Tag: Aramco Team Series

World No. 1 Lydia Ko confirmed for Aramco Saudi Ladies event in February but not yet for season-opening LPGA event later this month at her Lake Nona home

The 120-player field in Saudi will feature 60 LET players, 50 from the top 300 in the Rolex Rankings.

The Aramco Saudi Ladies International has announced that Lydia Ko is confirmed for the field in mid-February. The World No. 1 and newlywed won the event in 2021, though this year’s field will compete for a substantially larger purse. The $5 million prize fund is the largest in Ladies European Tour history outside of the majors.

The 2023 LPGA season kicks off later this month with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona, where Ko has a home. The deadline to enter the TOC is 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, and so far, Ko, who is honeymooning, is not on the confirmed list.

The Saudi Ladies International will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Feb. 16-19, ahead of the LPGA’s Asian swing featuring stops in Thailand, Singapore and China. There’s a one-month break on the LPGA schedule between the TOC and the Asian swing.

2022 CME Group Tour Championship
Lydia Ko poses for a photo with the Vare Trophy, the Rolex Player of the Year trophy and the CME Globe trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 20, 2022 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Ko won three times last season, including the CME Group Tour Championship in November, and rose to No. 1 once again after the season concluded. She married Jun Chung on Dec. 30 at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. It’s possible that the Saudi stop will be her first event in 2023.

“I remember my time at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International very fondly,” Ko said in a release, “having won the title here a few years back. I’m looking forward to returning to Saudi Arabia in a few months to build on my 2022.”

The 120-player field in Saudi will feature 60 LET players, 50 from the top 300 in the Rolex Rankings and a maximum of 10 sponsor invites. The winner will receive $750,000.

“I’m thrilled to see golf is moving in the direction towards equal prize money,” Ko continued, “it is something I believe all the ladies on tour have been striving hard for. I’m grateful to those backing the women’s game who have believed in us and are committed to taking the sport to the next level. We’re moving in the right direction, and I believe it’s only going to get much better from here for women’s golf.”

In addition to the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, the 2023 LET schedule also features the Aramco Team Series, comprised of five events staged across the globe. Winners of last year’s Aramco Team events include Manon De Roey, Bronte Law, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson. The final event in the series takes place in Saudi Arabia.

The LET’s Saudi-backed events remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

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Long-bombing Chiara Noja, 16, defeats her childhood idol, Charley Hull, in a playoff in Saudi Arabia

“Before we went out, my dad showed Charley a picture of me with her as a 10-year-old. It’s like a full circle, it’s a blessing.”

High school senior Chiara Noja won on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series Jeddah, defeating her childhood idol, Charley Hull, in a playoff.

Noja, 16, carded a final-round 65 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to get to 13 under, while Hull birdied four of her last six holes. Noja, a powerful player who stands six feet tall, birdied back-to-back holes in the playoff to secure the title.

Earlier in the week, Noja joked that she needed to win so that she didn’t need more school after accidentally bringing the wrong books to study in Jeddah.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in quite yet,” said Noja of her victory. “I think the happiness will come later this evening. Before we went out, my dad showed Charley a picture of me with her as a 10-year-old. It’s like a full circle, it’s a blessing.

“I’ve worked hard over a lot of years now to be able to not back out of shots and commit to everything that I do and not be afraid to fail.”

Before 16-year-old Chiara Noja defeated Charley Hull on the LET, she took a picture with her idol six years ago. (Courtesy LET)

The LET’s Aramco Team Series is comprised of five events staged across the globe. The Saudi-backed events remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

Other Aramco winners this year include Manon De Roey, Bronte Law, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson.

Noja first played on the LET as a 14-year-old amateur at the Dubai event. After a second-round 86 sent her spiraling, however, she later admitted on Instagram that back at the hotel, she couldn’t imagine going back on the course for the final round.

“I was unable to deal with the pressure,” wrote Noja, “and the fact that millions of people were watching on TV, and consequently had a complete meltdown.”

She’s come a long way since then, with a victory and five additional top-three finishes on the LET Access Series this season, finishing second on the Order of Merit to earn her LET card for 2023.

A couple weeks later, she’s already won on that tour. Noja said she hasn’t a clue what comes next.

“I can’t even begin to fathom it,” she said. “I’m just going to try and relax tonight. Maybe have a burger and sleep, probably the best night sleep I’m ever going to get and see how I feel.”

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Lexi Thompson won an Aramco Team Series event in New York over the weekend. What does it mean for the LPGA and Golf Saudi?

