WESTBURY, NEW YORK | The Aramco Team Series, with its team/individual format, attracted attention from the handful of LPGA Tour players who joined the field last week in the first foray by the Ladies European Tour into the United States.
This event at Glen Oaks Club in New York was the third of four in the inaugural series that began in London in July, went to Spain in August, and will finish in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in November. Players competed for a total purse of $1 million in both team and individual competitions.
The team format offered a unique component in that captains drafted their teams. Twenty-eight captains chose a teammate from among 56 other pros on Tuesday night, and then were given a random second player before an amateur filled out their foursome.
For those who had to make the picks, the event added a new task.
“It was a little nerve-racking, I went like 20-something in the draft so all of my top ones were kind of gone already by then,†world No. 1 Nelly Korda said, adding that she only knew five players in the field coming into the week. “The draft was fun though, it was something very different that you don’t get to do very often so it was a cool experience.â€
Alison Lee chose Catriona Matthew, whom she played against in the 2015 Solheim Cup. The event gave her the chance to select someone she wouldn’t normally play with, now that Matthew plays so sparingly.
“I picked her because she’s a legend and she could still hit the ball really well,†Lee smiled.
“Someone like Catriona, I grew up watching her play so having her on the same team as me is really cool. It’s a dream come true, honestly.â€
Korda’s older sister, Jessica, picked a player she’d never met before in LET regular Karolin Lampert.
“We met on the first tee for our first round and it’s been unbelievable,†Lampert said.
For a player like Lampert, the experience of playing with Jessica Korda was a direct result of the LET’s first venture into the U.S. this week, and you can bet she’s enjoyed learning from Korda.
“On No. 13 she hit a drive and said, ‘I finally hit a good one,’ and I thought, ‘The ones before were not too bad, too,’ †Lampert said. “But I think it’s great that this event gives me a chance to play and get to know her.â€
Another LET player who got to meet and play with an LPGA star this week was Noemà Jiménez MartÃn.
So, what impressed her most about Lexi Thompson?
“It’s her long drives ... she hits the ball probably 100 meters past me,†Jiménez MartÃn said. “It’s crazy; it’s as if she plays another sport.â€
LET commissioner Alexandra Armas said she’s already had discussion with Glen Oaks Club and the hope is that this would be the venue should this event continue as part of the Aramco Team Series next year.
For some, a big positive of the tournament was the relaxed vibe it exuded.
“It’s definitely so much lighter out there in this team format,†Nelly Korda said. “It feels loose out there so you’re not worried about making a mistake.â€
England’s Bronte Law likes what the event does for women’s golf.
“Anytime we can do something different like a format here, that can increase the viewership,†she said. “More people are likely to tune in just because it provides such a different golfing experience from viewing a regular tournament. I think that’s exciting.â€
RESULTS: TEAM | INDIVIDUAL
Garrett Johnston
