RIYADH: Englishwoman Charley Hull moved back into contention in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by PIF with a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday, despite her hotel room flooding during the night.
The world No. 8 ended the day in a share of third on 7 under for the tournament.
But it was not all plain sailing for the Solheim Cup heavyweight after heavy rains and thunderstorms disrupted her sleep and morning preparations.
“I had to have plumbers in from 1 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. in the morning,” she said. “After that I didn’t really fancy getting up to do too much of a workout, but I’m certainly much more awake now after that round.”
Hull recently introduced a new fitness regime as she chases her first major.
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit completed a calm and composed round of 3 under to maintain her position at the top of the leaderboard at 11 under, three strokes clear of Germany’s Esther Henseleit.
Now in a prime position to secure her first win since the 2021 ANA Championship, the Thai star was clear on what she had to do.
“You’re thinking about it, so what are you going to do about those thoughts? Tomorrow, all I want to do is make the right choices for each and every shot. Whatever it is that I’m going to face, I’m up for it,” she said.
Henseleit jumped into second place on the leaderboard with a blistering round of 7 under, outplaying her compatriot Alexandra Forsterling, who shot five under to end the day in a share of 15th.
Heinseleit thanked her coach, and fiance, Reece Phillips for his role in her ongoing development.
“He’s been helping me a lot with my swing over the last three years and it looks completely different now,” she said. “We have a good system now out there and it’s good to have someone like that on the bag.”
Former event champion Emily Pedersen shot 6 under on Saturday to move into a tie for third with Hull. The Danish No. 1 said she was hoping to make the most of the opportunity she had created.
“It was special for me to win (in Saudi Arabia) five years ago, so it would mean a lot to win again and, obviously, that’s what I’m here for,” she said.
Another former event winner, Georgia Hall, shot 3 under on Saturday to end the day in a tie for seventh place.
With plenty of big names still in the running for the largest prize fund of any Ladies European Tour event outside the majors everything looks set for a grandstand finish on Sunday.
Floods fail to dampen Hull’s performance at Aramco Saudi Ladies International
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Floods fail to dampen Hull’s performance at Aramco Saudi Ladies International
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- Englishwoman shoots 4-under-par 68 to move into 3rd despite sleepless night
- Thailand’s Tavatanakit tops leaderboard, as Henseleit moves into second
Scheffler and DeChambeau part of PGA Tour-LIV Golf match in Las Vegas, report says
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- Blake Smith of Hambric Sports, who manages Scheffler and Koepka for Hambric Sports, confirmed their appearance and said both were “excited to be part of this unique event”
- Golfweek said the match would be televised by TNT, which previously broadcast nine editions of “The Match”
NEW YORK: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will take on LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for-TV match in Las Vegas, Golfweek reported Wednesday, the first time outside the majors top players from each circuit will compete against each other.
Blake Smith of Hambric Sports, who manages Scheffler and Koepka for Hambric Sports, confirmed their appearance and said both were “excited to be part of this unique event.”
Among details still to be announced were when in December the match would be held and on which course.
The foursome combined for 13 majors over the last decade. More compelling is that the match brings together players from the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which happens only at the four majors and the Olympics.
The PGA Tour is still negotiating with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial provider of LIV — as a minority investor. There is no indication a deal is close, and it would remain subject to US Department of Justice review. The PGA Tour confirmed last week that anyone competing with LIV is not eligible for a tour event for one year after his last appearance.
Golfweek said the match would be televised by TNT, which previously broadcast nine editions of “The Match.” That was a series of matches that began with Tiger Woods against Phil Mickelson.
McIlroy said in a text to Golfweek the match was “designed to energize the fans.”
“We’re all here to put on a great show and contribute to a goodwill event that brings the best together again,” McIlroy said.
Once the strongest critic of LIV, McIlroy has been lobbying to bring both sides together. He is on a committee negotiating with PIF.
“I get the argument that these guys left and that was their choice and whatever,” McIlroy said, referring to DeChambeau, Koepka and others defecting to Saudi-backed rival league. “I just think that it’s gone on long enough. I think everyone is trying to find a solution. It’s just a solution is hard to get to.”
Golfweek cited two sources saying players will receive an appearance fee but not prize money.
LIV Golf to tee off 2025 season in Saudi Arabia
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- Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore to host first 4 events of the league’s third full season
RIYADH: LIV Golf has announced that the league will launch its third full season in February 2025, teeing off in marquee global markets across Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
Fans can sign up to LIV X for free to receive exclusive access to tickets, including pre-sale information on hospitality and grounds passes for events featuring team and individual competitions, live music and activities for all ages.
“As we set our sights on 2025, LIV Golf is gearing up for our most ambitious season start, to date,” said LIV Golf Commissioner and CEO Greg Norman.
