under 71 on Thursday, but in the weather-delayed second round, she shot a four-over 76 that included four bogeys and a double. It’s Ko’s first missed cut at a major since the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open. She had six top-10s in majors since, including three in 2022.
Missing the weekend marks the end of 40 straight made cuts for the $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies Championship champ, dating back to exactly two years ago on April 22, 2021, at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

So Yeon Ryu (73-75, four-over)

The two-time major champion and 2017 winner of this event was not in good form coming into the tournament, having missed the weekend in her opening two starts. But it’s shocking how Ryu, 32, missed the cut.
The South Korean sat right on the cut number at one over going into her 36th hole, the par-5 18th, which has played as the second-easiest hole this week. But Ryu made a triple-bogey 8 — the highest score at 18 for the week.

Jennifer Kupcho (72-78, six-over)

Jennifer Kupcho. Michael Reaves

The defending champion came undone on the back nine of her second round with a double bogey on No. 10 and a triple on No. 15. Entering the week, Kupcho had quietly trended upward. Her T-25 at the DIO Implant at the end of March followed finishes of T-34 and T-43. This is Kupcho’s first missed cut of the season.

Charley Hull (79-71, six-over)

Charley Hull. LET

The English star was T-126 with her seven-over first round — Hull’s first over-par card of the season. Then, following a nine-shot improvement with a second-round one-under 71, Hull aptly summarised her week with an Instagram post on Saturday morning. “Couldn’t find my swing in the first round, but bounced back to my normal rhythm in the second round,” Hull captioned. “That’s golf for you.”

The post All cut up: The Chevron at Carlton Woods has not been kind to past champions appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

We are just 18 holes away from discovering the first Aramco Team Series individual title winner of 2023.

France’s Pauline Roussin, South African Nicole Garcia and world No. 8 Danielle Kang lead the way on seven-under, but a whole host of stars are within touching distance, including the Netherland’s Anne Van Dam, Swede Linn Grant and Dubai wonderkid Chiara Noja. Oh, world, No. 1 Lydia Ko is lurking there too, so there is a long way to go.

Here are your Saturday tee times at Laguna National”

8:15 am
Tereza Melecka (CZE)
Lauren Holmey (NED)
8:26 am
Virginia Elena Carta (ITA)
Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG)
8:37 am
Lydia Hall (WAL)
Pia Babnik (SLO)
Sock Hwee Koh (SIN)
8:48 am
Liz Young (ENG)
Kim Metraux (SUI)
Sofie Bringner (SWE)
8:59 am
Nastasia Nadaud (FRA)
Felicity Johnson (ENG)
Emma Grechi (FRA)
9:10 am
Kirsten Rudgeley (AUS)
Anais Meyssonnier (FRA)
Ana Pelaez Trivino (ESP)
9:21 am
Gabriella Cowley (ENG)
Casandra Alexander (RSA)
Annabel Dimmock (ENG)
9:37 am
Hannah Burke (ENG)
Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)
April Angurasaranee (THA)
9:48 am
Lisa Pettersson (SWE)
Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN)
Caroline Hedwall (SWE)
9:59 am
Amy Boulden (WAL)
Sophie Witt (GER)
Whitney Hillier (AUS)
10:10 am
Nuria Iturrioz (ESP)
Aline Krauter (GER)
Alexandra Forsterling (GER)
10:21 am
Diksha Dagar (IND)
Cara Gainer (ENG)
Johanna Gustavsson (SWE)
10:32 am
Momoka Kobori (NZL)
Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER)
Christine Wolf (AUT)
10:43 am
Carmen Alonso (ESP)
Olivia Cowan (GER)
Sara Kouskova (CZE)
10:59 am
Michele Thomson (SCO)
Sarah Schober (AUT)
Manon De Roey (BEL)
11:10 am
Trichat Cheenglab (THA)
Eleanor Givens (ENG)
Elin Arvidsson (SWE)
11:21 am
Kaleigh Telfer (RSA)
Agathe Sauzon (FRA)
Chloe Williams (WAL)
11:32 am
Alice Hewson (ENG)
Chiara Noja (GER)
Bronte Law (ENG)
11:43 am
Nicole Broch Estrup (DEN)
Klara Davidson Spilkova (CZE)
Lydia Ko (NZL)
11:54 am
Linn Grant (SWE)
Emma Spitz (AUT)
Anne Van Dam (NED)
12:05 pm
Danielle Kang (USA)
Nicole Garcia (RSA)
Pauline Roussin (FRA)

The post Aramco Team Series — Singapore final round tee times appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Zhang’s streak began on September 16, 2020, following her tie for 11th in the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration, where she broke Michelle Wie West’s amateur scoring record at a major.