The Aramco events are not official LPGA events, but the LPGA did enter into a joint venture with the LET in 2019.

Lexi Thompson won for the first time in three years at the Aramco Team Series event at Trump Golf Links Ferry Point. The victory certainly meant plenty to Thompson, who last won at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic and has suffered a number of heartbreaking losses.

But what does it mean for the LPGA?

It’s a complex question.

There are six events on the Ladies European Tour schedule that are sponsored by Golf Saudi and the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Aramco Team Series and it’s $1 million purses have no doubt added a significant amount of money to the LET schedule, where it’s tough to make a living. Only 29 players have made over 100,000 euros so far this season, and that’s without travel costs and other team/caddie expenses.

The Aramco events are not official LPGA events, but the LPGA did enter into a joint venture with the LET in 2019.

From a financial standpoint, it’s lucrative for LPGA players to compete in Aramco events, even if the purses are smaller than those on the LPGA. Organizers offer appearance fees to LPGA players, a rare occurrence in the women’s game. The events also carry world ranking points.

Several of the top stars who competed in the Aramco event in New York did not compete in the LPGA event that preceded it in California, nor will they be in the field at this week’s BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea or two weeks later in Japan.

It’s worth noting that with the Taiwan event gone from the schedule, there’s a week off between the events in South Korea and Japan, making it a tough Asian swing.

Still, some of the big names at Aramco won’t be playing on the LPGA again until the Pelican Women’s Championship in mid-November. That’s a six-week break from the LPGA.

LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman has made it clear that they’re interested in a women’s tour. LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan has said that she will meet with LIV. What comes of those conversations remains unknown, but it’s clear from the field in New York – and many previous Aramco fields – that LPGA stars are comfortable taking money from Saudi Arabia. In some cases, they’re comfortable enough to wear the Aramco and Golf Saudi logos.

Last week at Ferry Point, Lexi Thompson was asked during a press conference if, given the backlash that has occurred with LIV Golf, LET and LPGA players should face similar scrutiny, especially given Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses toward women.

“I would say that without the support of Aramco, LET would not be as strong as it is today,” said Thompson. “And I think they are growing the game of golf in women’s golf, and I think that if you speak to any of the Ladies European Tour players, they are extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I think that’s what Aramco is trying to do. They are trying to grow the women’s game, and I support that fully.”

LPGA and LET players who are sponsored by Golf Saudi pose for a photo ahead of the New York event.

Both Thompson and Korda were also asked for their thoughts on becoming involved with LIV, should the opportunity present itself.

“I can only speak for myself, but my eyes are set on the LPGA,” said Korda. “That’s all speculation to me. I’m focusing on the LPGA Tour and what’s in front of me and with all the LIV stuff going on, that’s all speculation and I don’t focus on speculations.”

Added Thompson: “Exactly. All we are doing is focusing on the LPGA tour and what we are playing. No opportunities have been brought upon us or the tour, so I know Mollie said that she would have conversations, but that’s not in our control. We are just doing what we can on our tour.”

Prior to the start of the Aramco event in New York, activist Lina Alhathloul posted an open letter to the LPGA commissioner, board of directors and players, urging them to distance themselves from the Saudi regime.

In the letter, Alhathloul described the abuse her sister, Loujain, a prominent activist in Saudi Arabia, has faced – being kidnapped off the streets and deported back to Saudi Arabia where she was held in prison and tortured.

“Now, I understand that you might believe that your involvement with such a country could positively impact their fate, but given the present context,” Alhathloul wrote, “your participation in events hosted by the Crown Prince will only help rehabilitate him and cover up all the violations. In fact, I am sounding the alarm on the consequences of such events, which form part of the authorities’ strategy to use art, culture and sports to distract from the dire human rights situation on the ground.”

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Lexi Thompson breaks three-year victory drought at Aramco Team Series event in New York

“I came into today just the way I played yesterday, just playing aggressive golf, and being kind of fiery.”

Lexi Thompson hoisted a trophy for the first time in three years at the Aramco Team Series in New York. The 27-year-old American star, who last won at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic, closed with a 69 at Trump Golf Links Ferry Point to win by three over Brooke Henderson and Madelene Sagstrom.

“I came into today just the way I played yesterday, just playing aggressive golf, and being kind of fiery,” said Thompson.

“I hit a great shot on No. 1 to like 6, 7 feet and made it and I wanted to play fearless golf and not play away from pins by any means and commit to my shots. I hit some really good ones and I hit some iffy ones but with this wind and everything, you have to take the bad ones as best you can.”

Thompson played the team portion of the event with former NFL player Brice Butler.

