Chiara Noja wins her first ever LET torunament in Jeddah. (photo: flickr)
Noja celebrates her first win on the tour
The Dubai-based high school senior matched the tournament low of 65 in the final round at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to secure her place in the play-off while Hull produced four birdies in her last six holes to tie with Noja on 13-under-par in regular play. Despite the pressure on the young schoolgirl, Noja played picture-perfect golf for unfaltering back-to- back birdies in the play-off, enough to secure the victory and the $75,000 first prize.
Following an invitation from the tournament organisers, Noja took a break from her mock GCSE’s to play and joked earlier in the week that “the goal is to win this week so I don’t need school anymore” after accidentally bringing the wrong books to study in Jeddah. After the goal came to fruition, Noja said: “I don’t think it’s sunk in quite yet. I think the happiness will come later this evening. Before we went out, my Dad showed Charley a picture of me with her as a 10-year-old. It’s like a full circle, it’s a blessing. “I’ve worked hard over a lot of years now to be able to not back out of shots and commit to everything that I do and not be afraid to fail.” “I have no clue what the plan is next.” Noja added “I can’t even begin to fathom it, I’m just going to try and relax tonight. Maybe have a burger and sleep, probably the best night sleep I’m ever going to get and see how I feel.”
Nicole Garcia also pleased the crowd on 18 with an eagle from off the green to secure sole posession third place. She had a lot to celebrate this week as she led her team to victory here in Jeddah, her second team championship win as captain.
Another play-off in the team event
For the first time on the Aramco Team Series both the individual and team competitions were decided in play-offs with Team Garcia – Nicole Garcia, Cassandra Alexander, Tereza Melecka, and amateur Sonia Bayahya – claiming victory with a birdie in the first play-off hole against Team Wolf. Garcia nominated teammate Alexander to take on the play-off against Christine Wolf, who was teamed up with Laura Beveridge, Alexandra Swayne, and Saudi-female Raghdah Alessawi, who was the teams amateur. Team Captain Nicole Garcia, who’s now captained her team to victory twice, commented after the win: “Cassandra and I have known each other for a long time and we’d spoken before we even knew we were in the play-off that she was in, so it was already decided yesterday.” After hitting the winning shots down 18, Alexandra said: “It was a bit nerve-wracking but I kind of knew what I was going to have in from previous rounds so I went to the range and hit a couple of that shot beforehand. I hit a 7-iron, and it was enough to get the job done.” Amateur Sonia Bayahya played a significant part in her team reaching the play-off today and added to their comments, “It’s a really good experience. Really the playoff victory was so good. I really felt part of the team, the girls were so sweet with me – thanks to them and thanks to all of Aramco Team Series.” Jeddah marks the end of the 2022 Aramco Team Series following events in Bangkok, London, Sotogrande, and New York. 2022 marks the second year of the $1 million team tournaments on the Ladies European Tour schedule.
The Aramco Team Series Jeddah is primed for an electric final day at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club as world number 17 Charley Hull takes a one-shot lead over defending champion Pia Babnik, Caroline Hedwall, and Virginia Elena Carta, while Team Garcia and Team Wolf will head to the 18th tomorrow for a play-off to determine the team victors.
Hull made her seventh birdie of the day on the last to shoot a blemish-free 65 and take the lead as she sets her sights on her second win in the last three starts.
Following the round, Hull commented: “It was a really really good front nine, I even missed a couple of putts but I’m not complaining…I’ve put some good work in this year and now it’s all coming together. I wasn’t massively confident coming into this week but I’m feeling much better now I’ve played some golf and just enjoying it out here.”
Babnik is looking at a repeat of last year’s Aramco Team Series Jeddah victory as she matched Hull’s low round of the day with just the one blemish and eight birdies enroute to finish one behind. The 18-year-old said after the round: “I’m really happy, I played really good today. There were some good shots I hit and then the wind stopped which was frustrating but overall, I am happy with the round I played. I really played well, gave myself a lot of chances.”