A sophomore at Stanford, Zhang, 19, shows no signs of slowing down with a torrid college pace. She’s won four consecutive starts and six of her last seven events. Her winning streak began with winning the individual and team 2022 NCAA Championship as a freshman. She’s won nine times total over 16 career tournaments for the Cardinal, tied with Andrea Lee for the most in programme history.

In addition, Zhang won the 2022 Annika Award for being the year’s most outstanding collegiate women’s golfer. She sits two wins away from matching the Stanford career-record totals of 11 on the men’s side — held by Tiger Woods, Patrick Rodgers, and Maverick McNealy.

The 2020 US Women’s Amateur champion channelled her collegiate success into consistency in the LPGA majors last year, making the cut in all three she played: the US Women’s Open (T-40), AIG Women’s Open (T-65), and Amundi Evian Championship (T-28).

By virtue of her victory in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in February, the California native earned her way into another LPGA event, this year’s DIO Implant Open in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, at the end of March. However, she declined the invite, deciding to compete for a fourth time in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where her best finish is a T-3 in 2021.

If Zhang holds on to the No. 1 spot through April 16, she will pass Leona Maguire’s record of 135 total weeks as the top amateur in the world.

The post Rose Zhang passes Lydia Ko for most consecutive weeks at No. 1 in Women’s Amateur Rankings appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

World No. 1 and two-time major winner Lydia Ko is excited for her first taste of the Aramco Team Series this week, with the opening tournament of the series set to take place at Laguna National Golf Resort Club in Singapore.

Having started the season in scintillating form, including winning the history-making $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in February, the 25-year-old’s team will be made up of German star Aline Krauter, Swede Lisa Pettersson and amateur Andres Acosta Luque.

It will be a week of firsts for Ko as she will not only tee it up in an Aramco Team Series event, but she will also play for the first time at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

The Kiwi star is excited by the challenge ahead.

“Yeah, golf is an individual sport, so I haven’t had many chances since turning professional to be in kind of a team format,” she said. “This one is a little bit more unique where this is still individual, every stroke counts, but at the same time, you’re in a team format for the first couple days.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a little bit strange to grasp tomorrow, but it should be a lot of fun. And I’ve never played this golf course, so it’s nice to come to and see something new and then just adjust to that.

“The greens are very small. I think if you hit it on the green you have got a pretty good chance for birdies. I think the front nine there is a little bit more water in play, so especially with the forecast of the wind being a little bit breezier like the last couple days, I think it could definitely be a factor.

“But, yeah, if you drive it pretty well around here you can get a little bit aggressive with the pin positions, and I think if your iron play especially is good, I think that’s going to be the big key for this week.”

Lydia Ko at the ATS Singapore draft party with Danielle Kang and host Gabbie Partington. ATS/Oisin Keniry

This week’s event forms part of a record-breaking Ladies European Tour schedule with a $1million prize fund on offer and vital Costa del Sol ranking points.

The Aramco Team Series will head to Florida, London, Hong Kong and Riyadh later in the year also with $1million purses, but eyes are firmly focused on Singapore this week.

Ko spoke glowingly on the investment from Aramco and other sponsors leading the charge aiming to grow women’s golf, adding: “I think we’ve seen lots of momentum, more partners supporting and believing in the women’s game.

“We’ve seen that especially with big purse jumps. When the Aramco Saudi Ladies International chose to match the men’s purse, I thought that was a very exciting momentum and change and dynamic for women’s golf. I hope that more and more partners will get on this trend and we will see more of this equality.

“I get to play alongside the best female golfers’ week in, week out. Sometimes I get goosebumps seeing how good they are, so it’s great that we have these partners like Aramco who are stepping forward and believing in the women’s environment.”

The post World No. 1 Lydia Ko relishing first taste of Aramco Team Series appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Royal Greens serves up two memorable Saudi International treats to pave way to the future

History was made in Saudi Arabia in February as some of the best golfers in the world — male and female — descended on Royal Greens Golf & Country Club for two of the most fascinating and memorable golfing competitions in the Kingdom.

First up was the Asian Tour’s flagship PIF Saudi International, where Mexico’s Abraham Ancer warmed up for his LIV Golf homecoming at Mayakoba with a thrilling victory over American Cameron Young and Aussie Lucas Herbert in the Red Sea breeze, taking home $1 million for his troubles. It was one of the strongest fields ever assembled on Saudi shores, with the likes of Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed all teeing it up. None of them could lay a glove on Ancer, however, who registered a wire-to-wire success to follow in the footsteps of Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell and Harold Varner III as champions.

