Team Wolf triumphed at the Aramco Team Series presented by Public Investment Fund – Singapore as they recorded a final round of 14-under-par to clinch a one-stroke victory.
After starting the day one shot behind leaders Team Young, Christine Wolf, Casandra Alexander, Eleanor Givens and amateur Katsuko Blalock back up their great first round with another excellent day on the golf course.
It was a fast front nine as the Team soared to a score of -26 with nine holes left to play, but despite it being more of a struggle on the back nine Alexander rolled in the crucial birdie on 18 to seal victory with a total of 29-under-par.
Captain Wolf said: “We all knew we needed a birdie on the last few holes and thank god the girls pulled through. They’ve all played really well for the whole two days and I couldn’t be prouder!”
It was a first LET title for Givens, who has recently come back from time off due to a medical, and she was pleased with how 2023 has gone so far.
“This is definitely the peak of the comeback so far,” said Givens. “I’m really pleased. When I saw I was on the team with these two – Christine is one of my best friends and I love playing with Cas – I thought straight away we could have a really good chance here. I was looking forward to it.
“We’ve had really good fun, I was really pleased with some of the shots I hit. I was a little bit up and down today but there was a lot of good and I’m looking forward to the final day of the tournament tomorrow as well. It’s a nice first win for me and nice to do it with these three beside me.”
While Alexander has been in this situation twice before winning the inaugural event in Jeddah as part of Team Pedersen in 2020 and again in Jeddah in 2022 with Team Garcia.
The South African explained: “I didn’t make many putts all day and I didn’t hit it close, so I was happy to hit it close on the last hole. As you’ve seen with my past performances in the Aramco Team Series, I like to leave it till the last minute and left it again.
“I was definitely very nervous, my heart was beating really fast. I made the putt, gave Ellie a hug and told her I was nervous over that putt. It’s not very often that you play below par individual golf and still have fun. We had a really good atmosphere and had good conversation. It was just fun.”
Team Roussin finished in second place on 28-under-par after a second round of 16-under which saw them move up the leaderboard.
Team Spilkova, Team Gustavsson and Team Kang ended the competition in a tie for third place one shot further back with Team Simmermacher, Team Law and Team Young on -25 in T6.
In the Individual competition, three players are tied at the summit of the leaderboard after 36 holes at Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
France’s Pauline Roussin, South Africa’s Nicole Garcia and American Danielle Kang all sit on seven-under-par with one round remaining.
Garcia, who led after the first round, had another solid day carding a round of 70 (-2) which included three birdies and one bogey.
The South African said: “Today I think my scrambling and keeping it together was what went well. I was hoping a few more putts would have dropped but I was still hitting some good iron shots.
“I’m excited but probably also nervous for tomorrow. I’m normally chasing on the final day, so it’s quite a nice position to be in, we’ll see tomorrow how I feel. My golf feels solid so I’m hoping that tomorrow if I can just keep the rhythm that it will go well.”
Major champion Kang had a good day producing a round of 68 (-4) which included eight birdies including three in a row on holes 13 through 15.
“I’m just trying to focus on whatever the shot that was in front of me and try not though think about anything else,” said the American.
“It’s been a little bit of a difficult week, so my caddie and I’ve been just staying in our own zone, our own bubble, and I think we did a good job today.”
It was also a solid day for LET winner Roussin, who produced a round of 69 (-3) which included five birdies and two bogeys on day two.
Three players sit in a share of fourth place two shots behind the leaders with Dutch star Anne Van Dam, Austria’s Emma Spitz and Sweden’s Linn Grant on five-under-par.
Five players are in a tie for seventh place on four-under-par including world number one Lydia Ko, Czechia’s Klara Davidson Spilkova, Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup, England’s Bronte Law and Germany’s Chiara Noja.