By Kent Gray
Beth Allen can feel the game that carried her to the 2016 Ladies European Tour’s (LET) money title bursting to break through the gloom of a tough season in the U.S. and intends proving it at Saadiyat Beach.
The 35-year-old Edinburgh-based Californian has confirmed she will return to defend the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open’s Gazelle trophy when the €515,000 event returns to the Gary Player-designed oceanfront layout for its second edition from Nov. 1-4.
Allen’s year in the U.S., her first full LPGA Tour campaign since her 2005 rookie season, has been challenging with just one top-10 and six cuts made in 20 starts in 2017. But three scores of 69 in her last five rounds, even if she did miss the cut in her most recent start at the Evian Championship, the final major of the year, has the likeable American in an upbeat mood.
She hopes to ride the recent change of fortune to a confidence-boosting result at this week’s New Zealand Women’s Open before returning “home” to play at least four of the LET’s last six events, including also defending the Open de France early next month and “possibly” teeing it up at the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in December.
“I’ve had some success in New Zealand before so I’m excited for this week and then obviously I feel very happy and comfortable in Europe so I’m looking forward to spending a few weeks back on the LET. The goal is to have a strong defence in France and Abu Dhabi,” Allen told Golf Digest Middle East from Auckland.
Allen, who takes an LPGA Tour stroke average of 72.53 (133rd) into this week, is “super excited” about her return to Saadiyat and understandably so. She rolled in nine birdies in a career best eight-under 64 to win the inaugural FBMLO by five shots from Englishwoman Georgia Hall last November and can’t wait to get back on Saadiyat’s pure greens.
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, presents Allen with the inaugural Gazelle Trophy last November after the American’s closing 64 at Saadiyat Beach.
“It just really suits me, you know when you turn up to a place, and every tee shot I saw where I was going and I just had a really solid plan, “ Allen said of Saadiyat Beach G.C.
“If you can putt on the line you meant to, they’re going to go in and that’s always great. So it’s perfect for us and it’s going to be great again I’m sure. It was such a great event last year, so well run and I got such a great vibe there and I know that the atmosphere will be great again with the main idea being family being involved at Saadiyat.
“It’s one of the best events we have all year, it’s comparable to Dubai and everybody loves that event and I think this one is probably going to take over as my favourite event soon.”
Hall and fellow European Solheim Cup players Mel Reid, Florentyna Parker (all England), Scot Catriona Matthew (just named non-playing captain for Gleneagles 2018) and Dane Emily Kristine Pedersen are listed as Saadiyat starters alongside Allen on the LET website.
Indian teen Aditi Ashok, who shared third place at Dubai last December to secure LET Rookie-of-the-Year honours, and the golfing royal, Dame Laura Davies, are also listed although no other confirmed names have yet been released.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is free to attend. Visit fbmladiesopen.com for more information and follow on Instagram, Twitter (@FBMLadiesOpen) and Facebook.
