Tag: Ladies European Tour

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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Simply winning isn’t enough for Matilda Castren to make the European Solheim Cup team. She has to win the right events.

Castren will have to win an LPGA event that’s co-sanctioned with the LET in the coming months. Here’s why.

Winning on the LPGA isn’t enough to guarantee Matilda Castren a spot ­– or even a chance really – on the European Solheim Cup team. Three weeks ago, Castren became the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA at the Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced.

On Sunday in Texas, the rookie Castren came close to edging out former No. 1 Jin Young Ko at the Volunteers of America Classic. Ranked 220th earlier this year, the former Florida State standout finished second at the VOA is now 59th in the world.

But, because she’s not a member of the Ladies European Tour, Castren will have to win an LPGA event that’s co-sanctioned with the LET in the coming months. She also is not eligible to receive a captain’s pick from European captain Catriona Matthew. So far, Castren is the only European player to win on the LPGA this season.

To help better her chances, Castren has signed up to play in the Grant Ladies Open in Finland after this week’s Marathon Classic in Toledo, Ohio. From there, she’ll head to Evian, where she has another chance. In all, Castren has four events coming up in which a victory would make her eligible for the team: Grant Ladies Open, Amundi Evian Championship, Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open. (Sophia Popov is eligible for this year’s Solheim because she won the AIG.)

Castren, 26, said she competed in one LET event on a sponsor’s invitation before joining the tour, back home in Finland when she was around 14 years old.

If she doesn’t win one of those four events, Castren said she’ll do what it takes to be eligible for the 2023 Solheim Cup in Spain.

“I mean, I’ll definitely do (LET) Q-School the next time it comes around,” she said. “Solheim Cup is one of my biggest goals and biggest dreams, so I’ll do whatever I can to get in.”

Matilda Castren
Matilda Castren hoists the trophy during the final round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

In the meantime, Castren will represent her country at the Olympics in Tokyo next month.

Florida State coach Amy Bond first watched Castren compete around a decade ago at the European Team Championships. In addition to her impressive ball-striking, Bond was struck by the air of confidence Castren displayed.

“Nothing seemed to bother her too much,” said Bond.

And that part hasn’t changed.

Castren, who graduated in 2017, won a school-record seven times at Florida State and set a new mark for career-low scoring average. She once told Bond that she especially enjoys hitting a tough shot in front a crowd, exclaiming, “Hey coach, watch this!” when she’s about to pull off the improbable.

The oft-stoic Castren has a big heart, Bond says, and is great with kids. She matured during her time in college from being a strong leader on the course to off it, too.

Bond hopes Castren finds a way to play her way onto Matthew’s team at the Inverness Club September 4-6. The opening is narrow, but Castren relishes a good challenge.

“I was walking down the fairway (on Saturday) and I was just thinking like who would’ve known a couple years ago that I would be playing with these girls,” said Castren of being in the final group at the VOA with major champions Jeongeun Lee6 and Ko.

“It was really cool feeling. I’m really proud of myself of how far I’ve come.”

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Emily Kristine Pedersen wins LET’s Andalucia Open De Espana for third straight title

Emily Kristine Pedersen won her third consecutive event Sunday at the Ladies European Tour’s Andalucia Open De Espana.

It’s been a good November for Emily Kristine Pedersen.

Following rounds of 68-71-68, Denmark’s Pedersen shot a final-round 66 to win the Ladies European Tour’s Andalucia Open De Espana Sunday at 15 under — her third straight win.

Pedersen, 24, was coming off a pair of wins at The Saudi Ladies Team International at Royal Greens Golf & Country in Saudi Arabia. She also won the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open in August. Pedersen has five top 10s and an 11th place finish at the AIG Women’s British Open in August on her resume as the U.S. Women’s Open grows larger on the horizon.

The victory marked just the second time a player has won three straight events on the women’s tour, the feat was last accomplished by Marie-Laure de Lorenzi back in 1989.

Pedersen, who earned her fifth LET win Sunday at Real Club de Golf Guadalmina, led Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz by one shot entering the final round after closing her third round with an eagle on the 54th hole. Pedersen finished four shots ahead of Iturrioz at 11 under. Amateur Ana Pelaez of Spain finished third at 7 under.

Sanna Nuutinen and Maha Haddioui finished T-4 at 6 under while Cloe Frankish, Azahara Munoz and Manon Gidali are T-6 at 5 under. Maiken Bing Paulsen and Luna Sobron Galmes round out the top 10, finishing T-9 at 4 under.

