World No. 2 Lydia Ko to compete at Aramco Team Series in Florida

World No.2 Lydia Ko of New Zealand. (Gulf Saudi)
Short Url
Updated 27 April 2023
Follow

World No. 2 Lydia Ko to compete at Aramco Team Series in Florida

  • The event takes place at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach between May 19-21  

FLORIDA: World No. 2 Lydia Ko will be competing in the second event of the 2023 Aramco Team Series presented by Public Investment Fund at Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach.  

The second instalment of the Aramco Team Series takes place between May 19-21, 2023, and will see the best players from professional women’s golf compete for the $1million prize fund in Florida.  

Ko is relishing her return to the Aramco Team Series and is hoping to improve on her debut performance in Singapore, which saw her finish in third place behind eventual winner Pauline Roussin. 

“After playing my way into contention in Singapore, I’m looking to build on my success in the Aramco Team Series this time in Florida,” she said. “I really enjoyed this format when I played in my debut, and the team element of the event adds a new dimension and a bit of additional pressure where you’re playing for your teammates as well as for yourself.”  

The New Zealander’s form is trending in the right direction heading into the Aramco Team Series Florida; she has already enjoyed victory this year at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in February.

It was the 26th victory of Ko’s career, and her second victory in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International thanks to a four-under par final round of 68, which gave her a 21-under total at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

On her victory, Ko said: “It was great to get the win in Saudi Arabia in my first start of the year. It’s always great to get your season off to a winning start, especially when you’re competing against a strong field on a great course.”  

“The addition of the Aramco Team Series and Saudi Ladies Invitational events have accelerated the growth of the Ladies European Tour with some of the best players in the world now competing in these high-profile events. If you look at the previous winners of the Aramco Team Series, I’ll definitely have to bring my best game heading into Florida.” 

The Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour is competed across five global destinations throughout the year. After teeing off in Singapore, the series moves on to Florida, London and Hong Kong before concluding in Riyadh in October.

May’s event consists of 36 teams comprising of one amateur and three professionals who compete for a $1 million prize fund. Aside from the team event, there is a three-day individual stroke play competition contested among the professionals, which contributes to both Race to Costa del Sol and Rolex World Ranking points. 


Hull, Babnik and Sobron lead Aramco Team Series Riyadh

Updated 31 October 2024
Follow

Hull, Babnik and Sobron lead Aramco Team Series Riyadh

  • Hull came out at a blistering pace, with four birdies and an eagle wrapping up her front nine of six-under-par
  • The Ladies European Tour’s rising star Chiara Tamburlini led her team to equal the record of 23-under-par

RIYADH: A strong opening day of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh saw three players share the clubhouse lead as Charley Hull, Pia Babnik and Luna Sobron each finished at seven-under-par.

Hull came out at a blistering pace, with four birdies and an eagle wrapping up her front nine of six-under-par, as she began the hunt for her first win since 2022 at this week’s Golf Saudi organized event

The English star, who has finished in second place twice on the series this year, added a further two birdies to her scorecard, before walking off with a bogey on the 18th, after just missing a short putt.

“It's a very, very scoreable golf course,” said Hull reflecting on her day. “You could shoot 60 – I was looking to shoot a 58 after the front nine - but yeah, I played well.

“It was a shame about my putt on the last, it just bobbled. It went straight down like a line on the green, but I played pretty decent.”

When asked about her increased length off the tee this year, adding 10 yards, Hull was unfazed – explaining this is just a biproduct of her own personal fitness drive.

“I don’t train for golf,” she explained. “I have no interest in doing golf training like I just trained for me. In my mind that’s what's happened. I’ve hit it a bit longer, it’s bit of a bonus.”

Also in the clubhouse at seven-under-par was Slovenian Pia Babnik, winner of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF in Jeddah in 2021, aged just 17. After bursting onto the scene, Babnik finished 2022 ranked 67th in the world, but has since struggled for form, dropping as low as 512th.

Coincidentally, Babnik was introduced to her new coach, Matt Belsham, through Charley Hull – who has helped Babnik to rebuild both her confidence and her technique.

“I’ve been working with him since last August,” said Babnik. “It’s just been amazing. He helped me a lot. I still have my dad as a coach, but it’s just good to have Matt. He completely changed my swing to be more compact and, yeah, just more stable.

“My technique was just terrible, so we’re still working on that, and then the power will come back as soon as I get the feel of the new technique.”

Spaniard Luna Sobron found herself at the top of the leaderboard early in the day, finishing the day at seven-under-par. Following a year battling injuries and losing her LPGA tour card, it’s a welcome return to form for Sobron – made all the more impressive by the fact it was her course debut.

