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Everything you need to know about Suzann Pettersen’s four European Solheim Cup captain’s picks

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 06:39:42 +0000

Emily Kristine Pedersen. ASLI

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

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Team Europe set their sights on more Solheim success

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:14:19 +0000

Solheim Cup Team Europe

With eight of the 12 players now locked in for Team Europe ahead of their Solheim Cup title defence, Suzann Pettersen and her side can now finally turn their attention fully to the challenge ahead as they welcome the American stars to Finca Cortesin in Spain next month.

France’s Celine Boutier, the Amundi Evian and Women’s Scottish open champion, is on fire right now and topped the LET Solheim Cup Points standings with 264.57 points thanks in part to those back-to-back victories.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of Team Europe at the 2023 Solheim Cup,” said the Frenchwoman, who made her Solheim Cup debut in 2019, is a two-time winner and has won 5.5 points in her seven matches at the previous two editions.

“It’s going to be such an enjoyable week and it’s always a lot of fun. I’ve had such a great year winning on the LPGA in March and then to get my first major title at Evian and to win in Scotland the week after.

“It’s been unbelievable and I’m so excited to have qualified to play in the Solheim Cup. To be able to share the week with my teammates and be able to compete for Europe on European soil for the first time since 2019 will be amazing.”

Celine Boutier. Stuart Franklin

The newly crowned major champion is joined by Sweden’s Maja Stark, who clinched the second spot with 262.42 points.

Stark, who turned professional in August 2021, has won six times on the LET in the past two years including the 2022 edition of the co-sanctioned ISPS Handa World Invitational which secured her membership of the LPGA Tour.

The 23-year-old was part of the Junior Solheim Cup team in 2017, just six years ago, and will now be teeing it up as a rookie at the 2023 Solheim Cup which takes place between September 22-24.

“It feels like there have been very many gradual steps towards this moment,” Stark said. “I have just been doing my job since turning professional to get to this point. It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time, to represent Team Europe at the Solheim Cup and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Charley Hull. Warren Little/R&A

Six players have qualified to Team Europe via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings with England’s Charley Hull leading the way.

This will be Hull’s sixth consecutive Solheim Cup, having made her debut aged 17 and she has been on the winning team on three occasions.

After an outstanding rookie performance in Toledo in 2021 where she earned 4.5 points out of 5, Ireland’s Leona Maguire returns to Team Europe.

Maguire said: “I’m really excited to be part of the European Team at this year’s Solheim Cup. I had an incredible time in Toledo, it was way beyond my expectations, but I can’t wait to be part of Team Europe on European soil and to play in front of home fans. It’s great to be flying the flag for Ireland once again and I hope to have lots of support in Spain.”

Georgia Hall. Getty

England’s Georgia Hall has qualified for her fourth Solheim Cup after making her debut in 2017 and being on the winning team for the past two editions.

There will be another rookie on the team as Linn Grant secured qualification for her first Solheim Cup in September in Spain.

The Swedish star has won five times on the LET in the past two seasons including at the 2022 Scandinavian Mixed where she became the first woman to win a DP World Tour event, and she recently secured her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour.

Grant explained: “I’m very proud. It’s the first Solheim Cup that I can play in and I’m in it which is pretty cool. It has obviously been a dream since I found out about the Solheim Cup. We’re a great team, I love Suzann and all our vice-captains, and I think we will have a really fun week. I’m looking forward to it.”

Spain will have a home hero in the team at Finca Cortesin as Carlota Ciganda will be making her sixth consecutive appearance for the European Team.

“The Solheim Cup is my favourite week of the year and to be able to play at home in Spain is a dream come true,” said Ciganda, who clinched her seventh LET title earlier this season.

“I love playing for the team and I am very excited to be able to play in front of home crowds. Hopefully, we will see a lot of girls come out and watch us play and I hope that we can inspire them for the future and for the next generations to come.”

Anna Nordqvist. Getty Images

While Anna Nordqvist will be a playing vice-captain in Spain after she secured her place in the final automatic qualifying spot via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

The Swede will be making her eighth consecutive appearance in the competition having won 15.5 points from the 27 matches she has played.

“I’m very proud to be taking on vice-captaincy and playing this year,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a secret how much I love the Solheim Cup and it brings out the best in me. It’s always my biggest goal every two years to make the team and try to help Europe win. There’s no feeling like stepping up on the first tee box.”