Virginia Elena Carta also sits in that second-place spot and accredits some of her strong form this week to the team format at the Aramco Team Series, she said after the round: “It’s much easier to play well when you have a good team and when you are able to enjoy yourself out there… I really played for the team today. I’ll take it one shot at a time tomorrow and see, there are birdie opportunities out there, it’s just a matter of giving myself some chances and trying to make some good putts.”
The team championship will be decided on the final days play with Team Wolf and Team Garcia tied on 29-under after 36-holes of play. The two teams will take to the 18th hole following the conclusion of the individual event tomorrow to decide the Aramco Team Series team champion.
Nicole Garcia, who is just two shots behind the individual lead, led her team of Casandra Alexander, Tereza Melecka, and amateur Sonia Bayahya to the top of the leaderboard and commented after the round: “My team was in great spirits, and we really tried hard out there. It was tough to make the putts on these greens, but my team managed to pull it off so I’m really proud.”
Christine Wolf will be joined in tomorrow’s playoff by teammates Laura Beveridge, Alexandra Swayne, and amateur Raghdah Alessawi.
Golf continues to prove popular in Great Britain, with ten percent more rounds of golf played in the first nine months of the year than in the equivalent period in 2021.
This is despite a small four percent drop in year-on-year play rates between July and September. It should however be remembered that the summer of 2021 was atypical, with rounds played experiencing an extended bounce after the lockdowns earlier in the year.
Continued strong participation in the UK
Contrasting against pre-lockdown years, Q3 2022 rounds were up 40 percent against 2019. Q3 was boosted by a drier than average July and August, but this alone does not account for the strong enduring appetite for golf.
The results can therefore be read as another indicator of strong ongoing participation. The North was the strongest performing region in 2022, recording one percent growth against the very strong third quarter of 2021.
“Golf continues to be a sport attractive across all levels of the game”
Richard Payne, Director at Sporting Insights, said: “This has been another good quarter for golf. The similarity in results between 2021 and 2022 suggests to us that golf is reaching a new normal baseline, which would be great news, because that normal is clearly a step up on where the game found itself before the pandemic. However, we are certainly not getting complacent because we know that the cost of living crisis is going to impact on leisure, putting pressure on memberships and green fee visits alike. What’s clear though is that golf is in a much better position to weather this storm thanks to the industry’s efforts over the last two years.”
Those efforts include work from The R&A to promote the links between golf and health. Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, added, “It is again encouraging to see the positive data for rounds played in Great Britain for the third quarter of 2022.
“Golf was on the rise pre-pandemic and this latest data highlights how golf continues to be a sport attractive across all levels of the game through various formats. It is important for the sport to maintain this momentum and we are pushing initiatives such as the benefits of golf for your health strongly to continue to drive growth.”
Since 2000, Sporting Insights (previously known as Sports Marketing Surveys) has tracked rounds played at commercial golf courses across mainland Great Britain.
As part of Sporting Insights’ ongoing partnership with The Revenue Club, the Q3 report includes an additional section that looks at the booking channel trends from the 140 clubs that they work with.
Stephen Gallacher at the European Tour Q-School. (Photo: Azalea)
Stephen Gallacher is hoping to gain instant redemption and secure a 27th consecutive season on the DP World Tour as the Scot tees it up at INFINITUM this week for the return of the Qualifying School Final Stage.
The six-round marathon of golf will be played for the first time since 2019 and tension is building for the 156 players in the field, all of whom will battle it out for the 25 spots on offer to compete in the 2023 DP World Tour season.
Four-time DP World Tour winner Gallacher is one of four former Ryder Cup players in the field at the acclaimed Spanish venue, which will host the famous event from November 11-16. He is joined by fellow former Team Europe stars David Howell, Jarmo Sandelin and Chris Wood, forming an experienced quartet which boast 17 DP World Tour titles between them.
Gallacher: “You have to handle it like any other event”
The most recent of Gallacher’s four attempts at Qualifying School came 13 years ago, when he earned the third card on offer to bounce straight back after a disappointing 2009 season. He will be hoping he can repeat that feat this week at INFINITUM, a venue he has already played this year when the ISPS Championship in Spain was staged in April.