Hoping to continue this recent roll, Pedersen now turns her sights on the U.S. Women’s Open, starting at Champions Golf Club in Houston on Dec. 10. Despite her success on the European Tour, Pedersen has struggled in major events in the United States, her highest finish a T-36 in the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship.

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Solheim Cup headed to Spain for first time in 2023

While the dates haven’t been set, the Solheim Cup is headed to Spain for the time in 2023.

The Solheim Cup is headed to Spain for the time in 2023, the Ladies European Tour announced. While the dates haven’t been set, the event will be held at Finca Cortesin, Andalucía. Spain also hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama Golf Club.

With the 2020 Ryder Cup pushed back to next year, the next two Solheim and Ryder Cups will take place in the same year on the same side of the world.

The 2021 Solheim Cup will be held at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, next September, three weeks ahead of the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. The 2023 Ryder Cup will be held Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, just 10 miles outside of Rome.

Spain becomes the sixth European country to host the Solheim Cup, joining Scotland, Wales, Sweden, Ireland and Germany. The Finca Cortesin previously staged three Volvo World Match Play Championships and underwent an upgrade of all putting surfaces in 2017.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda finished in the top 3 of last week’s KPGM Women’s PGA Championship and has participated in the last four consecutive Solheims. Compatriot Azahara Munoz also has four Solheim appearances since 2011.

The Solheim Cup was first staged in Florida in 1990 and named after club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was the driving force behind its inception. Europe won the last staging at Gleneagles in spectacular fashion, with Suzann Pettersen holing the winning putt and promptly announcing her retirement.

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Ladies European Tour announces doubleheader in Saudi Arabia worth $1.5M

The Ladies European Tour has announced a doubleheader in Saudi Arabia worth a total of $1.5 million in prize money.

The Ladies European Tour has announced two new events to be held in Saudi Arabia later this year for a total of $1.5 million in prize funds, marking the first professional female golf tournaments ever staged in Saudi Arabia.

The $1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International will take place Nov. 12-15 and the $500,000 Saudi Ladies Team International will be held Nov. 17-19. Both events will take place at Royal Greens Golf Club on the Red Sea Coast near Jeddah. In the team competition, professional players will partner with amateurs.

The original 72-hole event was scheduled to take place in March of this year but was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are extremely excited to be part of history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia,” said Ladies European Tour CEO Alexandra Armas in a release, “and we are thankful to their commitment to deliver not one but two tournaments, in what has been a difficult year for golf.”

The Aramco Saudi Ladies International will be the third highest-playing event on the LET schedule, behind the Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open.

Amy Boulden of Wales, who recently won the Swiss Open on the LET, plans to compete in both events.

“This type of commitment to women’s golf is really amazing to see at this time,” said Boulden in a statement.

Saudi Arabia remains one of the most gender-segregated countries in the world, however, some of the country’s strict laws have recently come under reform. According to a Reuters report late last year, restaurants no longer require separate entrances for women and families and one solely for men. In 2018, the Saudi government lifted a ban on women applying for licenses and driving.

In the run-up to the inaugural Saudi men’s event in 2019, several players drew criticism for committing to play — and receiving appearance fees from the government for it — in the wake of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

Dustin Johnson won the event’s first staging. Phil Mickelson came under fire for his decision to skip the Waste Management Phoenix Open this year to play in the European Tour’s Saudi stop, won by Graeme McDowell, in February.

England’s Meghan MacLaren, a two-time winner on the LET, told The Telegraph back in January that she wouldn’t tee it up in Saudi Arabia due to  concerns over the country “sportswashing” its human rights record.

“I’ve decided not to play based on what I think sport is being used to do in Saudi Arabia,” MacLaren told The Telegraph. “It’s far more complicated than any one individual, so it’s a personal decision and not something I would push onto anyone else. But based on the research of organizations like Amnesty International, I couldn’t be comfortable being part of that process.

“We take for granted a lot of the choices and freedom we have available to us, but I try to make my decisions based on who I am as a person, not just a golfer. It’s obviously a huge tournament for us, but this to me is about more than golf. I wish sport as a whole looked through a lens deeper than what benefits itself.”