Speaking about her team captain Suzann Pettersen said: “I’m very happy with my team right now for the 2023 Solheim Cup. Congratulations to the eight players who have automatically qualified, we have so much experience in the team and it’s great to have our rookies Maja and Linn representing Europe for the first time. We have never had such a strong group of players in terms of world ranking. The European players have been playing well this year and putting in strong performances across the board.”

Pettersen will finalise her team and name her four captain’s picks this evening as Europe look to win their third Solheim Cup in a row.

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Rooting for Europe at next month’s Solheim Cup? You had to be happy with how qualifying just shook out

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:14:05 +0000

Maddie Meyer

The end of the ISPS Handa World Invitational also marked the end of the qualifying period for Europe’s Solheim Cup roster. All eight players in line for automatic spots heading into the week held their places, as the Ladies European Tour announced on Sunday that Celine Boutier and Maja Stark earned their way on to the team through LET Solheim points. Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Linn Grant, Carlota Ciganda and Anna Nordqvist claimed the remaining six qualifying spots from their placement in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.

Six of the eight qualifiers have previous experience in the Solheim Cup, with Boutier, Hull, Maguire, Hall and Nordqvist playing for the victorious European team at Inverness Club in 2021. Stark and Grant are the two rookies to qualify, each winning their first-ever LPGA events during the qualifying period. Stark won the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational last season, and Grant won the Dana Open in July.

“I’m very happy with my team right now,” said European captain Suzann Pettersen via a release, the biennial competition set for Sept. 22-24 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain with the Europeans looking to win for a third straight clash, something they haven’t done since the start of the competition in 1990. “Congratulations to the eight players who have automatically qualified, we have so much experience in the team, and it’s great to have our rookies Maja and Linn representing Europe for the first time. We have never had such a strong group of players in terms of world ranking. The European players have been playing well this year and putting in strong performances across the board.”

Congratulations to the eight players who have qualified for the ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ???

Boutier ??
Stark ??
Hull ???????
Maguire ??
Hall ???????
Grant ??
Ciganda ??
Nordqvist ??#TeamEurope | #SolheimCup

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 20, 2023

Boutier led the points list with a commanding European swing, winning the Amundi Evian Championship and the Women’s Scottish Open in back-to-back weeks starting at the end of July. The 29-year-old from France will be playing in her third Solheim Cup, having impressively earned 5.5 of a possible seven points combined in 2019 and 2021.

Outside of Grant, the Rolex Rankings group has played in a combined 21 Solheim Cups, with Nordqvist (who is also serving as a vice captain) leading the way with seven consecutive cups dating back to 2009.

“I’m very proud to be taking on vice-captaincy and playing this year,” Nordqvist said. “I don’t think it’s a secret how much I love the Solheim Cup and it brings out the best in me. It’s always my biggest goal every two years to make the team and try to help Europe win.”

Pettersen will fill out the remaining spots on her 12-player roster on Tuesday when she announces her four captain’s picks. The United States end their automatic qualifying period after next week’s CPKC Canadian Open, with only four of the nine spots already locked up (Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang). US captain Stacy Lewis then will name her three captain’s picks afterward.

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Maja Stark holds on to claim LET title in Morocco

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 07:54:17 +0000

Sweden’s Maja Stark saw off a star-studded leaderboard to win by four shots at the Lalla Meryem Cup and land a sixth Ladies European Tour title.

Leading Aditi Ashok by two ahead of play, things got interesting early on when last week’s Kenya Open winner birdied the opening hole to draw level with Stark after the Swede made bogey.

But Stark soon took control on the front nine, rebounding with birdies on two, five, and nine to steer four clear of the Indian as they approached the turn.

“I was very nervous for the whole round,” she said. “I get a little bit passive when people are catching up so that wasn’t the best thing in the world.”

On to the back nine and the drama quickly unfolded. Playing in the group ahead, Linn Grant – who started the day five shots adrift – carded birdies on 12, 14 and 15 after going out in 34 to close the gap to two on her Race to Costa Del Sol rival.

Stark responded with a birdie of her own on 14, before Grant’s momentum ended after she bogeyed the par-4 16th for a third consecutive day.

The winning moment! ???