“You’re here for a reason and you’ve just got to handle it like any other event,” Gallacher said.
“You want to finish in the top 25, you want to win it and work your way around it. It’s six rounds and it’s a big mental battle more than anything, physically too. But I’ve done it three times and I’ve got my card three times so hopefully that trend continues.
“It’s been a whirlwind since 2009, I’ve reached my career goal with the Ryder Cup, I’ve had three wins, one of them with my son, and I’ve had my lows as well. But that’s golf, I got my card for the first time at Qualifying School in 2005, so it’s 27 years. You’re going to have your ups and downs, so I wouldn’t change anything.
“It’s a different chapter and you never know, you win here and you could win again next year – it could be the catalyst to work harder or figure out something.”
The tournament will be held over INFINITUM’s two 18-hole Championship courses, the Hills course and the Lakes course, both of which provide completely different challenges. Gallacher has been extremely impressed by the Tarragona resort and thinks it is a perfect fit for Qualifying School Final Stage.
“The Lakes is a great track and they’ve obviously reseeded it, changed it aesthetically as well, it looks really good and the greens are fantastic on both courses,” he said. “At the Hills, you’ve got to plot your way around, hit it in certain positions and it’s a lot tighter with more trees, whereas the Lakes is windier and dead flat.
“They pose very different challenges and you’ve got to adapt to both of them really. I quite like that; you’ve got to think all the time. They’re both challenging golf courses and you have to use your head.
“It’s exactly what you want for Qualifying School, it’s a great finish at the Lakes too. The 13th is a driveable par four, then you’ve got a good par three and then a couple of tough holes into the wind and then a reachable par five at the end. It’s got all the drama and everything you need, and I’ve no doubt the best players will get through at the end on this six-round format.”
Final Stage qualifying is the last opportunity for hopefuls to win their DP World Tour playing rights for the 2023 season and follows INFINITUM’s hosting of the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain earlier this season, over the Lakes course.
The 90-hole qualifying marathon has provided the platform for some of golf’s most famous names to go on to worldwide success, with Major champions José María Olazábal, Retief Goosen and Sandy Lyle among the list of previous winners since it was first held in 1976.
Final Stage qualifying was first played at INFINITUM in 2017, with England’s Sam Horsfield claiming victory to regain his Tour card along with 32 other players.
A year later, Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares and Zander Lombard, from South Africa, headed a list of 27 players who won their playing rights. Denmark’s Benjamin Poke topped the leaderboard in 2019 – with another 27 joining him in qualification – before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the event.
Set to the west of the beautiful city of Tarragona on the Costa Dorada, INFINITUM is regarded as one of Europe’s most popular golf and lifestyle facilities in an area of natural beauty, and the 156-strong line-up will face two very different golfing tests next month.
The venue’s Lakes course was designed by Greg Norman and runs around the wetlands of the Sequia Major. As its name would suggest, water is the layout’s chief defence, testing players and their positional play on no fewer than 14 holes, while players will find the course in outstanding condition following extensive maintenance work this summer to upgrade the fairways from Rye grass to the more sustainable Bermuda Tifway grass.
The neighbouring Hills course poses an altogether different test; several elevated tees and tight landing areas are surrounded by mature, natural pine trees
Atthaya Thitikul is named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year. (Photo: Getty)
The LPGA Tour announced today that Atthaya Thitikul has earned the 2022 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. Thitikul, who has two victories this season – the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol and the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G – has clinched the honor after finishing in a tie for 10th at last week’s TOTO Japan Classic. Thitikul has earned 1,537 points and holds an insurmountable 250-point lead over Hye-Jin Choi, who withdrew from the Pelican Women’s Championship, with two events remaining in the 2022 season.
Thitikul is the second consecutive player from Thailand to earn Rookie of the Year honors and third overall, joining Patty Tavatanakit (2021) and Moriya Jutanugarn (2013).
