With heavy storms and strong winds anticipated from midday, the tournament was shortened to 36 holes, with a sudden death playoff scheduled in the morning between overnight leaders Ko and Lin, who were tied on 11-under-par.

In challenging weather conditions, the play-off took place on the 18th hole of the Hong Kong Golf Club. After missing her chance to win with a par putt on the first playoff hole, Lin held her nerve, sinking a spectacular 40-foot birdie putt to triumph on the second playoff hole to claim her first victory at the Aramco Team Series.

Xiyu Lin is happy to get her third LET win & especially doing it in Hong Kong ???#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/KTO4TYQ35J

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 8, 2023

On that monster putt, Lin said: “I’m still a little in shock. I mean, everything happens for a reason. I didn’t hold my putt in the first playoff hole. I told myself to stay patient. And then it was another good drive and a good close shot. And, you know, making that putt is pretty phenomenal.”

Lin, who took home an Asian Games bronze medal last week, added: “With the rain and the wind, the hole played very differently. The last two days, I’ve been using my pitching wedge into the green, and today, I had 190 yards to the hole. It’s a great course, it’s a great-positioned hole. It’s a great stage for a playoff because this hole is very challenging.”

In the past two seasons, the world No. 12 has been in two playoffs, and lost on both occasions, at the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2022, and earlier this year at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

“That was one of my best putts! I have been in playoffs a lot of times in the past two seasons and I haven’t won one but I kept telling myself that I haven’t done anything wrong and my time is going to come,” the world No. 12 said

Lin added: “It’s my first Aramco Team Series and also my first time playing in Hong Kong in a long time. It means a lot, when you can capture a win in front of a field that includes the world number one and three. It was a pretty good feeling and also this week, I got so much support from the local fans and I feel really grateful. This means a lot to me and will always hold a very special place in my heart.”

The final leg of the Aramco Teams Series will take place at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, from October 27-29.

Main image: LET

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Lin and Zhang are no strangers to the team format, with Lin representing China in the Asian Games last week and Zhang recently donning the USA colours in the Solheim Cup in Spain.

Lin, the top-ranked Chinese player in the field, is ready for the days ahead following her bronze-medal performance in the Asian Games. Speaking about her experience last week, Lin said: “It was a very memorable week, playing the Asian Games again after 13 years. Since Covid, I’ve not played a tournament with spectators in China. We got really big support, and it was crazy. I was shocked by how many people actually came out to watch us. And to see that and also coming to Hong Kong, and going to Shanghai next week and seeing how many people and friends and family are going to come out these couple of weeks.”

Comparing her recent team event at the Asian Games to the Aramco Team Series, Lin said: “I think it gave me some idea about how I’m going to approach this week and next week. So yeah, it was a good event. I think it gives me a pretty good warm-up for this week.”

Meanwhile, Zhang, the former world No. 1 ranked amateur, has had a “crazy” year which saw her win on her professional debut in June at the Mizuho Americas Open on the LPGA tour before making her debut in the Solheim Cup in Spain two weeks ago. Reflecting on her journey, Zhang said: “Five months in, it’s been quite a journey being able to be on tour and play on a weekly basis with players I’ve seen on TV whilst growing up.”

Drawing from her incredible college golf experience at Stanford, Zhang highlighted the importance of bonding and being in the moment, stating: “That kind of mindset of getting to know people and learning how to cherish times on the golf course. That’s similar to what I’m doing here.”

The iconic Hong Kong Golf Club hosts this week’s Aramco Team Series, with both Zhang and Lin competing in Hong Kong as professionals for the first time, with Lin having many fond memories of competing at Hong Kong Golf Club as an amateur.

Lin said: “I’m really looking forward to [this week]. This is my first time playing the new course at Hong Kong Golf Club. I think the course is in good shape. It’s a course that can have a very low score. I think everyone will try to attack a little more, especially when we have the team event involved. So, I will be as aggressive as I can and try to go for a pretty low score.”

Zhang is relishing the challenge of the course layout and added: “I love how this course is laid out. I know that it’s really tight. There are some lines out here that you may think that’s the middle of the fairway, but it’s not. So, being able to kind of hone in on your lines and understanding where to miss will be a really key position. So I think that’s really good for me. I love strategising and learning how to make a game plan so I can play my best.”

Main image: Aramco Team Series

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Muni is popular both on the course and off it, with a massive social media following, and is also a regular competitor on the LPGA Tour. Muni is preparing for her second appearance in the Aramco Team Series, having previously achieved a T-7 finish at the 2021 Aramco Team Series — Sotogrande.