The week in early February also saw a new dawn for golf in Saudi Arabia as Faisal Salhab and Saud Al Sharif were unveiled as the Kingdom’s latest professional golfers, joining Othman Almulla in the paid ranks and beginning their journey to inspire the next generation of young golfers. Both Faisal and Saud impressed in the Asian Tour’s first two International Series events, making the cut at Oman and Qatar respectively. 

With no time for the dust to settle after the men departed, the Ladies European Tour came to town just outside Jeddah, with no less than 13 major champions in tow as part of a field of 120 competing for the groundbreaking $5 million purse — the biggest prize outside the majors and equal to that of the men in the Saudi International. In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Lexi Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall all fought it out with the likes of Ashleigh Buhai, Patty Tavatanakit, Hannah Green, Danielle Kang and Hyo-Joo Kim. But it was a dream return to action for world No. 1 and newly-wed Lydia Ko, who held off the sensational Aditi Ashok (win, third, second in her first three outings of the year) for her second success in the tournament and the $750,000 top prize. 

Ko gave credit to new hubby Jun Chung and a rigorous off-season that included eight (8!) rounds of golf during her 12-day honeymoon in native New Zealand for her ability to hit the ground running in her first competitive outing of 2023. It certainly looks like that devotion and dedication paid off big time. Hopefully Jun got a belated Valentine’s Day gift for his understanding! 

As we delve further into the year, eyes are beginning to look to September and the looming Solheim Cup date between Europe and America, and already things are beginning to take shape with familiar front-runners staking their claim for an automatic spot. 

When it comes to the captains’ picks, however, things are getting really tricky as old favourites such as Anna Nordqvist and Lizette Salas are struggling to find form, while emerging stars like Chiara Noja and Lilia Vu are throwing their hat into the ring.

How both captains would be wishing Ashok and Ko were in their ranks too. 

For all the stardust on show at Royal Greens, it is always refreshing to see the next generation thrive, and the likes of Noja, Vu and Albane Valenzuela grabbed the opportunity on the biggest of stages with both hands, with all three in the mix until Sunday and finishing in the top 15.

The Aramco Saudi Ladies International was about so much more than just the on-fairway action of course, with its groundbreaking prize money, on-site golf clinics and talks setting the foundations and framework for equality and parity throughout the game as more tournaments across the globe are set to follow suit and put up equal purses for men and women. 

During all the thrills and spills at King Abdullah Economic City, Golf Saudi also welcomed its new CEO, Noah Alireza, who was on hand at Royal Greens to oversee the trophy presentations to Ancer and Ko, and set out his vision for the future of the sport in the Kingdom, through mass participation programmes and increasing access to golf in the country.

While the moveable feast departs Saudi until November, that doesn’t mean the drama is done. Not by a long shot. 

The LIV Golf League 2023 is just getting into its stride following its curtain-raiser in Mexico — where the likes of new signings Mito Pereira and Thomas Pieters took their bows — with dates in Arizona and Florida coming up ahead of the highly anticipated bow on Australian shores at The Grange in Adelaide. 

Oh, and the Masters is just around the corner too, where former chums Mickelson and Tiger Woods will meet face-to-face at Augusta in what is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing majors in recent history. 

Watch this space…

The post Editor’s Letter: A fight to remember appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

With a purse of $5 million, here is a breakdown of which player took home what from Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