LPGA Tour: Rookie of the Year
“It is such an honor to win the Rookie of the Year award, especially being the second consecutive player from Thailand to win this honor,” said Thitikul. “I’m happy to have made my home country proud. My rookie year has been really fun and memorable, but we still have a long way to go.”
The 19-year-old first earned LPGA Tour Membership after she finished third at LPGA Q-Series in 2021. In March, Thitikul became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the JTBC Classic when she defeated Nanna Koerstz Madsen in a playoff at Aviara Golf Club. She earned her second Tour title in September, beating Danielle Kang with birdie on the second playoff hole to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Along with her two victories, Thitikul has 13 additional top-10 finishes this season, including a solo fourth at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a tie for eighth at the Amundi Evian Championship and a tie for seventh at the AIG Women’s Open.
In a rookie year to the world’s best
Thitikul recently ascended to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings on Oct. 31, becoming just the second Thai player to ever do so alongside Ariya Jutanugarn. With two events left, she is currently second in the Race to CME Globe standings (2,690.127 points), third in scoring average (69.435) and tied for third in the Rolex Player of the Year standings (130 points), 20 points behind leader Lydia Ko. Thitikul is leading the LPGA Tour in both birdies (392) and top-10 finishes (15), is fifth on the season’s Official Money List ($2,110,142) and is tied for third in strokes gained total (1.950). She is also tied for fourth in eagles made this season (11).
Thitikul turned professional in 2020 after a stellar amateur career that saw her become the youngest person ever to win a professional tournament at the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship at 14 years, 4 months and 19 days. She also won the 2019 Ladies European Thailand Championship as an amateur.
Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Thitikul won the Race to Costa del Sol, Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors in 2021 on the Ladies European Tour, joining Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda and Esther Henseleit as the only players to win the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year in the same season. She is the youngest-ever winner of the Race to Costa del Sol at 18 years, 9 months and 8 days.
Thitikul will receive the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award at the 2022 Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony, to be held Thursday, Nov. 17, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. during the week of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Since its inception in 1962, 12 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners have become members of either the LPGA Hall of Fame or World Golf Hall of Fame: Susie Maxwell Berning (1964), Joanne Carner (1970), Jan Stephenson (1974), Amy Alcott (1975), Nancy Lopez (1978), Beth Daniel (1979), Patty Sheehan (1981), Juli Inkster (1984), Annika Sorenstam (1994), Karrie Webb (1996), Se Ri Pak (1998) and Lorena Ochoa (2003).
The 2024 Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. (Photo: Getty)
The LPGA announced today that the 2024 Solheim Cup will be held Sept. 10-15 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va. The 2024 Solheim Cup, the 19th playing of the international team competition, will bring together the best female golfers from the United States and Europe, just outside the nation’s capital, for a celebration of athleticism and patriotism.
LPGA Tour: “We are looking forward to an unforgettable event”.
“We are so excited to finally share the official dates of the 2024 Solheim Cup, marking another step closer to bringing this incredible competition to life,” said Lindsay Allen, Executive Director of the 2024 Solheim Cup. “Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and the greater Northern Virginia area are already serving as gracious hosts for the Solheim Cup, providing the setting for what will undoubtedly be a can’t-miss event for sports fans around the world.”
New qualification system for Team USA
Points for the 2024 United States Team will start accruing at the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. In a new structure to the U.S. Solheim Cup points standings, players finishing in the top 40 at official LPGA Tour competitions will earn points, with those points doubled at the five major championships. In the Solheim Cup year, all points values will increase by 50%.
At the end of the 2024 qualification period, the top seven players in the U.S. Solheim Cup points standings will be named to the team. They will be joined by the top two players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings not already qualified and three captain’s picks.
“After taking an in-depth look at the history of the U.S. Solheim Cup qualifying process, we feel this new points structure will provide the most comprehensive picture of the American talent working toward representing their country,” said Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana, Senior Vice President of Tour Operations.