“It’s a really good course,” said Sobron following her round. “I only had nine holes of practice on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday, but you can really score low with the right shots.”

“My putting was on fire, I made nearly all of them. I have changed up my putter, and now I’m using aimpoint – so I feel like everything has become much clearer to me.”

There was also a hole-in-one early in the day, as South Africa’s Cassandra Alexandra walked off with an ace on the sixth hole – a 165-yard par-three. The magical moment was actually missed by Alexandra, following on from some debate with her caddie on what club to use.

“I didn’t see it!” she admitted. “It was Anabel Fuller’s mum who told me, and I was like, ok cool! My caddie had a nine iron in mind, but I thought a chippy eight would be good… and chippy eight it was. I missed a few putts, if I could have made one or two more, I would have been even happier, but three under for the day, I’ll take it.”

In the team element, the Ladies European Tour’s rising star Chiara Tamburlini led her team to equal the record of 23-under-par, a single day scoring record for the series. After winning the team event in Shenzhen, Tamburlini is keen to become the first ever captain to win successive titles.

Tamburlini’s group is made up of Anne-Charlotte Mora, Mimi Rhodes and amateur Teniel Chu – who contributed with an incredible 11 net birdies to the team score.

“We had a great team again, and we all played well,” said Tamburlini. “But to be top again, it just shows as well how much I love this format and how well it suits my game and my mental game especially. Hopefully we’ll get it done tomorrow.”

Day two of the tournament begins on November 1, at Riyadh Golf Club. For more information, visit www.aramcoteamseries.com.


Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

Updated 31 October 2024
Follow

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

  • Golfer from Thailand is hoping to draw inspiration from singer as she looks to cap off her year with a third tournament win
  • England’s Charley Hull is back from injury and feeling fresh, seeking to make the most of her month off

RIYADH: Golf, for all its glory, can often be a lonely and difficult game on tour.

As the end of the 2024 season beckons, four players from the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh reflected on the trials and tribulations of the sport.

The global event series organized by Golf Saudi, which contributes $5 million annually to the Ladies European Tour prize fund, ends in Saudi Arabia’s capital this week, with action underway on Thursday at Riyadh Golf Club.

Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit opened up about some of the hardships of a grueling schedule, and the opportunities.

Tavatanakit, who opened her year with a win at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, spoke frankly about what can be a love-hate relationship with golf, and how the drive for success keeps her motivated.

“This is only my fifth year on tour,” said the Thai golfer. “I’m already contemplating if I actually love golf, but I do it as a job. But what drives me to do what I do is being successful.

“I really want to be successful, setting goals and trying to achieve them, whatever it is. I feel like I lost that for a little bit, over the past two years, I was just really lost and like, why am I playing?”

When prompted about what inspires her to keep going and help to put herself in the best position to compete this week in Riyadh, Tavatanakit was keen to draw on one of her idols — global popstar Taylor Swift.

“Earlier this year I watched Taylor Swift in Singapore, and she performed probably three times a week at that stretch, and I really looked up to her. There must be some nights where she just does not feel like it, she just wants to call it quits, but she can’t disappoint all those people.

“It’s just the same with us, sometimes we just want to call it quits and we just want to go home, but we can’t disappoint our fans, our responsibility for the tour, our sponsors.

“So yeah, if you watch her on the stage, she did not even show that, so I idolize her for that, and I try to put it in this year’s mindset, as much as possible.”

Also looking to bring a fresh perspective into the event is England’s Hull who, after sustaining a freak shoulder injury after slipping in the shower earlier in the year, is now competing again, with her game back to the level she expects.

Hull had more than a month without competing before returning to action last week in Malaysia, and said playing golf with her friends and family has helped to keep her love going for the sport.

“I just enjoy being out on the golf course, I find it quite therapeutic,” said Hull. “I actually enjoy playing golf at home more with my friends than I do on tour. It’s a lot faster. I just like hitting shots, and I just love golf, that’s what gets me out of bed.”

“It’s a really nice golf course here, and it’s very scorable,” she continued. “It’s good for confidence too, because you can make those birdies out there. Last year, 29-under-par for Alison (Lee) after three rounds … that’s pretty crazy. So yeah, I’m here trying to make those birdies.

Solheim Cup star Lee was in inspired form in 2023, with her score of 29-under-par equaling the record for the LET — the caveat being that she achieved this in just three days.

The course will provide a sterner challenge but Lee is determined to retain her trophy. “I’ve never really been able to win anything back-to-back, so to be able to get that opportunity this week, I’m really excited,” said Lee.

“I know it’s going to be pretty tough, though, and I think it’s playing a little differently this year. I noticed some of the tee boxes are put back a little bit, so will be playing a little longer.”