He said that since the tournament’s debut in 2022, LIV Golf has played 34 tournaments in nine different countries across four continents.
“We are a global league with a global footprint, and we’re excited to kick off next season with four truly international events that will deliver our unique blend of elite golf, entertainment and culture to fans around the world.”
The league will begin the 2025 season Feb. 6 to 8 with LIV Golf Riyadh, marking its debut in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.
The Riyadh Golf Club venue will host events including the Aramco Team Series, the Saudi Open presented by the PIF, and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers in December.
From Feb. 14 to 16, the league will return to The Grange Golf Club for LIV Golf Adelaide, reigning winner of the World’s Best Golf Event at the World Golf Awards.
This past April, the tournament welcomed more than 94,000 fans to the South Australia venue which reset the bar for LIV Golf fandom across the three days.
The event saw the return of the popular Watering Hole on the par-3 No. 12, had a standout performance by individual champion Brendan Steele, and played host to the league’s first team playoff, won by the all-Australian Ripper GC and captain Cam Smith.
Two weeks after Adelaide, the league will have its second consecutive year of competition at Hong Kong Golf Club from March 7 to 9.
Annual host to some of the region’s most prestigious golf events for the last 60 years, Hong Kong Golf Club will be a challenging test for the sport’s biggest stars, including defending individual champion Abraham Ancer as well as team champions Crushers GC and captain Bryson DeChambeau.
The following week, from March 14 to 16, LIV Golf will return to Sentosa Golf Club for the third consecutive year of LIV Golf Singapore. The event will have reigning individual champion Brooks Koepka and team champion Ripper GC attempt to defend their titles on the club’s Serapong course, recently voted the World’s Best Golf Course.
LIV Golf’s 2024 regular season concludes next week in Illinois at LIV Golf Chicago, from Sept. 13 to 15 at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
The following week, the 13 teams travel to Texas for the season-ending LIV Golf Dallas Team Championship, from Sept. 20 to 22 at Maridoe Golf Club.
McIlroy set to defend Race to Dubai crown at 2024 DP World Tour Championship
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- Season-ending event takes place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Nov. 14-17
- Rory McIlroy: Competing at the DP World Tour Championship is always something I look forward to at the end of the season
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy will return to Dubai with his sights set on securing a third DP World Tour Championship title and equaling the late, great Seve Ballesteros’ record of six Harry Vardon Trophies at the season-ending Rolex Series event from Nov. 14-17.
The reigning Race to Dubai champion opened his 2024 season with a successful title defense at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and the Northern Irishman has remained atop the rankings since January following a runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational, and strong performances at the first three majors.
The Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates has been a prosperous venue for the world No.3, who has won the event twice and topped the season-long standings in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, and most recently in 2023.
The 35-year-old has moved clear into third place for the most Race to Dubai victories, one behind Ballesteros and three behind Colin Montgomerie, as he looks to add another European Number One crown to his already impressive career.
The four-time major champion leads the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex over Adam Scott by 1,554.39 points. He will spend two weeks in the United Arab Emirates following confirmation he will tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — the first event of the DP World Tour Play-offs, a new two-event series also incorporating the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The top 70 available players at the conclusion of the “Back 9” events will gather at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi before the top 50 available players move on to Dubai, as the new-look season comes to a dramatic close.
“Competing at the DP World Tour Championship is always something I look forward to at the end of the season,” McIlroy said. “Dubai has been a special place for me, and I’ve been fortunate to achieve a lot of success there. To have the chance to equal Seve’s record is incredibly meaningful. He was a pioneer for European golf, and his impact on the world game can’t be overstated.
“It’s going to be a couple of big weeks in the Middle East with the DP World Tour Play-offs and I’m focused on playing some good golf to put myself in contention for more titles.”
Fleetwood, Scott and Rose confirmed for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
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- The fourth Rolex Series event of the season assumes a new position on the tour’s global schedule as part of season-ending DP World Tour Play-Offs
ABU DHABI: Olympic silver medalist Tommy Fleetwood will bid for further success on the 2024 Race to Dubai when he tees it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links from Nov. 7-10.
He will be joined in Abu Dhabi by major champions and former world No.1s Adam Scott and Justin Rose, who have also qualified for the penultimate event of the 2024 season.
The fourth Rolex Series event of the season, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, assumes a new position on the tour’s global schedule as part of the season-ending “DP World Tour Play-Offs.”
Dubai resident Fleetwood is no stranger to success in the United Arab Emirates, having claimed three of his seven DP World Tour victories to date in the country. A two-time winner of the Abu Dhabi Championship in 2017 and 2018, he also won the season-long Race to Dubai in 2017 and earlier this year took the title at the inaugural Dubai Invitational.