The 2023 U.S. Team will be built using the previous point structure, with points earned for top-20 finishes, points for the majors doubled, and points increasing by 50% in the Solheim Cup year. The U.S. Team qualification period will end following the 2023 CP Women’s Open.
Solheim Cup returns to even year numbers
2024 will mark the Solheim Cup’s return to an even-year rotation, opposite the Ryder Cup, and for just the second time in history, it will be held in consecutive years, along with 2002 and 2003. The 2023 Solheim Cup will be held at Finca Cortesin in Spain on Sept. 22-24, with Stacy Lewis serving as captain for Team USA and Suzann Pettersen serving as captain for Team Europe.
Information on tickets and sales packages for the 2024 Solheim Cup will be available in early 2023.
The LPGA Tour shortens the Pelican Women's Championship by one round. (Photo: Getty)
After meeting with senior LPGA and tournament leadership and in consultation with our on-site meteorologist, Pelican Golf Club will be closed on Thursday due to Tropical Storm Nicole. Due to the chance of a delay in Friday’s start of play, the LPGA has made the decision to shorten the Pelican Women’s Championship to 54 holes.
Forecasts call for 1-3 inches of rain and strong winds, with gusts up to 50 MPH. Local authorities have closed schools and may need to close bridges, which would affect access to the course. Due to the high winds, it is not safe to have players, caddies, fans, volunteers and staff on site.
The first round of the Pelican Women’s Championship will begin no earlier than Friday at 6:55 a.m. Friday morning’s forecast from our on-site meteorologist, who is constantly monitoring the latest data, includes a chance of a lingering thunderstorm. The Friday forecast is thankfully trending in a positive direction, and we will share additional information with you as soon as we can.
With a full field and limited daylight, we feel this decision provides the fairest test to the entire field. All services at Pelican Golf Club will be closed on Thursday, including dining, the gym and all practice facilities. We will have an update on Friday’s start of play on Thursday afternoon.
NELLY KORDA READY TO DEFEND TITLE AFTER ROCKIEST PATCH OF PLAY THIS SEASON
After taking five weeks off from LPGA Tour competition, NellyKorda will defend her title at the Pelican Women’s Championship presented by Konica Minolta and Raymond James and make what she hopes will be a triumphant return. However, Korda would prefer to win in a different fashion than last year, when she survived a four-person playoff against majorchampions Lydia Ko, Lexi Thompson and Sei Young Kim.
“Last year it was definitely a very interesting finish. I think I tripled 17 and then I birdied 18 to get into the playoff, and then I birdied my first hole in the playoff. So, yeah, didn’t make it very easy for myself,” laughed Korda, who birdied the first playoff hole in 2021 to take home the title. “I definitely lost a couple years off my life with the stress that I caused. Other than that, amazing memories coming back here. Hopefully I can make some really good ones this year.”
Korda’s victory at Pelican Golf Club is her most recent win on Tour, and the event was one of the last she played before she suffered a blood clot in her left arm in February of 2022, which forced her to spend nearly four months away from the game. She returned to the Tour in June in resounding fashion, earning five top-10 finishes in 10 events since coming back. But it all hasn’t been smooth sailing.
“I would recap (this season) in it was a rollercoaster. There was definitely a lot of ups, a lot of downs,” Korda said. “I played some solid golf since coming back, but I’ve also overdone it and also played some poor golf. So, definitely a learning year, more about myself, more about my body.”
Korda missed the cut in her two most recent LPGA starts, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G and The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, the first of which marked the first time she missed playing the weekend since June of 2021. The seven-time Tour winner has only missed one cut in each of the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. Luckily, Korda says it isn’t an injury that has contributed to her lackluster play as of late, but rather an overly competitive desire to make up for lost time.
“I think I missed so much of the year that I kind of wanted to make it all up in a sense,” she said. “I think I came back at the time that I needed to, or that was acceptable. The only thing that I may have made a mistake in is then trying to catch up and just being on the road too much and not taking a breather and stepping back and being fresh.”
