Charley Hull wins first title in 2 years at LET event in Saudi Arabia

A two-time winner on the LPGA, Hull now owns four LET titles.

Charley Hull clinched her first title in two years at the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh, with a closing 6-under 66. The popular Englishwoman has been trending for some time and finally made it back in the winner’s circle. 

I felt really sharp, I played very solidly today,” said Hull of the win in Saudi Arabia. “I made a bogey on the par-5 17th and the par 3, but that was just two three-putts. So quite long putts, in all fairness, and they got away from me a little bit, but felt like I held my game together pretty well. And 18 under for three days is a pretty good score.” 

Camels overlook the action on the 18th in Saudi Arabia. (Courtesy Aramco Team Series)

Hull, 28, has enjoyed a strong stretch of play since she slipped in the shower and injured her right shoulder in July. In her last four starts on the LPGA, she hasn’t finished outside the top 20. Not to mention the 6-and-4 drumming of Nelly Korda in Sunday singles at the Solheim Cup. After a T-19 at the Kroger Queen City in September, Hull headed back to England to recharge.

Now, she adds a victory on the Ladies European Tour.

Hull finished at 18 under for the three-day event, three strokes ahead of Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup.

“I feel like my game’s been pretty good all season,” said Hull. “I’ve been knocking on the door quite a lot over the past couple years and this week it all came together. I feel good. I’m going to get a hot chocolate [to celebrate], that’s about as exciting as it gets for me.

“I was actually in the gym this morning, I didn’t start my warm-up until 45 minutes before because I needed to get a 5K-run in. I felt really strong out there.”

England’s Charley Hull celebrates her fourth LET title. (Courtesy Aramco Team Series)

A two-time winner on the LPGA, Hull now owns four LET titles. Since her last win in Texas on the LPGA two years ago, she’s recorded eight runner-up finishes across both the LPGA and LET.

I’m going home for a week before I head back to America for the last two events on the LPGA Tour, which is The Annika event, and then the CME Group Tour Championship,” she said. “I like the Tour Championship golf course. I won there in 2016, so I’m looking forward to them, too, and then home for Christmas – I can’t wait. 

Chiara Tamburlini became the first Swiss player to win the LET Order of Merit after her T-7 finish at Riyadh. The 24-year-old is the seventh player in LET history to win the Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year in the same season, joining Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda, Esther Henseleit, Jeeno Thitikul, Linn Grant and Trichat Cheenglab.

This marked the fifth and final event of the $1 million Aramco Team Series presented by PIF tournaments organized by Golf Saudi. The LET’s Saudi-backed events remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

Alison Lee smashes 36-hole scoring record on LET after consecutive 61s

“But yeah, like I said I’m really happy with my round.”

Alison Lee has had a record-setting start at the Aramco Team Series Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on the Ladies European Tour.

Lee, the 28-year-old American, finished second last week at the LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship in Korea. This week, she’s well on her way to hoisting a trophy after posting consecutive 61s at Riyadh Golf Club.

With a 36-hole score of 22 under, Lee smashed the previous two-day tally set by Gwladys Nocera (2008 Goteborg Masters), Kylie Henry (2014 Ladies German Open), Anne van Dam (2018 Estralla Damm Ladies Open) and Emily Kristine Pedersen (2020 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open), which stood at 16-under. Her 61s match the lowest round in LET history, and in the opening round, she set a new record with eight consecutive birdies.

“If you told me at the beginning of the week I was going to shoot 22 under after two days I wouldn’t have believed you,” Lee said. “So I’m really happy with where I am right now. I made a lot of really good putts. Statistically [this season], driver, greens-in-regulation, everything’s been really good. But I just haven’t been able to get that confidence in the putter and that’s been the biggest thing.

“[But] this week I feel really good, the speed has been great. I’ve been able to putt very aggressively, especially out here which you need [to do] if you want to make birdies. I wish I could give you an answer as to why. I’ve been working really hard with my putting coach back home.”

Lee had a putt for 60 on the closing hole, but her birdie attempt came up just short. However, a tap-in for 61 and a six-shot lead over Carlota Ciganda made for the best 36-hole stretch of her career.

“With five holes left, I kind of knew right then and there, ‘OK, let’s try and make a charge here,'” Lee continued. “Unfortunately, I left my putt short on 16, so I was a little disappointed. And it was a tricky putt I had [on 18]. I had to take it out pretty far to the left and let it break.

“But yeah, like I said I’m really happy with my round.”