Maja Stark is now a SIX time Ladies European Tour champion after landing the @LallaMeryemCup ?

A sensational performance from the Swede sees her win by four shots ??#RaceOurGame | #LallaMeryemCup pic.twitter.com/5E2HAySCjz

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) February 11, 2023

“The birdie on 14 was important because I could see Linn was making some birdies. I try not to look at the scoreboard, but I could see her draining putts and I thought ‘shoot I really need to keep going!’ Making that putt then gave me a little bit more momentum.

“I just kept going, kept being aggressive, and in the end I think that’s what’s did it.”

Three shots clear of Ashok and Grant with four holes to play, Stark then exemplified the composure which saw her rise to fame last year. The 23-year-old birdied 17 before closing out the win with an excellent par save on 18 to finish on -12.

The victory was Stark’s sixth on the LET and marks an exceptional start to 2023 after finishing T2 at the LPGA Tour’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Championship last month.

On her continued rivalry with Grant, Stark said: “I love it. There’s the competition against everyone that I have, and then there’s a competition against Linn! It’s a good competition that we have against each other and I know we’re always trying to beat each other. For us to come out as top two again, that feels great.”

Having piled the pressure on Stark throughout the day, Grant finished in solo second on -8 while Ashok finished third on -7.

A final round 69 saw Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela finish fourth on -6. Czechia’s Jana Melichova and Spain’s Ana Pelaez Trivino finished in a tie for fifth on -3.

In the 2023 Race to Costa Del Sol, Stark sits second in the standings after collecting 500 points for winning her first event of the campaign. Ashok still leads the way after receiving 230 points to take her overall tally to 730. Grant then collects 320 points to position herself in third.

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Grant and Stark set for Swedish showdown at top of the Race To Costa Del Sol

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 13:12:39 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
After a year-long battle in the Race to Costa del Sol, it has all come down to the final LET event of the 2022 season — the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.

Swedish stars Linn Grant and Maja Stark go head to head in the season-ending tournament and will battle it out at Alferini Golf to earn the prestigious Race to Costa del Sol title.

It has been an outstanding year for the duo, who only turned professional in August of 2021, and has seen them rise to the top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Grant, who clinched LET Rookie of the Year a few tournaments ago, has 3,394.91 points to her name with compatriot and friend Stark just 69.77 points behind her heading into the final event.

Four-time LET winner Grant said: “I feel like we’ve had a battle on and off throughout the year and it would be sad to have it be over already. I’m glad it made it to the final event, and we’ll give it a good go this week. I feel like it was supposed to be this way, it feels good.

“Especially now it’s fun and nice having someone to share every week with and the situation. Looking back at amateur events we played a couple of years ago; I think it’s going to be the same where you look back and go ‘wow that’s pretty cool’ not knowing what it means 100% right now.”

Stark added: “I am going to miss this season when I go home next week, and I realise it’s one-and-a-half months until the next tournament. I’m so tired, but I have learnt a lot this season and have a lot of things that I want to do differently.”

What a journey these have been on through the years & this week will battle it out to be #RaceToCostaDelSol number ?#RaiseOurGame | #OpenDeEspaña pic.twitter.com/2DmEFJ5cLP

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 22, 2022

The Swedish duo have picked up plenty of silverware in the 2022 season with Grant winning four titles throughout the year starting with the Joburg Ladies Open followed by the Belgian Ladies Open and the Scandinavian Mixed, and finally the Skaftö Open.

While Stark won two LET titles in 2021 just weeks after turning professional and has followed it up with three further victories this season starting with the Women’s NSW Open, then the German Masters and finally the ISPS Handa World Invitational – where she earnt her LPGA Tour card.

But despite all theirs win on the courses, it is the moments shared outside of the golf course that have made this season extra special.

Stark explained: “When I look back on the year, it’s not the results that come up it’s more the fact it’s been so fun to hang out with a friend for the whole year.

“All the competitions that we have done together, one of my favourite moments was at the Amundi German Masters and we were just so tired. We were sharing a room and talking and something silly came up and we were dying of laughter. That has been the best part about doing this together. It’s fun that one of us is going to win it too.”

Linn Grant and Maja Stark. LET

The pair have been drawn alongside defending champion Carlota Ciganda and the group will tee it up in the first round at 12.05pm local time.

