MIAMI: Fans attending LIV Golf Miami will get a sneak peek of the year’s first major as defending Masters champion Jon Rahm and six other past winners take on the Blue Monster at Trump National Doral, April 5-7.
The event — LIV Golf’s fifth tournament of the 2024 schedule — will feature 13 LIV Golf players scheduled to compete at Augusta National the following week, including past champions Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010), Charl Schwartzel (2011), Bubba Watson (2012, 2014), Sergio Garcia (2017), Patrick Reed (2018) and Dustin Johnson (2020).
Additionally, red-hot Joaquin Niemann, who has already captured two LIV Golf individual titles this season, will compete that week alongside five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith, 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, English star Tyrrell Hatton and 2023 DP World Tour Player of the Year Adrian Meronk in their quest for a green jacket.
The field at Doral will not only feature the reigning Masters champion, but four of the top six finishers from 2023, including Koepka and Mickelson, who finished tied for second, and Reed, who tied for fourth. Rahm’s elite performance has continued in his debut season with LIV Golf, where he currently sits second in the individual standings behind Niemann, the Chilean star and Torque GC captain who is excited for the test ahead in Miami.
“It’s a great track,” said Niemann of the Blue Monster. “It’s one of the toughest courses we play around the world. It has everything – you’ve got to hit it long, you’ve got to hit it straight, you’ve got to hit greens and you’ve got to do everything right to have a great week. It pushes you a lot.”
Third in the individual points race is Johnson, who will look to replicate his title success in Las Vegas while being chased closely by a pack of global stars including Paul Casey, Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, DeChambeau, Smith and Louis Oosthuizen.
“We’re playing Trump National Doral, which is a fantastic golf course,” Johnson said. “I feel like it will be good preparation going into Augusta — it’s tough, it’s long and you have to use all your clubs in your bag. Anytime you’re playing a challenging golf course going into a major, it’s going be good prep.”
In the team standings, Crushers GC — winners of the last two team events — sit in first place ahead of Torque GC, Smash GC, Legion XIII and Stinger GC as they get set to return to Doral, site of the Crushers’ 2023 Team Championship victory.
As fans gear up for the League’s star-studded event in Miami, LIV Golf is offering its LIV X members a direct say in who plays together. Fans can currently vote on which three of LIV Golf’s seven Masters champions they want to see grouped together for Round One of LIV Golf Miami. Fans may sign up for free to receive an email invitation to select their preferred player groupings, with the top three player selections to play together on April 5.
Reigning champion Jon Rahm to lead field of Masters winners at LIV Golf Miami
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Reigning champion Jon Rahm to lead field of Masters winners at LIV Golf Miami
- Seven Masters champions with a combined 10 green jackets to tee off April 5-7
- The field at Doral will not only feature the reigning Masters champion, but four of the top six finishers from 2023
Fleetwood goes low to lead Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
- The golf tournament is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs
- ‘I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,’ Fleetwood said
ABU DHABI: English golfer Tommy Fleetwood carded course record-equalling 10 under par 62 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Championship is the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs and penultimate event of the 2024 Race to Dubai.
Fleetwood, already a two-time winner of this tournament after claiming back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018, carded eight birdies and an eagle on a low-scoring day at Yas Links to finish one stroke ahead of former Ryder Cup teammate Thorbjorn Olesen and America’s Johannes Veerman.
The 33-year-old, a seven-time DP World Tour winner, was four under after only three holes with a birdie, eagle, birdie start, and he made six further gains as he signed for a bogey-free round, rolling in a final birdie at the last to take the outright lead.
“Just happy to have got off to a great start. I didn’t feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine,” Fleetwood said.
The wind picked up a little bit, the Englishman said, but overall it was fairly calm. “I think the course, fairways, are playing fast,” he said.
Fleetwood also has an eye on a second Race to Dubai title because he started the week in fifth place on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
A strong performance in Abu Dhabi would give him an outside chance of catching current rankings leader Rory McIlroy at next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Denmark’s Olesen is seeking a second Rolex Series victory this week to follow from his 2018 Italian Open success. He won his eighth DP World Tour title earlier this year in the UAE, landing the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in January.
Olesen said: “With the conditions of the greens, if you putted really well, you can make a lot of putts. I’m very happy with that. There’s not that much breeze out there, so it definitely feels hot. I think maybe I’m a bit more used to it now after being out here for a couple of years.”
Moreover, Veerman, who won his maiden title at the 2021 D+D REAL Czech Masters, earned his place in the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs after finishing T8, T14 and T14 in his previous three starts. He carded eight birdies and an eagle to join Olesen on nine under par.
Veerman said: “It went just about as good as I would have hoped, maybe even better. I got off to a really fast start. The conditions on this course are pure so you’re never going to have a bad lie.”
Four-time Rolex Series winner Tyrrell Hatton shares fourth on eight under with fellow Englishmen Laurie Canter and Paul Waring and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
McIlroy carded a five under par 67 to finish the day in a share of 18th place. The Northern Irishman will win the Race to Dubai for a sixth time if he finishes more than 2,000 ranking points ahead of his nearest challenger after this event.
“It’s nice to be paired with Thriston (Lawrence) and Rasmus (Hojgaard) because you can sort of keep an eye on what they are doing, as well. It’s been a really good year, very, very consistent,” he said.
Charley Hull triumphs at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh with impressive 18-under finish
- Englishwoman’s 18-under-par performance gave her a three-stroke lead over Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup
RIYADH: England’s Charley Hull stormed to victory at the Aramco Team Series in Riyadh on Saturday, closing with a 66 to secure her first tournament win since 2022.