The Ladies European Tour staged two events in February/March before the season was halted due to the pandemic. The tour resumed in August with back-to-back events in Scotland followed by tournaments in the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

There are five remaining events on the schedule for 2020 including the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open de Espana, and the two events in Saudi Arabia.

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Gemma Dryburgh wins again, this time making history at Royal St. George’s

Gemma Dryburgh hoisted a trophy at the first women’s professional event ever held at Royal St. George’s, a Rose Ladies Series event.

Only one player broke par on a windy and historic day at Royal St. George’s. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh won her second consecutive Rose Ladies Series event with a 1-under 69, clipping England’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall by one stroke. Both Hall and Hull are winners on the LPGA, with Hall, of course, winning the 2018 AIG Women’s British Open.

Dryburgh, a former standout at Tulane, found out earlier this week that she’ll be playing in her first Women’s British Open next month at Royal Troon. Surely hoisting a trophy at the first women’s professional event ever held at Royal St. George’s bodes well for her upcoming debut.

After all, Royal St. George’s was set to host the men’s British Open next week before COVID-19 canceled those plans. This marked the fourth event on the Rose Ladies Series, which has eight total.

Dryburgh has history at Royal St. George’s, having competed there at the 2014 British Ladies Amateur, the same year she represented Great Britain and Ireland at the Curtis Cup. The previous trip helped with the fact that she didn’t have a practice round at Royal St. George’s this week. She instead warmed up with a Clutch Pro Tour event at Sunningdale Health, finishing tied for ninth in a mixed tournament won by Will Percival.

On Wednesday after an LPGA player meeting, Dryburgh booked her ticket to the U.S. She’ll quarantine for two weeks in Texas before heading up to Toledo, Ohio, for back-to-back events as the LPGA reboots its 2020 season. She’ll then travel back home to Scotland for two more events, a most welcome homecoming in these uncertain times.

Dryburgh has come a long way since she was hitting balls in a homemade backyard net last April, wondering when she’d get to play golf again. Two trophies later, she’s ready to get back on the LPGA.

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Hope remains for Women’s British Open and Ladies Scottish Open to be staged without fans

A day after the 2020 Evian Championship was canceled, the LET announced that the Creekhouse Ladies Open in Sweden wasn’t happening either.

One day after the Evian Championship was canceled for 2020, the Ladies European Tour announced that the Creekhouse Ladies Open in Sweden wasn’t happening this year either.

The dominoes have fallen at a steady pace since March, when COVID-19 brought sports to a screeching halt.

The LET was poised for a banner year after the LPGA-LET Joint Venture helped bring seven new events to the schedule for 2020, including 15 in Europe. Prize money was set to be up $4.96 million this year.

The optimism that filled the air last February in Australia popped like a balloon.

“It’s the kind of script you couldn’t really write,” said England’s Felicity Johnson.

The LET announced 24 events in January. Three events were completed before COVID-19 hit. According to the tour, 14 remain on the schedule for 2020.

The loss of Evian, a major championship, earlier this week dropped a $4.1 million purse off the schedule. The next two LET events – the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open – are co-sanctioned with the LPGA and combine for $6 million in prize money.

On a tour where most purses hover around 200,000 to 300,000 euros, this three-tournament European swing is crucial.

LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said he felt “pretty good” about the events in Scotland going on as scheduled despite losing Evian. In April, the R&A canceled the men’s British Open that was scheduled for July 16-19 at Royal St. George’s in England.

As of now, however, there’s still hope for the WBO.

“We are working with our title sponsor AIG to explore options for staging the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon from 20-23 August 2020 as a closed event without spectators, if that is possible,” said a spokeswoman for the R&A. “This approach would enable The R&A, AIG and our partners to continue our support of professional women golfers whose playing opportunities have been severely impacted by this pandemic.”

It should help, of course, that VisitScotland, the tourism arm of the Scottish government, is a partner of both events. There’s currently a two-week quarantine in place for visitors coming into the United Kingdom, but it’s possible that athletes could receive an exemption.

The European Tour’s “UK Swing” is set to begin July 22 with the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood in England. In addition, Formula One’s British Grand Prix is slated for early August.

Coming on the heels of last fall’s enormously successful Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, there should be a growing appetite for top-rate women’s golf in Scotland.

“Preparations for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, Aug. 13-16, are still progressing,” said an IMG spokesperson. “We remain hopeful that the tournament will go ahead as a made-for-TV-event.