With the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol coming down to the final event, there are several scenarios with the main ones being Grant can finish ahead or level with Stark and she will win the title, whereas Stark must beat her compatriot to have a chance of winning.

But what will each player be thinking if it is tight going into the final few holes of the tournament?

“It depends on the situation,” said Grant. “The finishing holes here are two par-fives and one par-three, I think you can be quite aggressive — which we both are.

“Speaking for myself I think I’m going to stick to be aggressive on those holes. Coming up on 18 that could be a little scary with the wind, the water and I think maybe it will be take your two-putts and go situation.”

While Stark added: “We’re both very aggressive players and we don’t hold back even if we have a lead. The plan is to keep pushing for birdies and we’re playing against ourselves too and you always want to do better for yourself. If I was to just take the pars and leave and Linn ends up making two birdies to pass me, I’d be annoyed at myself, so I don’t feel like there’s any reason to hold back.”

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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 race is on for Swedish stars at Skafto Open

Matt Smith — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 12:13:31 +0000

Linn Grant (Photo by Tristan Jones/LET)

By Matt Smith
The Ladies European Tour Skafto Open takes on more significance than usual this week as two local players will be fighting on two fronts.

Set in Fiskebäckskil area on Sweden’s west coast at Skafto Golf Club, the $250,000 event sees the two leading lights in this season’s LET Race to Costa Del Sol vying for victory on home soil.

France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard will be out to defend the crown she won 12 months ago for her maiden LET title, but a lot of the talk amid a stellar field will centre on Sweden’s own Maja Stark, the Race leader, and Linn Grant, her nearest challenger.

The Swedish West Coast ?#RaiseOurGame | #skaftopen

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 23, 2022

Both Stark and Grant made their LET debuts on this course last year, with Grant finishing in a tie for second, one stroke behind Roussin-Bouchard alongside Magdalena Simmermacher.

Simmermacher will be back and ready to challenge at the top of the leaderboard once again this week, with the Argentine still searching for her first win on tour, while Lee-Anne Pace, Ana Peláez Trevino and Meghan Maclaren will also be teeing it up. Lydia Hall and Whitney Hillier both finished in the top 10 around this track last year, and both will be ready to compete once again, with Hillier looking to maintain her place in the top 10 of the Race to Costa Del Sol rankings.

As well as Grant and Stark, there will be a raft of Swedes looking to impress on home soil this week, with six-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall among those in the field, as well as Jessica Karlsson, Camilla Lennarth, Linda Wessberg and Lina Boqvist.

Louise Duncan will also be looking to impress this week, with the Scot coming into the tournament off the back of an impressive professional debut at the AIG Women’s Open earlier this month where she finished in the top 20.

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Maja Stark scorches course record to win LET/LPGA ISPS Handa World Invitational as Ferguson claims DP World Tour title

Matt Smith — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 16:55:11 +0000

By Matt Smith
Sweden’s Maja Stark finished top of the pile in the Ladies European Tour/LPGA ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, while Ewen Ferguson shot a final-round 69 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the DP World Tour event.

There was a four-way tie for the lead among the ladies and a bunched-up chasing pack early in the final round but it was Stark who took the tournament by the scruff of the neck with six birdies on the front nine. She turned with a three-shot lead and added four more birdies for a course-record 63, 20-under total and five-stroke triumph.

Scotsman Ferguson started the week by firing a course-record 61 and although things got tight at the business end on Sunday, he held in his nerve to win the event — tri-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour ∏ with a 12-under total and three-shot margin.

The separate tournaments on the same two courses — Galgorm and Massareene — held equal prize funds of $1.5million each with $250,000 for each winner.

Ferguson, the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters winner earlier this year, said: “It feels unbelievable. I just can’t believe how calm I was out there. It couldn’t have worked out any better playing with Connor. I felt although I played with him the first two days and he was playing so, so good, and I felt he was my main rival for the day, so managing to play with him and hold each other off and keep up with each other was so good. Just can’t believe I’m a winner again.”

Stark added: “I don’t think it’s landed yet. I’m just feeling so nervous. All day, I was just kind of reminding myself to be calm and take it one shot at a time. But it’s been easier said than done.”

