Lee and Tavatanakit return to Riyadh with hopes of emulating past glories at Aramco Team Series

Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit, the World No. 22, said she has a strong connection to Riyadh. (Supplied)
Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit, the World No. 22, said she has a strong connection to Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Updated 13 October 2024
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Lee and Tavatanakit return to Riyadh with hopes of emulating past glories at Aramco Team Series

Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit, the World No. 22, said she has a strong connection to Riyadh. (Supplied)
  • “Winning in Riyadh last year was a career highlight for me. The energy and support was incredible, and I felt like everything came together perfectly on the course”: Lee

RIYADH: Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit are set to go head-to-head as this season’s Aramco Team Series, presented by the Public Investment Fund, draws to a close at the Riyadh Golf Club.

American Lee, who represented Team USA in the 2024 Solheim Cup, will return to the star-studded event from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 as the defending individual champion.

It follows her record-breaking triumph in 2023 in Riyadh, which was sealed when she carded a final-round 65 to finish 29-under-par, setting a new 54-hole scoring record on the Ladies European Tour.

“Winning in Riyadh last year was a career highlight for me. The energy and support was incredible, and I felt like everything came together perfectly on the course,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to bringing that same energy and focus to this year’s event as it’s always special to return to a place where you’ve had such a memorable win. I’m excited to see what this year has in store,” she added.

Thai golfer Tavatanakit, the World No. 22, said she has a strong connection to Riyadh, having won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF on the same course earlier this year. The victory was her first since 2021, and she now returns with confidence, eager to replicate her success.

“Lifting that trophy earlier this year in Riyadh was a huge boost for me and a very emotional win,” said Tavatanakit. “It felt like a turning point in my career and gave me the confidence to win another title straight off the back of it.

“Coming back to the same course is something I’m really excited about and I’m ready for the challenge.”

Organized by Golf Saudi, the five events on the Aramco Team Series add an annual $5 million in prize money to the LET, taking its innovative team format to four continents across the year.

The series brings together teams of three professionals and one amateur.

Stops in Tampa, Seoul, London, and Shenzhen have crowned international winners including Ireland’s Leona Maguire, Korean Hyo-Joo Kim, and Alexandra Fosterling of Germany already this year, ahead of the tournament arriving back in the Saudi capital.


Charley Hull triumphs at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh with impressive 18-under finish

Charley Hull triumphs at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh with impressive 18-under finish
Updated 02 November 2024
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Charley Hull triumphs at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh with impressive 18-under finish

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

Pia Babnik cards successive 65s to lead  Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
Updated 01 November 2024
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Pia Babnik cards successive 65s to lead  Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

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, Babnik and Sobron lead Aramco Team Series Riyadh
Updated 31 October 2024
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Hull, Babnik and Sobron lead Aramco Team Series Riyadh

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

Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
Updated 31 October 2024
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Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh

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

PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes
Updated 30 October 2024
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PGA Tour to consider big changes to eligibility and small field sizes

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.”