“We had a good time the last two days,” she said. “I think what Aramco and Saudi Golf does for golf and women’s golf especially is growing and very honored to be here.”

Former No. 1 Nelly Korda carded an even-par 72 to finish solo fourth, four shots back.

“It’s really nice to see her win and it’s really good for golf for her to win as well,” said Korda. “She played really solid golf, and she’s been playing really solid golf this year. It was just around the corner.”

Thompson, like Korda and Henderson, will skip the next two events in Asia and return to the LPGA for the final two events in Florida. Thompson lost to Korda last year in a playoff at the Pelican Women’s Championship. She’s a former champion of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, one of her favorite stops on tour.

The victory in New York serves as a significant confidence boost for the 11-time LPGA winner. Her only other victory on the LET came at the 2011 Dubai Ladies Masters.

“I have about two and a half, three weeks off,” said Thompson, “and I’m going to be working my butt off to keep on improving and hopefully finish strong in my last few events of the year.”

The Aramco Series carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer.

Golf Saudi backs six of the events on the LET schedule. The tournaments, backed by the Public Investment Fund, remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

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Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson among big names at Saudi-backed Aramco event at Trump Ferry Point

Golf Saudi backs six of events on the LET schedule.

The stars will be out in New York this week as the Aramco Team Series heads to Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson headline the Ladies European Tour event on U.S. soil. The LPGA does not have a tournament this week and heads next to South Korea.

Charley Hull, who recently won on the LPGA in Texas, clinched last year’s Aramco event in New York at Glen Oaks Club. The Englishwoman is among the field of 78 that includes fellow past and current Solheim Cup players such as Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda, Anna Nordqvist, Madelene Sagstrom, Catriona Matthew and Dame Laura Davies.

Also in the field is Sweden’s Maja Stark, the LPGA rookie who earned her card via victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Stark has won three times on the LET this season.

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The Aramco Series carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer.

Golf Saudi backs six of events on the LET schedule. The tournaments, backed by the Public Investment Fund, remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.

Former World No. 1 Nelly Korda won the Aramco Team Series event at Sotogrande in Spain in August while big sister Jessica won the team portion. The series consists of five events, with the final being held next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In New York, the 54-hole individual stroke play event will take place alongside the 36-hole team event, with each tournament having a purse of $500,000.

Golf Channel will air the event live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will also be streamed on GolfChannel.com and the NBC Sports app.

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Report: Aramco Team Series event headed to Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point

The event is scheduled for October 13-15.

The Aramco Team Series is headed to Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, according to a report in The New York Times.

The New York City-owned golf course is managed by former President Donald Trump’s family business, and has agreed to host the Saudi Arabia-backed tournament in October.

A city official, who was “familiar with the matter but not authorized to publicly discuss it,” confirmed that the women’s golf tournament, part of the Aramco Team Series, was approved to be held by the Eric Adams administration.

Much like LIV Golf, the Aramco Team Series is funded by the entities associated with the Saudi government. The country has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

According to The New York Times, city officials determined that they could not “unreasonably withhold approval” for the event under the city’s contract with the Trump Organization, according to another city official who was familiar with the matter.

A Freedom of Information request filed by the Times showed that Adams, a Democrat, held at least two meetings this year to discuss a potential tournament, according to a copy of his chief of staff’s daily schedules.

LIV Golf already has held a tournament at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey and is scheduled to host another at Trump Doral in Miami in October.

The Aramco Team Series touts the sovereign wealth fund as its’ “presenting partner,” and its title sponsor, Aramco, is Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant.

The women’s team series previously held an event in New York last year at Glen Oaks Clubs in Nassau County. Nelly and Jessica Korda have been among the leading LPGA players to participate. At an Aramco event last week in Spain, Nelly won the individual competition while Jessica was on the winning team.

“Aramco stepped in and they are providing an opportunity for us to compete,” England’s Bronte Law said at an event near London in June. “I think that shouldn’t go unheard.”

The Aramco Team Series website includes an event in New York City scheduled for October 13 through 15, but the venue is listed as “coming soon.”

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Nelly Korda wins Aramco Team Series event at Sotogrande in Spain

It’s the first win for Nelly Korda since returning from injury.

Nelly Korda has another trophy she can add to her collection.

Korda, the third-ranked female golfer in the world, won the individual title Saturday at the Aramco Team Series event at Sotogrande in Spain. A final round 5-under 67 was enough to capture the title by three shots. She finished at 13 under and won $73,955.

The Aramco Team Series features team and individual competition and has five events this year. The first two were in Bangkok and London. The next is in New York. The event is co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour. It’s Korda’s second LET victory.