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Amundi Evian Championship: Round 1 timings and pairings

Matt Smith — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:28:30 +0000

By Matt Smith
The cream of women’s golf arrive at Evian-les-Bains for the year’s penultimate major this week, the Amundi Evian Championship, as the likes of Maja Stark, Linn Grant, Hyo-Joo Kim, Jeongeun Lee6, Leona Maguire, Minjee Lee, Jin Young Ko, Anna Nordqvist, In Gee Chun, Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda and Atthaya Thitikul vie for the record $6.5 million purse.

Jin Young Ko

Here are Thursday’s full tee times and pairings
Hole 1
07.15
Agathe Laisne (FRA)
Sophia Schubert (USA)
Jennifer Chang (USA)
07.27
Lauren Stephenson (USA)
Gemma Dryburgh (SCO)
Wichanee Meechai (THA)
07.39
Alana Uriell (USA)
Ruixin Liu (CHN)
Chella Choi (KOR)
07.51
Wei Ling Hsu (TPE)
Benedetta Moresco (ITA)
Bronte Law (ENG)
08.03
Eun-Hee Ji (KOR)
Sophia Popov (GER)
So Yeon Ryu (KOR)
08.15
Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG)
Jasmine Suwannapura (THA)
Cristie Kerr (USA)
08.27
In-Kyung Kim (KOR)
Sarah Schmelzel (USA)
Andrea Lee (USA)
08.39
Jennifer Song (USA)
Charlotte Thomas (ENG)
Angel Yin (USA)
08.51
Frida Kinhult (SWE)
Stephanie Kyriacou (AUS)
Yealimi Noh (USA)
09.03
Janie Jackson (USA)
Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG)
Yuna Nishimura (JPN)
09.15
Yu Liu (CHN)
Lee-Anne Pace (RSA)
Amanda Doherty (USA)

Maja Stark

Hole 10
07.15
Pornanong Phatlum (THA)
Yaeeun Hong (KOR)
Jeongeun Lee 5 (KOR)
07.27
Isi Gabsa (GER)
Valery Plata (COL)
Emma Talley (USA)
07.39
Rose Zhang (USA)
Albane Valenzuela (SUI)
Sung Hyun Park (KOR)
07.51
Lizette Salas (USA)
Maja Stark (SWE)
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DEN)
08.03
Brooke M Henderson (CAN)
Jessica Korda (USA)
Sei Young Kim (KOR)
08.15
Jin Young Ko (KOR)
Anna Nordqvist (SWE)
Lydia Ko (NZL)
08.27
In Gee Chun (KOR)
Jennifer Kupcho (USA)
Minjee Lee (AUS)
08.39
Rachel Heck (USA)
Atthaya Thitikul (THA)
Tiia Koivisto (FIN)
08.51
Morgane Metraux (SUI)
Anna Davis (USA)
Sanna Nuutinen (FIN)
09.03
Min Ji Park (KOR)
Manon De Roey (BEL)
Mizuki Hashimoto (JPN)
09.15
Mel Reid (ENG)
Aditi Ashok (IND)
Cheyenne Knight (USA)

Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn

Hole 1
12.15
Gina Kim (USA)
Amy Olson (USA)
Haeji Kang (KOR)
12.27
Su Oh (AUS)
Brittany Altomare (USA)
Amy Yang (KOR)
12.39
Ashleigh Buhai (RSA)
Paula Reto (RSA)
Maude-Aimee Leblanc (CAN)
12.51
Madelene Sagstrom (SWE)
Na Rin An (KOR)
Lilia Vu (USA)
13.03
Pajaree Anannarukarn (THA)
Ally Ewing (USA)
Xi Yu Lin (CHN)
13.15
Allisen Corpuz (USA)
Ariya Jutanugarn (THA)
Moriya Jutanugarn (THA)
13.27
A Lim Kim (KOR)
Marina Alex (USA)
Jenny Shin (KOR)
13.39
Jeongeun Lee6 (KOR)
Caroline Masson (GER)
Stephanie Meadow (NIR)
13.51
Lauren Coughlin (USA)
Esther Henseleit (GER)
Sarah Kemp (AUS)
14.03
Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)
Ryann O’Toole (USA)
Georgia Hall (ENG)
14.15
Jenny Coleman (USA)
Mao Saigo (JPN)
Meghan MacLaren (ENG)