Hull’s 18-under-par performance gave her a three-stroke lead over Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup, marking her sixth professional win and her fourth on the Ladies European Tour.
Hull attributed her success to her sharp play and solid putting.
“I felt really sharp, I played very solidly today,” she said. “I made a bogey on the par five 17th and the par three, but that was just two three putts. So quite long putts, in all fairness, and they got away from me a little bit, but felt like I held my game together pretty well. And 18-under for three days is a pretty good score.”
Starting the final round two strokes behind Slovenia’s Pia Babnik, Hull quickly took control with an aggressive approach, sinking birdies throughout the front nine.
Her momentum was especially evident on the par-5 fifth hole, where she drove close to the green, setting up a perfect chip that left her with a simple tap-in birdie.
“I was actually chatting to someone who was quite close to me before I started, and he said, get off to a fast start, try and get ahead,” Hull shared. “That's what I did — and it’s a good job I listened to them.”
Hull maintained her lead despite bogeys on the 14th and 17th, closing with a steady par on the 18th. Her friends Georgia Hall and Annabell Dimmock were there to celebrate as she sank her final putt, capping off a flawless week in Riyadh.
She now turns her focus to the final events of the LPGA Tour in the US before preparing for a major campaign in 2025.
“I’m going home for a week, before I head back to America for the last two events in the LPGA Tour, which is the ANNIKA event, and then the CME Group Tour Championship. I like the Tour Championship golf course. I won there in 2016, so I’m looking forward to them too, and then home for Christmas, I can’t wait.”
The Aramco Team Series in Riyadh, one of five $1 million LET events hosted by Golf Saudi this season, capped off an impactful year for golf in Saudi Arabia.
Golf Saudi CEO Noah Alireza praised the tournament, saying: “What an incredible week of golf we’ve enjoyed here in Riyadh — and what fitting and deserving champions we have in both Charley Hull and Team Tamburlini.”
Alireza also highlighted the event’s local influence, noting the participation of ten Saudi amateur players and the success of Golf Saudi’s Go Golf initiative, which has brought 58 new Saudi players into the game.
“All of these are landmark moments as we continue to grow golf in Saudi Arabia. I’d like to thank all the players and partners who helped make this an unforgettable week of golf and we look forward to the return of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF next year.”
Pia Babnik cards successive 65s to lead Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
- Slovenian sits atop the leaderboard after a seven-under-par on day two at Riyadh Golf Club
- Chiara Tamburlini makes history as the first team captain to win successive events, after victory in Shenzhen
RIYADH: Consistency has been the name of the game for Slovenian Pia Babnik, as back-to-back bogey free rounds of seven-under-par sees her atop the leaderboard of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF — Riyadh.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Babnik, who only last week finished up +19 on the Ladies European Tour in India at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.
Her round at the Golf Saudi-organized event included a sensational 18 greens in regulation round Riyadh Golf Club, marking a performance to be proud of for the winner of the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF in Jeddah in 2021.
The round of the day, however, went the way of Fatima Fernandez Cano, who carded a blemish free 10-under-par score of 62 — even going close to equaling the course record of 61, set by Alison Lee in 2023.
Fernandez Cano struggled with injuries last year and almost called it quits and, if not for the help of her doctor, would certainly not be celebrating today’s stellar round.
“In the end, it was just two nerves that were trapped in my right forearm,” the Spaniard said. “The only problem is I took forever to figure out what was wrong with it, because it would only happen when the muscle was contracted.
“I almost stepped away from the game, I was ready to quit. But I went to see one final doctor, and luckily, he knew what to do. It’s been a rollercoaster.”
Despite a bogey early on in her round, England’s Charley Hull rebounded to record a five-under-par score of 67 — aided by a brilliant back nine in which she sunk five birdies to keep her in touching distance of the top.
Meanwhile, it was victory for captain Chiara Tamburlini and her group in the team element of the event — wrapping up the title with ease after a net score of -42 across the first two days of the tournament.
The Swiss rookie, who is in pole position to claim the LET Order Of Merit, becomes the first captain in the series to win the team event in successive events, following her win in Shenzhen at the start of October.
Tamburlini was keen to heap praise on the team spirit in the group, particularly their amateur Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of Mission Hills Group — the host of the previous event in Shenzhen — who was prophetic on the first tee.
“Tenniel was incredible,” said the victorious captain. “I had met him in China at Mission Hills, and we were joking about the trophy. He said: ‘I don’t see your name on there yet, but it’s fine, they can just do it twice back-to-back,’ and he was right!”
Her group, made up of English starlet Mimi Rhodes and France’s Anne-Charlotte Mora, set an additional record — the largest margin of victory in the team event, an incredible ten strokes.
“It feels pretty cool to have done something that no one has done before,” Tamburlini said. “I just love this format. I think it’s so much fun to play for a team. It’s easy to keep pushing and the format of counting birdies, it’s really motivating. I think it suits my game well to play aggressive and go for the pins.”
Elsewhere, German Helen Briem moved into contention with a second straight day of five-under-par, tied in fifth behind Luna Salbron, who sits in third place on 11-under-par.
This is the final of this season’s five $1 million Aramco Team Series presented by PIF tournaments on the Ladies European Tour, all organized by Golf Saudi, who seek to grow the game of golf domestically and around the world by hosting elite-level golf events.
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
- 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.