Georgia Hall and Olivia Cowan on the European Tour. (Photo: Ladies European Tour)
Star female golfers Georgia Hall and Olivia Cowan are in confident mood and excited to tee it up at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club this week in the final Aramco Team Series event of the year. Hall returns to Jeddah following incredible recent success in King Abdullah Economic City after winning the Aramco Saudi Ladies International here in March, while Olivia Cowan is in the form of her career after winning her first Ladies European Tour title in the Hero Women’s Indian Open, two weeks ago. Both are relishing the opportunity to be back in Saudi Arabia this week with Hall commenting: “I love coming back here. I really like this golf course; it is one of my favourites to play in my season and it is always in great condition. The weather is always good, and the wind can get up quite a bit in the afternoons which makes the course have a linksy feel which I really enjoy. “There are some tough holes out there, but I can also reach pretty much every par 5 which is nice so that gives me some really good eagle opportunities and the chance to try and shoot some low rounds. Every time we come here as players, we also get really well looked after, so it’s just a really fun week.”
Olivia Cowan and Georgia Hall: “We are thrilled to be playing here”
Cowan echoed the sentiments of Hall and added: “I feel really confident about my game at the moment coming off the back of that first win in India. I’m just really looking forward to playing this course, I really love playing it and being back here in Jeddah. It’s challenging and fun to play in, and the team event makes it a bit more relaxing. I just love coming back here and can’t wait for the week to get going.” The tournament draft took place last night where the teams for this week’s event were selected. Each of the 36 Captains have one individual pick, before they are allocated a random player at the draft, with the team element of the tournament being decided after day two of the event. Individual player scores are then carried over to the final day as an individual winner is crowned. Hall will be joined in her team by young compatriot, Lily May Humphreys, as well as French golfer Anais Meyssonnier. Cowan used her pick to select young English star, Cara Gainer, while Team Cowan will be completed by another English player in Rachael Goodall. Other standout teams are Team Charley Hull with the highest ranked player in the field, Hull, selecting Isabella Deilert, and being allocated Moroccan star Maha Haddioui, while Team Alison Lee will be completed by Camilla Lennarth and Diksha Dagar. Defending individual champion Pia Babnik will be joined by Kristyna Napoleaova and Lauren Taylor for the first two days of competition as she looks to start her title defence in the best way. All teams will be completed by a championship amateur which differentiates the Aramco Team Series as unique and innovative and both Hall and Cowan believe golf’s global series as been an extremely welcome addition to the Ladies European Tour schedule. Hall commented: “It is fantastic to get this support from Aramco and Golf Saudi and having the five events on the calendar of the Ladies European Tour has really boosted the Tour. I know speaking to a lot of players, they are really grateful for that support. “All the players just really enjoy coming to these events, it’s something different and just brings a different aspect to the game.” Cowan emphasised Hall’s opinion adding: “The set up and everything they do for the players is amazing. The weeks are set up like a major and the Aramco Team Series puts a lot of effort into the event and looking after the players for the week. We really appreciate that and hope other companies continue to show the same support for growing women’s golf.”
This week’s tournament takes place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from 10-12 November with tickets available free of charge. To secure tickets please visit aramcoteamseries.com and follow the event on social media @aramco_series.
For the first time in her career, Atthaya Thitikul has reached No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of the latest Rankings update. She becomes the 16th different player to reach No. 1 as well as the second player from Thailand to sit atop the Rolex Rankings following Ariya Jutanugarn, who was No. 1 for 23 total weeks between June 2017 and March 2019. Thitikul is also the second player to reach the No. 1 ranking in her LPGA Tour rookie year, after Sung Hyun Park in November 2017.
Rolex Ranking: Jin Young Ko must relinquish top position
Thitikul moved one spot on the Rolex Rankings to World No. 1, passing Jin Young Ko, who has held the top spot since Jan. 31, 2022. Ko first became World No. 1 in April 2019 and has spent 152 total weeks atop the Rankings, six weeks shy of Lorena Ochoa’s record 158 weeks at the No. 1 position.