1 Lydia Ko (NZL) €701,385 
2 Aditi Ashok (IND) €420,831
3 Manon De Roey (BEL) €219,767.30
Lexi Thompson (USA) €219,767.30
Lilia Vu (USA) €219,767.30
6 Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN) €144,952.90
7 Georgia Hall (ENG) €130,925.20
8 Nasa Hataoka (JPN) €116,897.50
9 Hae Ran Ryu (KOR) €109,883.65
Albane Valenzuela (SUI) €109,883.65
11 Gaby Lopez (MEX) €102,869.80
12 Maria Fassi (MEX) €95,855.95
Chiara Noja (GER) €95,855.95
14 Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) €83,581.71
Cara Gainer (ENG) €83,581.71
HeeJeong Lim (KOR) €83,581.71
Charley Hull (ENG) €83,581.71
18 Alice Hewson (ENG) €73,411.63
Pauline Roussin (FRA) €73,411.63
Hyo-Joo Kim (KOR) €73,411.63
Atthaya Thitikul (THA) €73,411.63
22 Carlota Ciganda (ESP) €65,696.40
Johanna Gustavsson (SWE) €65,696.40
24 Jung Min Hong (KOR) €53,772.85
Nicole Garcia (RSA) €53,772.85
Jennifer Chang (USA) €53,772.85
Ashleigh Buhai (RSA) €53,772.85
So Mi Lee (KOR) €53,772.85
Danielle Kang (USA) €53,772.85
Lisa Pettersson (SWE) €53,772.85
Xi Yu Lin (CHN) €53,772.85
32 In Gee Chun (KOR) €41,771.37
Alexa Pano (USA) €41,771.37
Esther Henseleit (GER) €41,771.37
35 Ryann O’Toole (USA) €36,004.43
Angel Yin (USA) €36,004.43
Chloe Williams (WAL) €36,004.43
Yujin Sung (KOR) €36,004.43
A Lim Kim (KOR) €36,004.43
40 Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DEN) €28,990.58
Morgane Metraux (SUI) €28,990.58
Jenny Shin (KOR) €28,990.58
Klara Davidson Spilkova (CZE) €28,990.58
Leona Maguire (IRL) €28,990.58
45 Gemma Dryburgh (SCO) €24,782.27
Celine Boutier (FRA) €24,782.27
47 Wichanee Meechai (THA) €22,600.18
Olivia Cowan (GER) €22,600.18
Alison Lee (USA)  €22,600.18
50 Stephanie Kyriacou (AUS) €21,509.14
51 Anna Nordqvist (SWE) €20,106.37
Aline Krauter (GER) €20,106.37
53 Jana Melichova (CZE) €18,080.15
Annie Park (USA) €18,080.15
Jinhee Im (KOR) €18,080.15 
56 Andrea Lee (USA) €15,664.27
Jeong Mee Hwang (KOR) €15,664.27
58 Tiia Koivisto (FIN) €14,729.09
Yuka Saso (JPN) €14,729.09 
60 Nicole Broch Estrup (DEN) €14,027.70
61 Carmen Alonso (ESP) €13,560.11
62 Becky Brewerton (WAL) €13,092.52 
63 Pajaree Anannarukarn (THA) €12,624.93

The post LOOK: Who won what at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko came into the Aramco Saudi Ladies International unsure what to expect after an extended off-season that included getting married.

The world No. 1 got hitched to Jun Chung to sign off on a 2022 that saw her not only reclaim her spot at the top of the rankings but also pick up three LPGA Tour crowns, including the CME, which earned her the biggest winner’s cheque in women’s golf history: $2 million.

After that extended break and a honeymoon that included — by her own admission — “perhaps too much golf”, the New Zealander arrived at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club uncertain where her game was at in competitive circles.

She had nothing to worry about. 

Ko was returning to King Abdullah Economic City for the first time since her 2021 triumph in the Saudi Ladies International, and oozed class as she saw off a star-studded field to reclaim the crown.

A final-round 68 for a total of 21-under was enough to hold off the in-form India star Aditi Ashok, the likes of fast-charging Lexi Thompson and Manon De Roey, and dark horse Lilia Vu. 

In a topsy-turvy finish that saw the lead change hands a number of times, Ko eventually prevailed as valiant Vu faltered at the last and had to settle for a share of third alongside Belgium’s De Roey and American star Thompson on 19-under, one behind Ashok.

Along with becoming the first player to win the title twice, Ko also took home a record $750,000 from the $5 million prize fund.

Lydia Ko. LET

“I’m two for two on this golf course at Royal Greens, so clearly something is going for me,” Ko said. 

“I’m playing with the world’s best. The field this week was really good, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. And it was the first one of the year. That is really hard because you don’t have anything to base yourself off. You don’t know if you’re going to play well or bad.”

Ko made it career win No. 26 and is looking in great shape for another trophy-laden campaign in 2023. 

It certainly was a statement in her first event of the year as she came out on top in a field that included 13 major winners including In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall.

“Hopefully I’m going to get some good momentum now,’ Ko said. “Every day is different, so I don’t think you can take anything for granted. I’m just going to stick to my process and keep working on the things I’ve been working on and enjoy it. Hopefully this is a light to a good start of the 2023 season.”

With the tournament prize fund hiked to a whopping $5 million this year — up from $1 million and now matching the men’s Saudi International — Ko is delighted the women are being given a level playing field in Saudi Arabia.

“I think this is the direction we’re trending in not only at this event, but all the events,” she said. “To have partners that support and believe in women’s golf and the talent that’s out here, it is just great to be a part of that and this history.

“Hopefully this is a continuous movement on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA, and for other tours as well.

“As players, it’s just really cool to be part of that history. I hope this is something that’s going to continue to grow, because playing alongside the best female golfers, week in and week out… there are so many amazing women out here. I don’t think you realise until you come here and you see, wow, like look at all this talent.”

The post Lydia Ko underlines her status as the queen of golf by reclaiming Aramco Saudi Ladies International crown at Royal Greens appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.