Nelly Korda

Hole 10
12.15
Alison Lee (USA)
Peiyun Chien (TPE)
Annie Park (USA)
12.27
Megan Khang (USA)
Kelly Tan (MAS)
Aline Krauter (GER)
12.39
Pauline Roussin (FRA)
Johanna Gustavsson (SWE)
Jess Baker (ENG)
12.51
Hannah Green (AUS)
Ayaka Furue (JPN)
Hyo-Joo Kim (KOR)
13.03
Patty Tavatanakit (THA)
Gaby Lopez (MEX)
Hinako Shibuno (JPN)
13.15
Nelly Korda (USA)
Celine Boutier (FRA)
Yuka Saso (PHI)
13.27
Angela Stanford (USA)
Inbee Park (KOR)
Linn Grant (SWE)
13.39
Hye Jin Choi (KOR)
Mina Harigae (USA)
Leona Maguire (IRL)
13.51
Carlota Ciganda (ESP)
Charley Hull (ENG)
Nasa Hataoka (JPN)
14.03
Pia Babnik (SLO)
Perrine Delacour (FRA)
Jensen Castle (USA)
14.15
Lindsey Weaver-Wright (USA)
Olivia Cowan (GER)
Matilda Castren (FIN)

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Amundi Evian Championship: Maja Stark and Linn Grant are major players in LET Race

Matt Smith — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:53:15 +0000

By Matt Smith
Leading Ladies European Tour stars Maja Stark and Linn Grant are preparing for their debuts at the Amundi Evian Championship this week, knowing victory will not only put them in the driver’s seat for the season-long Race to Costa del Sol rankings and make them $1 million richer, it will also earn them major champion status.

The Swedish rookies Stark and Grant, ranked first and second on the LET Race respectively, are looking to add to a sensational first season on tour with a maiden major trophy at Evian Resort Club in France, while the Race itself is nip-and-tuck. Victory at the Evian is worth 675 points on the Race to Costa del Sol Rankings and there are only 292 points separating the pair. Fellow Swede Johanna Gustavsson is also in the mix as she has a mathematical chance of leapfrogging Stark with a win.

All three Swedes played in the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort in late May, on the same golf course, albeit on a different set-up.

Linn Grant

Stark, who has won the Women’s New South Wales Open and the Amundi German Masters so far this year, said: “I’m excited about playing in a tournament again. I haven’t really thought about it as a different competition to any of the other LET events. It’s a bigger, stronger field, but I’ve played at the course before.

“I’ve had a good season and I’m always expecting the best from myself, hopefully being up there in contention and hoping that it’s enough, this week. I’m always aiming for the win. I haven’t been training a bunch at home on this week off, I just felt like I needed the time off to re-set my brain a bit. I’ve only practised when I felt like it and I think it’s been good for me.

“The shots are there and I know what to work on and what happens when I’m not hitting the ball very well. Last week was more about sustaining what I have and not practising anything new.

“The Jabra Ladies Open went well but I think the course is slightly different. It feels a bit longer than it was at the Jabra and the greens are softer now than they were then. The rough is a bit longer but for sure it’s nice to have played it before because it’s a very tricky course, both strategically and just knowing where to hit around the greens. In some places, you can end up with an almost impossible shot if you’re not careful, so it’s really good to have been here before and to have started to figure the course out and it’s nice that it was pretty recent that we played here.”

Grant, who has won the Joburg Ladies Open, the Belgian Ladies Open and the Scandinavian Mixed, where she became the first female winner on the DP World Tour in the co-sanctioned event with the LET, is also aiming high.

“I’m really looking forward to this week and the course looks amazing,” she said. “I’m super excited about going to test my game against the very best.

“I’ve only played in the British and US Opens, so it will be my first time at the Evian, which I am very excited about.

“I do have high expectations. I’ve played all right in the majors before and I like the major feeling. Courses are longer and tougher. The greens are faster so you need to have more patience with your game and I think that suits me, so I pretty much expect to play well.

This year’s field of 132 players includes past champions such as world No. 2 Minjee Lee (2021), No.1 Jin-Young Ko (2019); Angela Stanford (2018), Anna Nordqvist (2017), In Gee Chun (2016), Lydia Ko (2015) and Hyo Joo Kim (2014), as well as world No. 3 Nelly Korda and No. 5 Atthaya Thitikul.

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