Thitikul is only the second player under age 20 to reach No. 1 at 19 years, 8 months and 11 days, joining Lydia Ko. Ko was 17 years, 9 months and 9 days when she first reached No. 1 in February 2015, and 18 years, 6 months and 2 days the second time she ascended to the top spot of the Rolex Rankings in October 2015.
Atthaya Thitikul: “It is a great honor”
“It means a lot for my team, my family, my supporters and myself. It is such an honor to have my name at the top amongst the biggest names of the game,” said Thitikul. “It is very special to get to the top but it is much harder to retain it. I still have a lot to learn from all the legends and current players both on and off the course. I will continue to work hard for my family, my team, my fans and my country.”
Thitikul has two victories so far in 2022, becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol and adding another win at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Along with her wins, Thitikul has recorded 12 additional top-10 finishes this season, including three at major championships. She currently leads in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings with 1,487 points, is third in scoring average on Tour (69.432) and fourth in the race to become Rolex Player of the Year (129 points). Thitikul also ranks first on Tour in birdies (375), second in rounds in the 60s (44) and tied for fourth in number of eagles (11).
The successful step onto the LPGA Tour
Prior to joining the LPGA Tour, Thitikul became the youngest player ever to win the Ladies European Tour’s Race to Costa del Sol in 2021 while also securing Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. At 14 years, 4 months and 19 days, Thitikul also became the youngest golfer to ever win a professional golf tournament with her victory at the LET’s Thailand Championship in 2017.
Imposing views to the Rock of Gibraltar and the clubhouse (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
Ambitious for the future
The US Millenium Hospitality Group has big goals. With La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort, it wants to become one of the leading and most luxurious golf resorts in Spain. It has entrusted this task to the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Group, which is one of the most renowned luxury hotel brands worldwide.
The first steps have already been taken. The golf course, previously known as ‘Alcaidesa’, was rebuilt at a multi-million dollar cost and shines in a complete new splendour. The new, stylish clubhouse with its cool restaurant and the extraordinary beach club are already in place. The same goes for the huge driving range with new grass tees and the large putting, pitching and chipping area. Added to this is the already existing 18-hole Heathland Golf Course, so that the resort has two completely different golf courses.
By Easter 2024, a five-star hotel complex comprising 153 exclusive rooms and 51 villas is to be built on an area of 400 hectares. Several more villas, all with private pools, will be available for purchase. Various restaurants and bars will be part of the complex as well as swimming pools, a spa and fitness centre and event facilities. A halfway house is under construction on the newly designed links course.
Millenium’s plan to become the flagship in Southern Europe with the resort seems to be working, because they have already been accepted as a member of the European Tour Destinations and are happy about this seal of quality.
All in white
As soon as you enter the white clubhouse of La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort, shining in the sun, you sense something special. The arc of tension is slowly built up, starting on the steps to the entrance. It continues as you cross the huge entrance hall and ends in front of an infinity pool with a view of the Mediterranean.
Unique: infinity pool at the clubhouse Terrasse (Photo: La Hacienda Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort)
The modern pro shop offers everything you need on a round. The rental clubs are of the best quality. The first tees of the two courses are in opposite directions. We first play the Heathland Course, which leads into the hinterland.
The Heathland Course
The 18-hole Heathland Course was designed by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas. The par-72 layout has a length of 6,373 m from the back tees and features different landscapes. While holes 1 to 5 and 17 and 18 are located on a plateau and resemble a heath landscape, the other courses wind their way down into the valley with magnificent views of the Mediterranean Sea, where several water hazards await.
This is also the case at the 13th, a par-5, where the tee shot has to be hit well in order not to land in the water hazard crossing the course head-on.
Challenging Par-5 on the Heathland Course (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
Due to the sometimes considerable distances between the individual holes and the considerable differences in altitude, a buggy is highly recommended. Some of these are brand new and of course equipped with GPS.
Unique Links Golf Course
The next day we played the only links course in southern Spain. The origin of the course dates back to 1992 and was designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark. Its current redesign is due to the US-American Kurtis Bowman, who redesigned all greens and added several bunkers. The course was only opened this summer but is already in great condition.
