Michele Thomson Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open: Michele Thomson guns for glory at home

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 09:19:30 +0000

By Matt Smith
Michele Thomson has had a consistently strong season so far in 2022 — now she is aiming for the winner’s circle at home in Scotland.

Three top-10 finishes alongside two additional top-15 finishes has put the Scot in a great position with the final part of the season to come.

And Thomson, who hails from Aberdeen, hopes that with her consistency she will soon be able to take home a trophy.

“I’m happy with how my season is going so far, I think I’ve had a pretty steady start and I’m just doing everything I can to get better,” she said. “Hopefully the results will continue, and a win is only around the corner.

“The strongest part of my game has been my iron play. I’ve struggled over the last few weeks on wedge play, so I’ve been dialling that in.”

With the LET having such a strong season with 34 events on the schedule, the Scot has played in 16 events and recently had some time off.

After finishing T12 at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open, Thomson put down her golf clubs and enjoyed herself in Barcelona before heading back home to prepare for her next stint on the road.

“I stayed on an extra few days for a nice holiday and some site seeing in Barcelona after my last event in Sitges,” she continued. “The season has been pretty hectic so far, so I deserved a little break with no clubs.

“I’ve had a really nice week at home catching up with my coach Spencer Henderson and physio Aimee Clark at Spear. It’s just nice to get things back on track and they have helped me do that before the next few weeks.

“I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing links golf courses in Aberdeen, so I’ve played Murcar Links and Royal Aberdeen to prepare for the next few weeks ahead.”

Thomson is one of six Scots who will tee it up at Dundonald Links from July 28 for the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and it is a welcome return to links golf.

She added: “I always love playing in Scotland, it’s really nice playing in front of family and friends and you always feel like the crowd are right behind you. I love links golf and using my imagination to play different shots.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played Dundonald but I’m excited to see how they are going to set the course up. I’m expecting the weather conditions to be quite tough and a challenge for us all.”

Fellow Scot Louise Duncan last week announced that she will make her professional debut at this week’s tournament after receiving a sponsor invitation.

Duncan, a Stirling University graduate, transitions into professional golf after a stellar amateur career winning the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship, the R&A Student Tour series in Portugal, and the Smyth Salvar award last year after finishing T10 at the Women’s Open in Carnoustie.

Growing up just 15 miles away from Dundonald, Duncan benefits from extensive experience in links golf and is one of the six Scots in the field that will be in the running for the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot award.

“I have been thinking about making the transition into professional for quite some time now and it just feels so right to be making my professional debut at my home open and also at a club which is just down the road from where I grew up learning to playing golf,” she said.

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Scots quartet look to lead the home charge at Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open

Matt Smith — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 07:37:55 +0000

Kelsey MacDonald. Trust Golf

By Matt Smith
With the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open fast approaching, the home guard has been unveiled as a quartet of players will be aiming to keep the trophy in the ‘Home of Golf’ — Scotland.

Ahead of the prestigious tournament at Dundonald Links, July 28-31, home hopes Gemma Dryburgh, Kelsey MacDonald, Michele Thomson, and Kylie Henry have confirmed their participation on one of Scotland’s leading links courses on the breezy west coast.

The Scottish quartet will join an all-star cast which consists of eight out of the world’s top 10 players as well as 19 major winners with 36 major trophies between them including the first three major champions of the year — Jennifer Kupcho, Minjee Lee and In Gee Chun.

Aberdonian Gemma Dryburgh is enjoying a fine run of form this season after finishing fifth at the LPGA Match Play and winning the US Women’s Open qualifier to make her debut in the second major of the year.

“Every year I look forward to playing in the Women’s Scottish Open, this will be my sixth appearance in the event and last year I was lucky enough to receive an invitation from tournament sponsor VisitScotland so I’m really happy to have qualified myself this year,” she said. “I am especially excited to experience all that the newly transformed Dundonald Links has to offer. It’s been a great start to the year and I’m very happy with how my game has been recently, so I just want to keep building on my last few performances and hopefully be in the running come Sunday afternoon”.

MacDonald, a perennial performer at the Women’s Scottish Open, has recorded 12 appearances since her debut in 2008 and made the cut on seven occasions. Last year she finished T-15, her best finish to date, to become the first winner of the Jock MacVicar Leading Scot award. The 2021 season saw MacDonald record two top-10 finishes and four further top-15 finishes to end the year ranked 39th in the Race to Costa Del Sol.