Jessica Korda led heading into the final round, but a 77 on Saturday landed her in a tie for second with Pauline Roussin and Ana Pelaez Trivino. Jessica’s team won the team competition, which concluded Friday, at 33 under.

“I haven’t won this year, so it feels nice to get a win under my belt, but I’m also very sad as it wasn’t the day Jess was expecting,” Nelly said. “I guess we were hoping for a bit more of a battle going down the stretch, but it’s golf and that sometimes happens.”

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Team Jessica Korda prevails under the lights at Aramco Team Series event in New York

The Aramco Team Series came to a thrilling end under the lights on Saturday night.

The Aramco Team Series came to a thrilling end under the lights on Saturday night as six-time LPGA winner Jessica Korda’s team claimed the title after a two-hole playoff at Glen Oaks Club in Long Island, New York.

Korda’s team included Karolin Lampert, Lina Boqvist and amateur Alexandra O’Laughlin. The four combined to reach 41 under in the 54-hole team event that carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer.

The team captained by Sophia Popov, the 2020 AIG Women’s British Open winner, forced extra holes late in the day. Popov’s team included Magdalena Simmermacher and Hayley Davis as well as amateur Cody Crowell.

Scores: Aramco Team Series, New York

In the playoff, Popov and Korda both played the lit-up 17th hole. They first tied with bogey before Korda won it for her team on the next trip down the hole.

Jessica Korda, Aramco Team Series
Jessica Korda during the playoff at the Aramco Team Series. (Photo submitted)

“It is so nice to share this win with a team. It’s such an individual sport so this is different and really cool,” Korda said on behalf of her team.

“Today we really came together, and it was one of our best days, especially on those last six holes. We were just having fun, hyping each other up.”

It wasn’t just the format that marked a first for Korda but the ending, too. The Solheim Cup star said she’s never played under lights.

“It was so hard to see out there, so I really didn’t know how hard to hit it. I was just praying it was going to be somewhere up there.

“Sophia and I are great friends and playing anything against any of your best friends is tough. But golf is golf and friendship is more important.”

In addition to the team competition, the Aramco event also considering an individual leaderboard. Charley Hull finished at 12 under and topped 36-hole leader Nelly Korda for her first win since 2019.

“I’m delighted,” said Hull. “It’s good confidence for the rest of the season. Four birdies to start with was good – I felt like I could have birdied every hole on the front nine today.

“Because of the conditions it was one of the best rounds of my life today, probably ever. The last hole was a tricky shot – it sat down a bit, but I played it perfectly.”

The last of this year’s four Aramco Team Series events will be played at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in November.

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Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson among LPGA stars set to compete in Golf Saudi’s Aramco Team Series in New York

With the LPGA off this week, a number of the game’s biggest stars head to Long Island for the LET’s Aramco Team Series.

With the LPGA off this week, a number of the game’s biggest stars head to Long Island, New York, for the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series.

This marks the third stop in the four-tournament series that was introduced this year. Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas are among the American players in the field.

European Solheim Cup stars Charley Hull, Anna Nordqvist, Sophia Popov, Emily Kristine Pedersen and captain Catriona Matthew will be on hand as well, Oct. 14-16 at Glen Oaks Club.

Three pros and one amateur will compete for a share of $800,000, along with an additional $200,000 purse for the leading individual scores. Other sponsor invites include Cheyenne Woods, Anne Van Dam, Bronte Law, Lindsay Weaver, Alison Lee, Gabi Ruffels and Angel Yin.

The event carries points for World Rankings and the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long race that determines the LET’s top golfer. The first two stops in the series were in London and Sotogrande.

The tournament uses an NFL-style draft system in which each captain picks their first player before being randomly allocated a third professional and competing amateur.

The final stop of the series will be next month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Golf Saudi owns the Aramco Team Series.

Last year, several of the LPGA’s biggest stars traveled to Saudi Arabia for the country’s first women’s golf events. Pedersen won back-to-back events in Saudi Arabia to claim the Race to Costa del Sol title.

Top male players drew criticism for teeing it up in the men’s Saudi event in 2019 and 2020, particularly in the wake of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

Dustin Johnson, who ultimately won the inaugural event, said, “It’s my job to play golf.” Justin Rose, who competed in 2019 but not in 2020, added, “I’m not a politician, I’m a pro golfer.”

While some of Saudi Arabia’s discriminatory laws against women have relaxed in recent years – women can now drive cars and travel abroad without permission from their male guardian – it remains one of the most gender-segregated countries in the world.

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