The par-72 course has a sensational layout and is suitable for all handicappers. The course is teed off from four tees. Players with a handicap of less than nine are recommended to use the white tees. The course then has a length of 5,841 m. At the moment, there is no table of playing conditions. I play off the yellows and am looking forward to the 5.5 km journey ahead of me. I know of no other course in Spain that offers such sensational views. The Rock of Gibraltar, which is clearly visible on a clear day, keeps attracting attention on various courses and distracts from the game. We are lucky with the weather and after a short initial rainfall, we enjoy the sunshine on the rest of the round.
Tee off to enjoy (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
The varied courses, the constant ups and downs and the great views over the course make the round of golf an unforgettable experience. Everything is extremely well-maintained and also perfectly matched visually.
The water hazards are impressively designed and interrupt the different shades of green of tees, fairways and greens with their brilliant blue. The course is not only great to play, but also meets the highest aesthetic standards. Some holes run directly along the sea.
Everything at its best (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
Development is already encroaching on some of the holes. This will increase further with the Fairmont Hotel La Hacienda, which is being built in terraces level with the back end of the beach with the best views across the course to the sea.
Directly along the beach (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
The palate will also be pampered
What could be better than finishing off a successful round of golf with a great meal and special drinks? The fact that this is possible at the resort is thanks to the Azotea Group. Behind it are the journalist Cristina Lasvignes and her husband José Manuel García. Among other things, they have founded various restaurants and bars in Spain under the Sal Verde brand that meet the highest standards.
Attractive location above the golf course (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
These include the Clubhouse Restaurant as well as the Arena Bar in the Beach Club, which is located directly below the golf course. Both combine a great ambience, the highest quality and outstanding creativity.
Arena bar at the beach club (Photo: Azalea)
Exceptional dishes and creative cocktails are created by the Michelin-starred Executive Chef Manuel Berganza and the renowned mixologist Luca Anastasio. The latter plays a special role in Sal Verde’s concept, because high-quality cocktails play an essential role in Sal Verde’s gastronomy concept.
Spectacular from the air as well (Photo: James Hogg)
Those who have a choice are spoilt for choice. Either you choose the Spicy Moscow Mule, the Senorita Margarita, the Amalfi Ten Tonic, the Galan or Paloma, or you try them all. With one exception, they were all new to me and impressed me as much as the menus of the latest Spanish star chef. The tuna tartare, popular in Andalusia, served here with truffles and spring onion dressing, melted in my mouth just as much as the mussels au gratin with spicy tomato sauce, to name just two of the various delicacies tasted.
As the Fairmont accommodation is still under construction, we are staying at the Aldiana Club near the golf courses while we get to know the new resort.
Adiós Aldiana Andalusia
The sun still rises every morning over the Aldiana Club Costa del Sol in Alcaidesa. But this will come to an end on 21 November 2022, because the resort will soon change hands. After the planned renovation, it will be called Sun Club Costa del Sol from next year and will continue as a four-star hotel under a new flag.
Sunrise at Aldiana Alcaidesa (Photo: Juergen Linnenbuerger)
The current all-inclusive concept will then be replaced by an offer that includes a choice of breakfast, half board or full board. It remains to be seen whether the great barbecue in the beach restaurant, which is still part of the club, will be offered.
I enjoyed the freshly prepared Andalusian specialities and especially the extremely spicy chorizo sausages. These remain in my positive memory as well as the varied and high-quality offer in the entire club. The well-maintained facilities and the friendliness and attentiveness of all the staff contributed in equal measure to my feeling of well-being during my stay. Not to forget the bright and clean room with the extremely comfortable bed.
Spicy and extremely delicious (Photo Juergen Linnenbuerger)
I am convinced that the Millenium/Fairmont concept will work out and that their guests will be delighted with the high-quality offer. I already am and look forward to another round on one of the most impressive golf courses in southern Europe. Hasta luego.