Thomson, who carded an opening round 64 at last year’s Scottish Open to set the course record, will make her fifth appearance at Dundonald Links this summer. With five top-20 finishes this season, Thomson is enjoying a stellar season so far and currently sits at 19th in the LET Order of Merit.

Glasgow native Kylie thought she might have to give up competitive golf last year after sustaining an elbow fracture, but after just her third start since the injury, she put in a fantastic performance at the Aramco Team Series in Bangkok to secure a third-place finish in the individual competition and sixth place in the team competition.

Tournament title sponsor, Trust Golf, has increased this year’s prize-fund by 33 per cent to $2million. The Thai based technology enterprise took over as title sponsor in 2021.

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Pedersen caps ‘strange, weird’ year with sweet Saudi slam

Kent Gray — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 04:25:03 +0000

By Kent Gray
While most of the rest of us would happily press fast-forward to get this challenging year over and done with, Emily Kristine Pedersen understandably is in no rush to see the back of 2020.

The past 10 days in particular have been a dream with the 24-year-old completing a sweep of all available titles at Saudi Arabia’s historic LET double-header on Thursday. Just four days after capturing the inaugural Saudi Ladies Team International, Pedersen wrapped up the team and individual titles at the Saudi Ladies Team International.

The Dane departs Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with $207, 500 and the LET’s season-long Race to Costa Del Sol title sown up with next week’s season-ending Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De Espana still to be played.

“It’s been a strange year for all of us with COVID but while everyone’s saying it is the worst year, I’m having the best year ever, so that’s a little weird but I am really happy,” said Pedersen.

Thursday’s celebration was a far cry from her week in Dubai when she opened the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic with an 82, eventually finished T-41 in the 56-strong field and quickly figured out she was putting too much pressure on herself as the spectre of becoming LET No.1 loomed.

“I obviously really, really like the course here,” Pedersen said of Royal Greens. “Our tactics were great for the two weeks and we stuck to it. I can’t believe what’s happened this season. I was confident I could get back to where I was but I couldn’t imagine that it would be like this.”

Team Pedersen, consisting of Michele Thomson (Scotland), Cassandra Hall (South Africa) and talented English amateur Matt Selby snatched victory in the team event with Hall’s clutch birdie on the closing birdie getting them to -40 for the 54 hole event. 40-under par and a share of $97,500 for the professionals.

Team Pedersen featuring Michele Thomson, Casandra Hall and amateur Matt-Selby.

“It’s been unbelievable, I was absolutely delighted when I heard Emily picked me,” said Thomson who shared in a third of the $97,500 prize for the professionals.

“She’s one of the best players I think I’ve ever played with and we just wanted to make some birdies out there today. Although I am about 10 years older than her, I have learnt a lot from her and I’ve gained a great friend this week.”

Team Kyriacou (Steph Kyriacou, Pia Babnik, Manon Gidali) and Team De Roey (Manon De Roey, Eleanor Givens, Linette Littau Durr Holmslykke) finished one back on 39-under for a share of second.

Pedersen’s final round 67 sealed victory at 14-under to finish two shots clear of Aussie Stephanie Kyriacou, Dutchwoman Anne Van Dam and Spaniard Luna Sobron Galmes.

Outstanding 19-year-old Kyriacou capped an impressive Saudi Arabian display by setting a new course record with a brilliant 63 that included two eagles and five birdies. The Australian, who started 2020 in the amateur ranks, has now all but sealed the LET Rookie of the Year title.

Stephanie Kyriacou.

“It was obviously a great day,” said Kyriacou. “I started with a birdie, wanted to keep the momentum going then holed out on the 14 and then chipped in on the last for eagle which was a great way to finish the year.

“I hadn’t thought about the Rookie of the Year title until my friend told me about it and then was like, ‘That’s cool, it would be great to win’. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

H.E. Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, was thrilled with the trailblazing 10 days in King Abdullah Economic City.

“This has been an historic time for Saudi Arabia and women’s golf, and we could not be prouder. I am confident this won’t be the last we hear of exciting team formats in the professional game.”

Saudi Ladies Team International – Final Results

Team
-40: Team Pederson
-39: Team Kyriacou, Team De Roey
-37: Team Mehmet
-36: Team Pace
-33: Team Dimmock

Individual
-14: Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark)
-12: Stephanie Kyriacou (Australia), Anne van Dam (The Netherlands), Luna Sobron Galmes (Spain)
-9: Charley Hull (England)
-8: Eleanor Givens (England), Georgia Hall (England)
-7: Ursula Wikstrom (Finland), Johanna Gustavsson (Sweden)

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