“I am excited to be competing in Hong Kong,” Muni said. “I’m grateful for the support from my fans, and I hope they will come out to support the event. I’m looking forward to it, to be competing in Hong Kong, and I’m excited to put on a great performance for the fans at this world-class event.”

The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF, and sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, is a global golf series that features top professional and skilled amateur players. The Hong Kong edition serves as the fourth stop on the tour this year, bringing together 28 teams of three professionals and one amateur to compete in an exhilarating team competition format over two days. In addition, a three-day individual stroke play competition will see the players battle for the individual title and Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points.

Xiyu Lin. Supplied

The inclusion of Muni He in the Aramco Team Series Hong Kong line-up underscores the tournament’s commitment to showcasing the best talents in women’s golf from around the world.

“We are delighted to welcome Muni He to the Aramco Team Series Hong Kong,” said Andy Kwok, captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club. “Her participation adds another layer of excitement and showcases the global appeal of the tournament. We at the Hong Kong Golf Club are thrilled to provide a platform for talented golfers like Xiyu Lin and Muni He to shine and inspire our local golfers.”

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Lin has established herself as one of the most consistent players in women’s golf in recent times, securing seven top-five finishes since 2022. The 27-year-old also broke into the top 10 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time in her career in June following her impressive T-3 finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Xiyu Lin. Supplied

The World No. 13 expressed her excitement to compete in her first Aramco Team Series event and said: “I am delighted and can’t wait to be able to compete in the first Aramco Team Series in Hong Kong. It is a significant moment for women’s golf in the region, and I am glad to be part of it. I look forward to competing alongside some of the best professional and amateur golfers and putting on a show for the fans.”

The arrival of the Aramco Team Series in Hong Kong marks the first time a women’s professional golf event has graced Hong Kong since 2019, underscoring the city’s dedication to providing a platform for women in sports to showcase their skills and inspire future generations. Notably, Hong Kong has produced remarkable female golfers such as professional Tiffany Chan and amateurs Ginnie Ding and Sophie Han.

“We are thrilled to host the Aramco Team Series for its historic debut in Hong Kong,” said Andy Kwok, captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club. “Having one of the world’s best golfers, Xiyu Lin, competing adds immense excitement and prestige to the event. Fans from across the Greater Bay Area will be very excited to come and watch their homegrown hero and see this exceptional tournament with its unique format first-hand at the Hong Kong Golf Club.”

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1. The right “approach” pays off

Hyo-Joo Kim and Xiyu Lin shared the Day 1 lead with matching four-under 68s. Kim and Lin were also first (4.48) and third (3.77), respectively, in SG/putting. Only Nasa Hataoka (eighth) of the six players at T-3 is in the top 10 of SG/putting.

However, the majority of players in the top 10 on the leaderboard are also in top 12 in SG/approach with amateur Aine Donegan in first (4.35), Allisen Corpuz in fourth (3.78), Bailey Tardy in fifth (3.58), Hae Ran Ryu in sixth (3.58), Leona Maguire in eighth (3.28), and Hataoka in 12th (3.05). Surprisingly, the leaders trail by a decent margin, with Kim in 25th (1.9) and Lin in 38th (1.43).

2. Annika Sorenstam’s still got it … around the green

Ezra Shaw

Posting an 80, even for Sorenstam at 52, seems inconceivable for one of the game’s all-time greats. Sorenstam finished in last in SG/off the tee, making sense, given she only hit one fairway. A lone bright spot was ending up with 2.51 SG/around the green, the sixth-best in the field. While her capabilities on a major venue are different from what they were in her prime, the 72-time winner needed no data to know the best part of her game Thursday.

“I’m disappointed in that [80], but I fought really hard,” Sorenstam said. “I thought I made some great saves. It sounds funny when you have this score, but I did.”

3. An amateur leads the field in this SG stat

Donegan, an amateur from Ireland who plays college golf at LSU, posted a 69 despite her clubs not arriving until Tuesday. That makes her 4.35 SG/approach stat even more impressive, particularly too considering she hit only 12 greens in regulation. The Irishwoman bested defending US Women’s Open champion Minjee Lee in the category, with the Australian sitting at 4.05 SG/approach.

Donegan’s driver clubhead also arrived smashed to Pebble Beach, but she raved about the replacement one she put into her bag this week, saying it fueled her ability to play well into the greens by outperforming the field from the tee box as well. Donegan sits in second in SG/off the tee (1.58).

