Jason Scrivener leads but just two shots back are two women, including a 19-year-old college student.
The Scandinavian Mixed 2022 is a unique event in pro golf, with a field of 78 men and 78 women from the DP World Tour and the LET competing against each other for one trophy and one first-place check.
After two rounds, Jason Scrivener is 12 under and holds a two-shot lead. He had eight birdies Friday, including four in a row on his back nine, en route to a 64. He’s 214th in the latest Official World Golf Ranking and has yet to win on the DP Tour.
There’s a three-way tie for second at 10 under and there are two women in that group, including Italian Carolina Melgrati, 19, who just finished her freshman year at the University of Arizona. She started her week with a 65 and was tied for the lead after the first round. A second-round 69 has her in contention to win as an amateur this week.
Carolina Melgrati on the 15th green during the 2022 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika at Halmstad Golf Club in Sweden. (Photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
“It is crazy! It is so great,” Melgrati said after her first round. “As soon as I got the invitation, I said yes, I’m playing because it is great to compete with professional golfers. It is amazing and that is also my dream, so it is coming true.”
Melgrati is joined at 10 under by Linn Grant, a former Arizona State standout who turned pro last September. Playing in her native Sweden, Grant won two weeks ago at The Mithra Belgian Ladies Open.
Also at 10 under is Mike Lorenzo-Vera.
The event has Volvo Car as the title sponsor, is co-hosted by Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson and is being staged at Halmstad Golf Club in Halmstad, Sweden.
Hall cruised to victory at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, but two others had incredible weeks as well.
Kelly Whaley tied the course record with a 63 and set an Ladies European Tour mark with eight straight birdies.
Former soccer player Kristyna Napoleaova, who’s only been playing the game for six years, tied for second.
But it was Georgia Hall who routed the field Sunday en route to a five-shot win in the 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
Hall shot a 71 and finished 11 under to win for the first time on the LET in nearly four years.
“It’s fantastic to win in March, so early in the season,” she said. “I really love this place and love the golf course.” Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, hosted the event.
She birdied two of her first three holes to build her lead to seven shots and cruised from there.
“That was the plan in my head,” she said. “The front nine is a little bit easier, a little bit less wind than we’ve had, so I tried to take advantage and hit some really good shots on the front nine to get me further ahead, and that kind of settled me.”
Johanna Gustavsson tied for second at 6 under along with Napoleaova, an LET rookie, who was a standout soccer player in the Czech Republic before starting her golf career. Napoleaova turned pro in 2020; she only took up the game in 2016 and the Saudi event was just her eighth LET start.
“To be honest, it’s kind of like a dream,” she said. “I didn’t expect even to get into the event. Golf Saudi provided me with an invite, which was incredible. What happened this week is like a fairy tale. It’s been an absolutely incredible week. I’m so grateful to have been here and can’t wait to come back again.”
Emily Kristine Pedersen was solo fourth at 5 under while Carlota Ciganda was solo fifth at 4 under.
Whaley started her week with a 79 but was 16 shots better during her final round. She finished tied for sixth at 3 under.
“It is the best round I’ve ever had in a tournament,” she said. “My whole goal today was to just enjoy it and have fun, being my first international professional event. I’ve never had eight birdies in a row. Once I made about four or five, I said, ‘Okay, you’re in it now – you can’t stop.’ So I just kept giving myself opportunities and it was a lot of fun.”
The 6-foot 15-year-old generates head-turning power that will be on display under the lights.
It’s hard to imagine a more memorable start to a professional career than competing in the world’s only night golf tournament a mere 15 minutes from home. Add to the fact that the pro happens to be a 15-year-old high school student who stands 6-feet tall and generates head-turning power and it’s a headline-worthy debut for Chiara Noja at this week’s Dubai Moonlight Classic.
The German-born player was raised in England and moved to Dubai shortly before last year’s Dubai Moonlight Classic. After playing almost exclusively in professional events this season on the LET’s Access Series, where she finished runner-up in Belgium, Noja decided it was time to take the next step. While she wouldn’t reveal all that’s in store for her upcoming schedule, Noja said it was too good to wait.