“We are working closely with Aberdeen Standard Investments and our partners at VisitScotland and Scottish Government, together with the LET and LPGA to ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to run the tournament. The health and safety and safeguarding of our players and event staff is our highest priority. We have engaged specialist medical and health and safety advisors and are liaising with all relevant authorities as well as following WHO and Government guidelines. We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming weeks.”

The LPGA is scheduled to restart with the Marathon Classic in July – with fans. The July 23-26 dates, however, might still be pushed back.

England’s Liz Young decided to skip the early-year events in Australia and Africa, thinking she’d get started in Abu Dhabi.

“That was a big mistake,” said Young. “I haven’t had a paycheck since Kenya (December 2019).

“I’ve got a family. We’ve got a mortgage. Those bills keep coming but you make cutbacks, and we’ve just got to hope that sooner rather than later we can be back out on the fairways and earning the money that we deserve.”

In the meantime, there’s the new Rose Ladies Series, which consists of seven one-day events in England backed by British star Justin Rose and his wife Kate.

Young helped create the idea, and Johnson plans to compete in at least five of the seven. Two of the sites are too far for a one-day drive from Birmingham, she said, and hotels have yet to open in England.

“I haven’t had a card in my hand since the end of February,” said Johnson.

Thankfully the Rose Ladies Series gives her a chance to compete under a bit of pressure before the tour’s restart.

A decision on the two events in Scotland is expected to be made later this month.

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Justin Rose to sponsor seven-event British women’s golf series

With professional women’s golf awaiting its return across the pond, Justin Rose is helping to start a new British women’s golf series.

According to a report in the Telegraph, Justin Rose and his wife Kate are sponsoring a British women’s golf series set to start later this month.

Starting June 18, seven events will comprise the Justin Rose Ladies Series, including a tournament at Royal St George’s Golf Club, the original host site for this year’s Open Championship before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Telegraph reports that Rose is contributing £35,000 ($44,329.25) for prize money. All seven courses are hosting the events for free. Fans will not be permitted, but Sky Sports is broadcasting.

Justin and Kate read about the efforts to hold a one-day event, the Women’s Open at Brokenhurst Manor, on June 18. Ladies European Tour player Liz Young and Jason MacNiven, who operates a club-fitting company, started the event but couldn’t get a sponsor or broadcast partner.

“I am keenly aware that I now have the opportunity to go back to work and compete on the PGA Tour but this is not the same for the ladies and some junior tours as well,” said the 2016 Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Open champion.

A former European champion gymnast, Kate added: “It is so important for the visibility of ladies’ golf that they can play at good courses and on TV because they need to be out there to both attract sponsors and keep their current sponsors happy as well as allowing more people to get to know who they are.”

Here’s the schedule of events:

June 18 – Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club

June 25 – Moor Park Golf Club

July 2 – Buckinghamshire Golf Club

July 9 – Royal St George’s

July 16 – JCB Golf and Country Club

July 23 – Bearwood Lakes Golf Club

July 30/31 – Final TBD

Aussie amateur crushes field by 8 on Ladies European Tour

Nineteen-year-old amateur Stephanie Kyriacou won last week’s Ladies European Tour event by eight shots, leaving her competition in the dust.

An Australian amateur won on the Ladies European Tour over the weekend by a whopping eight shots. Stephanie Kyriacou, 19, made a statement at the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic Bonville, becoming the 10th amateur to win on the LET in the tour’s 42-year history.

Kyriacou, who won the Australian Master of the Amateurs at Royal Melbourne last January, closed with a 65 to finish at 22-under 266 for the tournament. South Korea’s Ayean Cho finished second. Kyriacou carded a career-low 63 in the second round at Bonville Golf Resort.

“I’m lost for words and still on cloud nine,” said Kyriacou, who led by two going into the final round. “I think everything was going my way today.”

The Sydney resident could now turn professional and take up a winner’s category of membership on the LET and ALPG tours. Kyriacou told the tour she would discuss it with her father, Nick, who was on the bag at Bonville.

Kyriacou came into the event No. 90 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She advanced to the Round of 32 at last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“It’s very impressive to see such a strong performance from an amateur,” said Linnea Strom, who finished third. “After eight holes, I went into the bathroom and saw the leader board and saw that she was at 19 under. I thought it was very impressive to go out as an amateur in the final group and to start off with birdies so early in the round. It is very impressive to be able to control your nerves like that. It looks like she’s enjoying playing and having a good time.”

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