4. One of the most consistent US Women’s Open performers leads SG/off the tee

Harry How

Megan Khang has rattled off three consecutive top-10s at the US Women’s Open and is lurking at five shots off the pace after the first round. Her secret sauce might lie in her ability from the tee, as finding 13 of 14 fairways contributed to her leading 1.84 SG/off the tee. That’s .26 ahead of Donegan. In a reminder of how distinct SG/off the tee is, compared to driving distance, the longest player in the field Thursday, Amelia Garvey, sits in 114th in SG/off the tee at -.39.

5. Michelle Wie West didn’t lie—she doesn’t like putting drills

Entering Wie West’s final competitive start, she shared the thing she won’t miss the most.

“The putting drills that I’m doing, you’d best believe I’m not going to do another putting drill for the rest of my life if I don’t need to,” Wie West said.

Fitting, then, that the 2014 US Women’s Open winner finished last in the field in SG/putting at -4.18. Wie West carded a 79, sitting T-126. Impressively, she kept her touch, finishing 11th in SG/around the green (2.01).

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Ultimately, Charley Hull shot a final-round seven-under 64 on Sunday at the Ascendant LPGA, clipping Xiyu Lin (65) by one shot. It marked Hull’s second LPGA victory and first since the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship. While she also claimed a hatful of Ladies European Tour titles, including the Aramco Team Series 2021 New York crown, it is a landmark on the LPGA.

However, for Lin, she continues to look for her first LPGA victory after playing in nearly 200 tour events in her career.

“I’ve come close a few times since,” Hull said. “Now my game is there, it was just my confidence. I’m now confident.”

Hull, from England, shot 67-64-71-64 for her 18-under-par 266 total. Lin, from China, shot 65-68-69-65 for end at 267. Lydia Ko was third, two shots behind Hull.

Hull and Lin, both 26, started the day tied at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. Hull rattled off four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine to jump out to a lead. She then made consecutive birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 14 to take a three-shot lead with only four holes remaining.

“I get bored if I don’t go for pins, and when I get bored I don’t play as good,” Hull said. “I find it interesting and exciting, and that’s when I usually play my best golf.”

She still needed to find her best down the stretch because Lin delivered a late charge, making a long birdie putt on the par-3 16th hole, then following it up by making a 35-footer for eagle on the par-5 17th hole. At that moment, the two were tied, but Hull soon made her birdie on 17 from five feet to take the one-shot lead into the home hole.

CLUTCH ?@JanetLinXiYu rolls in an eagle to tie the lead in Texas pic.twitter.com/Ho4eqA2ODl

— LPGA (@LPGA) October 2, 2022

Both players hit approach shots on the par-4 18th to a similar distance but Hull went first, putting from a couple inches off the green. She missed but tapped in for an easy par. Lin stood over a 15-footer for birdie to tie Hull and force a playoff, but she just missed it left.

Fellow countrywoman Georgia Hall celebrated with Hull on the green.

“I can’t remember what I was thinking,” she said. “It was all a bit of a blur.”

Lin, who turned professional 11 years ago as a 16-year-old, made an untimely bogey on the 11th hole Sunday but played flawlessly the rest of the way. She opened with a birdie to take the lead, followed it with one on the sixth, then shot four-under 32 on the final nine holes with the bogey and the eagle. It’s another disappointing result, but this time it seemed easier to swallow than some of the other near-misses in the past.

“At the beginning of the week you’re telling me I’m going to shoot 17-under here and finish second I will take this any time,” Lin said. “I always found this course is very challenging for myself.

“My coach and I had a joke, trying to see how high of a world ranking I can get without a win. I mean, it’s not fun, but it’s fun.”

Hull burst on to the scene in 2013 when, as a 17-year-old, she was picked by Captain Liselotte Neumann to play for Europe in the Solheim Cup in Colorado. She showed up that week with no expectations, collected a 2-1 record and defeated her idol Paula Creamer 5&4 in Sunday singles to help her team rout the Americans.

Since then Hull has played in four more Solheim Cups, recorded an 11-5-3 overall record and is a machine in team formats but has not yet had as much individual success as she wished. She’s won three times on the Ladies European Tour, now has two LPGA victories and has seven top-10 finishes in majors.

When Hull won her maiden LPGA event six years ago, she was thrilled, but slightly disappointed because it was the last event of the season. She felt she was in such great form that she wished she had more events to play, something she’s happy that she does have this time.

“I’ve had some good results this year,” Hull said. “Had a very similar season to my 2016 season, so I’m actually happy I’ve got a couple events left as well, because I felt like in the 2016 season if I had a few more I could have pushed on.”

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