“I don’t want to pass up on those opportunities when I know I’m ready to compete as a professional,” she said.
Chiara Noja, 15, set to make her pro debut at the Dubai Moonlight Classic. (Courtesy photo)
Noja said the family knew that winter training in England wasn’t ideal for getting her game to the next level, and when her mother received a job opportunity in Dubai, they made the move last year. Shortly thereafter, Noja received an offer make her debut on the LET as a 14-year-old at the Dubai Moonlight Classic.
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.”
Looking back, going into the Dubai event having played very little golf due to COVID-19 restrictions left her feeling very “unsure” of who she was as a 14-year-old athlete. After a long talk with her team, however, she followed up that 86 with a 73 and was left speechless by the turnaround.
And while she goes into this year’s event as a pro, she’s hoping to carry fewer expectations, saying that she wants her attitude to define her golf, and not the other way around.
“This year has been a lot of growth mentally,” she said, “just accepting that failure is going to be part of it whether I want to accept that or not.”
The Dubai Moonlight Classic is being held Oct. 27-29 on the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club. Former No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn and sister Moriya are among the stars in the field along with Attaya Thitikul, the 18-year-old Thai player who leads the LET’s Race to Costa del Sol by over 1,400 points. Thitikul is currently ranked 28th in the world.
Winning Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, World Golf Hall of Famer Laura Davies and LPGA players Maria Fassi and Bronte Law are among the event’s other invitees.
Much like Ariya Jutanugarn, Davies and Fassi, it’s Noja’s length that grabs the attention. She averages 280 yards off the tee, but said she can get up to 290 on TrackMan when she goes hard.
The athletic player dabbled in horseback riding, swimming, tennis and track growing up, but found golf to be her deepest love.
The powerful, statuesque Nelly Korda is her inspiration. When Korda went to No. 1 in the world, Noja thought she could one day do the same.
“When I look at her,” said Noja, “I sort of see myself.”
LET Qualifying School will be held in December, but Noja does not meet the tour’s minimum age requirement of 16.
“We’re looking to see if there’s any possibility of working around that,” she said.
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.
Matilda Castren went home to Finland on a mission: win to secure Ladies European Tour membership. She accomplished it.
Matilda Castren went home to Finland on a mission: win to secure Ladies European Tour membership.
In June, the LPGA rookie became the first player from Finland to win on the LPGA at the Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced. But that wasn’t enough to make her eligible for LET membership, which is needed to be considered for captain Catriona Matthew’s team.
So Castren, 26, signed up for a return trip home to play in the Gant Ladies Open, hoping that victory would make her Solheim Cup dream possible. Castren is the only European player on the LPGA with a win this season.
On Saturday, in front a host of family and friends, the former Florida State standout birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to win by three at Aura Golf with a closing 68, finishing at 5 under for the tournament.
Compatriot Ursula Wikstrom and India’s Tvesa Malik finished tied for second at 2 under.
“I am so happy about this!” said Castren. “I could not be happier. It was what I came here for, and it is unbelievable that I pulled it off.”
🏆 CHAMPION CASTREN 🏆 @CastrenMatilda rolls in the winning putt to win the #GantLadiesOpen in front of home fans. A special win by a special player 👏🇫🇮
Castren came into the event one of the hottest on tour having finished second at the Volunteers of America Classic after her win in San Francisco and tied for 15th last week at the Marathon LPGA Classic. She’s currently 58th in the world. Two European players will automatically qualify from LET points and four will come from the Rolex Rankings. Matthew will get six picks, two more than in 2019.
“It was my goal for this week to become a member of the LET by winning,” said Castren. “I could not be happier to make it happen and I’m just very thrilled. It has been my dream since I was little girl to be at the Solheim Cup. It is one of my goals that I knew might be possible in the future. Everything has happened really quickly this year and to be able to be considered is such an honor. Hopefully it will happen, and I will be able to represent Finland and Team Europe.”