Lee has seen how courses including Riyadh Golf Club have evolved since the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia, which has gone hand in hand with a surge in women’s golf.

“In Saudi Arabia, we’ve played on some of the best courses, and during the first Saudi Ladies International Tournament, about 1,000 women joined the Ladies First Club, which has since tripled,” said Lee.

“While that number might seem small, it’s a significant growth from zero, highlighting the potential for further development in women’s sports and golf. There’s still so much more room for growth here, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”

The reigning champion from the team aspect, Spain’s Ciganda, will feel that she has a fantastic opportunity to retain her title — with seven-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall and fellow Spaniard Carmen Alonso making up the professional element of her team.

Alonso secured her first win on the LET in 2023 at the age of 38, and her captain Ciganda is excited for the chance to play together this week, given Alonso’s importance as a formative figure in Ciganda’s early years.

Said Ciganda: “Carmen is a little older than me, so when I was an amateur, she was on the team, and she was like a big sister to me when I was playing for Spain in the national team.

“We played a lot of European Amateur Team Championships, so when I saw that she was the third player, I was very happy.”

She added: “Every time I come here, it’s always a great week, the way they treat us. The golf course, the food, I think it’s (a) very easy week for us. I’m very, very excited for the week and looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 with 28 teams of four players each, consisting of three professionals and one amateur.


PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

Updated 30 October 2024
Follow

PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

The PGA Tour is considering sweeping changes that would eliminate 25 cards through the FedEx Cup and shrink the size of fields, part of a plan to make golf’s biggest circuit even more competitive while reducing the time it takes to play and making it easier to watch.
Proposed changes include reducing by 10 the tour cards awarded to Korn Ferry Tour players and limiting the four Monday qualifying spots for fields smaller than 144 players. There would be two open spots for 132-man fields, none for regular tournaments of 120 players.
The proposal sent to players Tuesday, and obtained by The Associated Press, was developed by the 16-member Player Advisory Council that has been crafting the changes since May. The driving force was to make a full PGA Tour card have real value.
With so many eligible players — 125 from the FedEx Cup (or money list) had been the standard since 1983 — newcomers from the Korn Ferry Tour or Q-school often had to wait to see if there was room for them in tournaments.
If approved by the PGA Tour board at its Nov. 18 meeting, changes would start in 2026.
It would be the latest significant adjustment to the tour since the disruption of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which began in June 2022. In the last two years, the tour has created $20 million signature events with limited fields and a postseason for only the top 70 players.
“The reality is that we’re all playing under different circumstances than we were four years ago,” PAC Chairman Camilo Villegas said in a telephone interview. “We had no competition. We were the best. All of a sudden we have competition and there are little shifts. The changes we’re proposing make a better product. What does having a PGA Tour card mean?”
The tour currently gives priority to tournament winners and the top 125 in the FedEx Cup, with greater perks depending on a player’s ranking. The proposal would give full status to the top 100 in the FedEx Cup, the 10 players eligible players from the European tour, the top 20 from the Korn Ferry Tour and five from Q-school.
There would be an additional spot lower down the priority list — behind such categories as PGA Tour University, life members and career money — for those who finished from Nos. 101 to 125. They are estimated to get in about 15 or so tournaments.
Villegas said the PAC was divided into four subcommittees, which he said allowed for more ideas and easier communication. Key to two main meetings was leaving behind self-interests.
PAC members range from Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas to Nick Hardy and Adam Schenk.
“Obviously there’s going to be casualties along the way,” Villegas said. “It is going to be harder. There’s not going to be 125 cards, but 100. There’s not going to be 30 Korn Ferry cards, but 20. I’m 190-something in the FedEx Cup. All these proposed changes can affect me, but it’s not about me. It’s about the game.
“We want to make the product as strong as possible for the sponsors, for the fans, for the players,” he said. “If we perform, there’s an opportunity to make an unbelievable living. You just keep working on your dream like you did when you were a kid.”
There also was the ongoing problem of slow play, which rules officials for years have argued was due primarily to too many players on the course. The field sizes would be 120 players before Daylight Savings Time, then up to 132 players and a maximum of 144 in the summer.
That’s for regular tournaments. The eight signature events with the $20 million purses would remain capped at 72 players, filling the field, if necessary, based on current form.
The proposal also suggested changes to the FedEx Cup points distribution, which Villegas said was inspired by a detailed analysis of board member Maverick McNealy. That mainly would reduce points awarded from the middle of the pack.
If approved, that still might not be the end of changes. The PGA Tour is in negotiation with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial backing of LIV — to become a minority investor in the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.
Villegas has not been involved in those meetings. He joins the PGA Tour board next year, replacing Jordan Spieth.
“If we do a deal with PIF, there are more changes to come,” he said. “I don’t know how those would affect the schedule, how that will affect the pathways.”


Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense

Updated 23 October 2024
Follow

Morikawa says ‘winning is tough’ ahead of Japan title defense

  • The American romped to last year’s title by six shots to end a two-year title drought
  • He has not lifted a trophy since and described his 2024 season as ‘solid’ rather than spectacular

INZAI, Japan: Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa said Wednesday that “winning is tough” as he looks for his first victory of the year at the US PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Japan this week.
The American romped to last year’s title at Narashino Country Club near Tokyo by six shots to end a two-year title drought.
He has not lifted a trophy since and described his 2024 season, which has included two runner-up finishes, as “solid” rather than spectacular.
Morikawa was part of the United States team that beat the Internationals at the Presidents Cup in Montreal last month and is hoping to keep that form going this week in Japan.
“It’s a place I look forward to every year. Knowing that I won last year, lot of good memories,” said the 27-year-old, who has Japanese heritage.
“It was my first win in two years. Look, winning’s tough. No matter what it is, winning is tough. You have to learn how to win.”
Morikawa will be up against fellow American Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and British Open in a breakthrough 2024, and Japan’s Olympic bronze-medallist Hideki Matsuyama.
Morikawa finished runner-up behind Scottie Scheffler at the season-ending Tour Championship last month but said “you just never know what to expect” when play begins.
“Every tournament’s different, you never know how you’re going to play on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,” he said.
“You’ve got to treat each day and each shot and take everything that’s in front of you, and not take anything for granted.”
Morikawa struggled to keep his emotions in check when he lifted the Zozo Championship trophy last year.
“Honestly, I’m not that emotional of a guy,” he said.
“Whenever something happens, you just never know what it’s going to be.”


Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend

Updated 22 October 2024
Follow

Tiger Woods to make TGL indoor league debut the 2nd week of the season after NFL wild-card weekend

  • The TGL debuts on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • The first match is between New York Golf Club, led by Xander Schauffele, against The Bay Golf Club in San Francisco, headed by Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark

NEW YORK: Tiger Woods makes his debut in the second week of the indoor TMRW Golf League, part of a schedule released Monday that has the six teams wrapping up the inaugural season on ESPN two weeks before the Masters.

Rory McIlroy, among the owners with Woods of TMRW Sports, won’t play until the fourth week after he gets back from playing on the European tour in Dubai.

The TGL debuts on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, an arena roughly the size of a football field that can hold about 1,500 spectators.

Three players from the four-man teams compete in 15-hole matches that blend virtual and real-time golf. The longer shots will be hit into a 3,400-square-foot screen, roughly 24 times the size of a standard golf simulator. From about 50 yards and in, there will be actual shots to a 41-yard turntable green that can provide a variety of shots.

The first match is between New York Golf Club, led by Xander Schauffele, against The Bay Golf Club in San Francisco, headed by Ludvig Aberg and Wyndham Clark. It is scheduled for 9 p.m. following a college basketball game.

Woods and his Jupiter Golf Club play the second week, the night after the sixth and final NFL wild card playoff game on Monday night.

Key to this hi-tech indoor league is being on the ESPN platforms, with the opening six weeks of TGL held right after a weekend of football. TMRW Sports, the sports and entertainment venture that created the indoor golf league, is counting on promotion during the college football and NFL telecasts.

There have been weekday golf exhibitions for years, going as far back as the “Showdown at Sherwood” featuring Woods and David Duval when they were Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, and most recently the December match in Las Vegas featuring PGA Tour stars (Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy) against LIV Golf’s biggest draws (Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka).

TGL is a new concept but figures to have a faster pace with nine holes of alternating shots among three players and six holes of singles play. There will be a 40-second shot clock, allowing for matches to easily fit into the two-hour window.

Mike McCarley, the former Golf Channel executive who is CEO and founder of TMRW Sports, described it as a “live, courtside experience for golf on an unprecedented scale.”

He said TGL would complement the PGA Tour as a fast-paced team competition. The regular season ends March 4, followed by the semifinals March 17 and 18 — after The Players Championship — and the best-of-three final on March 24-25.

Each of the teams will play five times during the regular season. The schedule was built around feedback from the 24 players and where they plan to play on tour. McIlroy is the defending champion at the Dubai Desert Classic, for example, which is why his Boston Common Golf does not start until Jan. 27.

Hideki Matsuyama also plays for Boston and plays the first two weeks in Hawaii.

Five players in the opening TGL match will be going to Florida from The Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season opener at Kapalua on Maui.