Last month, Fleetwood claimed a silver medal for Great Britain at the Paris Olympics, sharing the podium with World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and major winner Hideki Matsuyama at Le Golf National, the same venue where he made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018.
“I’m very proud to be a two-time winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship,” said the Ryder Cup star. “It’s an iconic trophy and an iconic tournament in this part of the world. It’s really exciting that we now have these two events back-to-back at the end of the season, and it’ll be nice to finish the season so close to home now that I’m based in the UAE.”
Forming part of the new DP World Tour Play-Offs, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will welcome the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex at the conclusion of the Genesis Korea Championship. The top 50 players on the rankings at the end of the week will then advance to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Scott, who moved up to second on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex after his runner-up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open in July, is seeking a career-high finish on the season-long standings, with his best result being seventh in 2002.
The former world No.1 and 2013 Masters champion is in excellent form, also finishing runner-up at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship two weeks ago, and is set to make his 11th appearance for the International side at the President’s Cup later this month.
The Australian has had a run of strong performances in the UAE in recent years, recording four consecutive top 10 finishes in his most recent starts in the country.
“The UAE is always a place I’ve enjoyed playing golf in and I’m excited to compete in this year’s Play-Offs,” said Scott. “I’ve had some good performances there over the last few seasons and I’d love to finish the season strong in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.”
Rose, who recorded his best finish in a Major Championship in six years with a runner-up result at The 152nd Open last month, will be making his first appearance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship since 2021.
The gold medal winner at the 2016 Rio Olympics was runner-up on his first appearance in 2013 and he is hoping to capture an elusive title in the UAE.
The Englishman was recently named captain of the Great Britain & Ireland side for the 2025 Team Cup in Abu Dhabi in January, with his squad being finalized at the conclusion of this year’s Race to Dubai.
“I’m looking forward to finishing my season in the UAE,” said Rose, who won the 2013 US Open. “The Play-Offs will certainly add an exciting new dynamic to the end of the year and I’m excited to compete in Abu Dhabi again.
“I’ve been fortunate to have achieved a lot in my career, but a win in the United Arab Emirates has escaped me thus far. I’d love nothing more than to change that this year and finish the season on a high note, before returning to Abu Dhabi for the Team Cup in January.”
Scottie Scheffler caps off record season with FedEx Cup title and $25 million bonus
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- Scheffler referred to the FedEx Cup as a season-long race being “silly” because everything came down to the final week at East Lake
ATLANTA: Scottie Scheffler capped off the biggest year in golf in nearly two decades by winning the biggest prize in golf.
Challenged briefly Sunday in the Tour Championship, Scheffler responded with three straight birdies to made winning look as inevitable as it has seemed all year. He closed with a 4-under 67 for a four-shot victory over Collin Morikawa to capture the FedEx Cup and its $25 million prize.
That pushed his season earnings, including bonuses, to just over $62.3 million.
It was the greatest year since Tiger Woods won eight times in 2006, including six in a row and two majors, all while dealing with the death of his father. Scheffler’s eight wins included the Masters, The Players Championship, an Olympic gold medal and the Tour Championship that enabled him to finally claim the FedEx Cup.
His seven PGA Tour titles are the most since Woods in 2007.
“We’ll look back on 2024 and it’s obviously one of the best individual years that a player has had for a long time,” Rory McIlroy said.
This was the third straight year Scheffler came to East Lake as the top seed, meaning he started the tournament at 10-under par with a two-shot lead. Two years ago, he lost a six-shot lead in the final round to McIlroy.
Scheffler led by at least five shots after each round. But there was a harrowing moment as storm clouds began to threaten. He made two straight bogeys, the second one on a pure shank from a bunker on the reachable par-4 eighth hole. Morikawa made birdie, and a seven-shot deficit he faced after two holes was down to a mere two shots with 10 holes to play.
And then it was over.
Scheffler hit his tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 ninth for birdie. He hit wedge to 3 feet on No. 10 for birdie, and then swirled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 11th.
Just like that, his lead was back to five shots. And when he holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th hole, it was a matter of getting to the finish line.
Scheffler referred to the FedEx Cup as a season-long race being “silly” because everything came down to the final week at East Lake. There was no doubting the FedEx Cup got a most appropriate champion.
Scheffler only finished out of the top 10 three times in his 19 starts. He had a pair of runner-up finishes to go along with seven PGA Tour titles.
“He’s the guy to beat every single week,” Justin Thomas said. “I don’t think people understand how hard that is to do, when you’re expected to win, when you’re the favorite to win, when every single thing you’re doing is being looked at — good and bad — on the golf course, and how hard it is to get in your own little zone and own little world and truly just quiet the noise.”
Morikawa won $12.5 million for finishing second. Sahith Theegala closed with a 64 and finished third, earning a $7.5 million bonus.