Matthew weighed in on Twitter: “Huge congrats on winning Gant Ladies Open Matilda Castren with so much on the line … welcome to the LET.”
Castren had four chances to win an LET or LET co-sanctioned event to make herself eligible, and she got it done on the first try. She’ll next head to the Amundi Evian Championship in France followed by the Tokyo Olympics.
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.
History to be made in Saudi Arabia with $1.5 million golf week @royalgreens_ksa ⛳️ 🇸🇦
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.
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.”
The Ladies European Tour released its 2020 schedule Friday.
Talk about an instant turnaround. The Ladies European Tour schedule is out, and it’s a massive step in the right direction. There are seven new events on the docket for 2020, including 15 in Europe. Overall prize money is up $4.96 million (4.5 million euros) to $19.8 million (18 million euros).
Anne van Dam now serves as an ambassador for the new Dutch Ladies Open, played at her home course, Rosendealsche Golf Club, in Arnhem.
There are two new tournaments in Sweden, including the $1.65 million (€1.5 million) Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika and the Creekhouse Ladies Open. The tour also returns to Switzerland with the new VP Bank Ladies Swiss Open next September.
The previously announced Saudi Ladies Championship offers a $1 million purse.
The season ends with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in November, an event that doubled its prize fund to $661,917 (€600,000). It also marks the end of the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long competition offering $275,798 (€275,000) between the top three finishers on the official ranking.
“It’s important to have an event in your country to help develop the game and inspire the next generation,” said van Dam, “just as I was inspired when I was able to watch and then play in the Dutch Ladies Open when I was young. The 2020 schedule is looking really strong and I’m so pleased to have an event in the Netherlands.”
Late last year, LET players voted almost unanimously to combine efforts with the LPGA. The new LPGA-LET Joint Venture board includes: includes six directors from the LET (Marta Figueras-Dotti, Eleanor Givens, Catriona Matthew, Liz Young, Justin Abbott and Alastair Ruxton), four Directors from the LPGA (Commissioner Mike Whan, Liz Moore, Kathy Milthorpe and Mike Nichols), one from The R&A (Chief Executive Martin Slumbers) and one from the European Tour (Chief Executive Keith Pelley).
Left to right: European Tour executive director Keith Pelley, LET chair Marta Figueras-Dotti, LET CEO Alexandra Armas, European Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew and LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan at the LET’s headquarters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England. (Ladies European Tour)
“The LET and the LPGA only began working together in September 2019, but we’ve been blown away with the results in the first 90 days and the positive response from across the golf industry,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement. “With overall purse increases and seven new events, our athletes will have more opportunities for success. It’s exciting to think what we can accomplish after a full year of working with our new Board. We have a long way to go, but I’m so happy to say that this is the best position that European women’s professional golf has ever been in.”
Matthew, the 2019 and 2021 European Solheim Cup captain, has committed to compete on the LET this season. The LPGA veteran and Women’s British Open winner lives with her husband and two daughters in Scotland.
“This is a tour that existing players and those joining for the first time should be proud to be part of,” said Matthew. “I’ll be keeping an eye on some of the exciting young players coming through as we look ahead to retaining the Solheim Cup in Toledo next year.”
