Hull looking to make more memories at the Aramco Team Series

The Solheim Cup star fell agonisingly short of a fourth Ladies European Tour (LET) title last time out losing to German teenager Chiara Noja in a playoff at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Back in Saudi Arabia one year on, Hull is eyeing another big week as she looks to go one better and finish the season strong. 

“It’s definitely a motivation,” the World No 8 said when asked about last year’s result. “So 100% it would be fantastic to get a win. As anyone will say, it’s important to finish the season strong. So it would be good to do that and then go even stronger next year.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never played here before and it was my first time seeing the full 18 holes today. It’s a different golf course so different memories, but let’s go make some new ones.”

Hull, winner of the 2021 Aramco Team Series – New York Individual title, returns to the LET for the first time this week since helping Team Europe retain the Solheim Cup.

Since then, the Englishwoman took some time out to recover from a neck injury before finishing T40 at The Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America – the site of her last career victory in 2022.

On the injury, Hull said: “My neck is now much better. I still feel like my swing is a little out of it, because before I was swinging to protect which got me into a bad habit. So I’m going to spend some time at the range today and straighten things out. Hopefully it will be good for the week ahead.”

Off the course, Hull is boosted this week by having her boyfriend with her in Saudi Arabia as well as best friend Georgia Hall, who is also returning to LET action for the first time since the Solheim Cup.

“It’s nice to have some home comforts,” the 27-year-old said.

In this week’s Team competition, Hull will once again play with Isabella Deilert after picking the Swede in the Draft on Wednesday. The duo are joined by France’s Emma Grechi.

Elsewhere, it was announced this week that Hull will be teeing up alongside fellow English star Justin Rose at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational in December – a new mixed team event co-sanctioned by the LPGA and PGA Tour.

“I only found out yesterday but I’m really excited for that,” Hull said. “It should be a lot of fun and it’s really cool what they’re doing there.”

Hull gets underway in Riyadh on Friday at 9:22am local time playing alongside teammates Deilert and Grechi.

Rookies ready to rumble in Riyadh

As several world-class stars ascend on Riyadh Golf Club for the fifth and final Aramco Team Series presented by PIF event of 2023, a string of Ladies European Tour (LET) rookies are also looking to make their mark as we approach the crunch end of the season.

Still leading the way in this year’s rookie race is Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, winner of the Big Green Egg Open, with the 28-year-old eyeing another huge week to help cement the title.

Cheenglab currently leads Sweden’s Sara Kjellker by 352.12 points in the Rookie of the Year race and arrives in Riyadh off the back of a T24 finish at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

“There are three tournaments left and my target this year is to get inside the top three [of the Race to Costa del Sol],” Cheenglab said, who currently sits fifth in the overall standings. “I have to do something this week as well as in in Spain. Last week I lost [some ground] a little bit so I will focus on every shot I play.”

If she can complete the quest for Rookie of the Year, Cheenglab would follow in the footsteps of her hero Atthaya Thitikul to become the second Thai winner of the accolade.

Gaining ground on Cheenglab after an incredible run of results is the aforementioned Kjellker, who played her way into this week’s Aramco Team Series event after finishing solo second in India.

“I’m really excited for this week,” Kjellker said, who is arguably the most in-form LET player in the field with four top-five finishes in her last six starts. “These are the events you want to play well in.”

The Swede needs a victory this week to move into top spot, but with two events left in the schedule after this another excellent result would help pile the pressure on Cheenglab heading into next month's Spanish doubleheader.

Two more rookies arriving in Riyadh hot in form are Germany’s Alexandra Försterling, third in the rookie rankings, and Austria’s Emma Spitz, 11th in the standings, who finished second and sixth respectively at Stage II of LPGA Q-Series five days ago.

“It would be nice to win Rookie of the Year but I know Trichat [Cheenglab] has been playing amazing every single week. It will be hard to pass her but I am still going to try my best.”

Currently 231st in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Försterling is also a captain this week and was afforded the first pick in the Draft opting for none of other than close friend Spitz.

"I like being a captain,” the 23-year-old said. “It’s nice when you get to pick a player and I really enjoy the team vibe that you can have. The Aramco events are always some of my favourites.”

In terms of this week, Kjellker would need to win the event and hope Cheenglab finishes lower than fifth. Försterling would need to do the same with the Thai rookie finishing 30th.

Elsewhere, first year graduate Sara Kouskova has been given a comfort blanket heading into this week after all but cementing her 2024 card at the Hero Women’s Indian Open.

Other rookies competing in Riyadh and hoping to make a mark are Thailand’s April Angurasaranee, Germany’s Patricia Isabel Schmidt, Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, France’s Nastasia Nadaud, Germany’s Polly Mack and Scotland’s Louise Duncan.

Lee high on confidence heading into Saudi showdown

Minjee Lee is brimming with confidence heading into the fifth and final Aramco Team Series presented by PIF event of 2023 as she arrives in Riyadh off the back of two victories in her last three starts on the LPGA Tour.

It’s been a phenomenal six weeks for the Australian who secured wins at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G and BMW Ladies Championship either side of a T2 finish on the KLPGA at the Hana Financial Group Championship.

Rising to fourth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in the process, Lee now has every right to feel good about her game as she tees up at the Aramco Team Series for the first time this season.

“I got a lot of confidence from that first win and then coming off the BMW [Ladies Championship] last week, I feel very good to be here.”

With the Team and Individual events running concurrently over the first two days this week, Lee will captain a side which includes Ladies European Tour (LET) rookies Louise Duncan from Scotland and Nastasia Nadaud from France, as well as one amateur player.

Lee and her squad of rookies get under way at the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF - Riyadh at 9:34am local time on Friday.

Format and purse

The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh will see 84 professionals compete in a 54-hole Stroke Play Individual Competition and 28 Teams will compete in a 36-hole Team Competition.

Teams consist of three professionals and one amateur, and the Team event concludes after the second round. In the Individual competition, there will be a cut to the top 60 professionals and ties at the end of round two.

And as for the tournament prize money, players will compete for USD$1,000,000 split evenly between the two competitions.

Round one draw

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