2020 LET Schedule
*subject to currency exchange rates
Date
Title/Location
Euro/USD prize fund
Feb. 20-23
Australian Ladies Classic Bonville, Bonville Golf Resort, Bonville, New South Wales, Australia
€240,000*/$264,766.80
Feb. 27 – March 1
Women’s New South Wales Open, Dubbo Golf Club, New South Wales, Australia
€210,000*/$231,670.95
March 12-14
Investec South African Women’s Open, Westlake Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa
€200,000*/$220,639
March 19-22
The Saudi Ladies Championship, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
€901,000*/$1,000,000
May 7-9
Jabra Ladies Open, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
€200,000/$220,639
May 14-17
La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Sotogrande, Spain
€300,000/$330,958.50
May 29-31
The Mithra Belgian Ladies Open, Naxhelet, Wanxe, Belgium
€200,000/$220,639
June 4-7
Lalla Meryem Cup, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Course), Rabat, Morocco
€450,000/$496,437.75
June 11-14
Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika, Bro Hoff Slott Golf Club (Stadium Course), Stockholm, Sweden
€1,500,000/$1,654,792.50
July 2-5
Dutch Ladies Open, Rosendealsche Golf Club, Arnhem, the Netherlands
€200,000/$220,639
July 16-19
Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, Club de Golf Terramar, Sitges, Spain
€300,000/$330,958.50
July 23-26
Evian Championship, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
€3,700,000*/$4,100,000
Aug. 5-8
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Kasumigaseki Country Club (East Course), Saitama, Japan
N/A
Aug. 6-9
UK Event Confirmed
€991,500*/$1,100,000
Aug. 13-16
Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland
€1,352,000/$1,500,000
Aug. 20-23
AIG Women’s British Open, Royal Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland
Alexandra Armas is no longer the Acting CEO of the Ladies European Tour, but permanent CEO.
Acting CEO of the Ladies European Tour (LET) Alexandra Armas has been named permanent CEO, it was announced Monday.
The search for a new CEO began in September when former CEO Mark Lichtenhein stepped down from the position. Armas was named Acting CEO in October. From 2008-2012, Armas also served as LET Executive Director.
Armas will report to the LPGA-LET Joint Venture Board of Directors, chaired by LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. Armas becomes permanent CEO shortly after the newly-formed LPGA-LET joint venture earned the official support of the R&A and European Tour earlier this month and LET players voted in favor of the joint venture in November.
“I am incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to lead the Ladies European Tour at what is a real turning point for women’s golf and professional sport,” Armas said in a statement. “The vision for the LPGA-LET partnership is a completely new project and I believe strongly that we are heading in the right direction to take the LET to greater heights. I look forward to working on the evolution of the business to grow the opportunities for LET members.”
Armas, who played college golf and earned a master’s degree in Business during her time at Wake Forest, also has experience as a player on the LET. She played on the tour from 2001-2005.
Armas has used the past three months as Acting CEO to work alongside the board and build the 2020 LPGA-LET schedule which will be announced Friday.
“Every great team needs a great leader and we are lucky to have Alexandra, who has the experience, passion and relationships necessary to quickly rebuild the LET schedule and brand,” Whan said in a statement. “From working with Alexandra during her previous stint at the LET and since she re-joined the team in October, I am incredibly impressed with her ability to deal with our various stakeholders and partners with grace and skill.
“As Acting CEO of the new LET, she has already proven herself and our Board believes that she is the right person to manage our business long-term and drive strong growth in the years ahead as the permanent leader of this Joint Venture.”
The newly-formed LPGA-LET joint venture now has the official support of the R&A and European Tour. Both organizations will have a seat on the board of directors. They’ll also give financial support and leverage other assets they manage to help the …
The newly-formed LPGA-LET joint venture now has the official support of the R&A and European Tour.
Both organizations will have a seat on the board of directors. They’ll also give financial support and leverage other assets they manage to help the women’s European tour, according to an LPGA release.
“Building a strong and sustainable Ladies European Tour is fully consistent with the aims of The R&A Women in Golf Charter,” said Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A in the statement. “We support the vision of the LPGA-LET joint venture to create significantly more opportunities for women and girls to pursue their dreams in golf here in Europe and to inspire future generations to take up the sport. We look forward to working with the LPGA-LET team as a board member of this important venture.”
Ladies European Tour players voted overwhelmingly in favor or the new joint venture last November after LPGA commissioner Mike Whan made a presentation at the player meeting in Spain.
“The European Tour has already had the opportunity to host events involving LET members and we’ve seen their talent and drive first-hand,” added Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour.
“Looking ahead to our 2020 schedule, we have added another new and exciting co-sanctioned event with the LET in Sweden and are pursuing similar opportunities in other markets. The women professionals bring a different dynamic and fan base to the game – all of which improves our sport – and we look forward to building a strong women’s professional presence through this new collaborative approach.”
