The Aramco Team Series is almost at another finale in Saudi Arabia as, following the penultimate round at Hong Kong, the elite players from the Ladies European Tour touch down in Riyadh for the October 27-29 event.

The innovative series has grown in popularity over the past three years, attracting the likes of Nelly and Jessica Korda, Lilia Vu, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson to join their LET counterparts, to battle it out for both individual and — interestingly — team titles concurrently.

The series is now a truly global carnival, with past tournaments having been held around the world, from London to Singapore, New York to Spain, Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong, and the past winners roll call already has some standout names to champion.

Alison Lee, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Ashleigh Buhai and Olivia Cowan have all stood on the top of the podium in previous events and now they are set to bring the curtain down on the 2023 campaign in another new stop at Riyadh Golf Club. 

The fifth and final leg takes place in the Saudi capital to mark the first time the city will host a professional female golf tournament, again helping a new audience gain an insight into the game of golf.

The ATS, Golf Saudi and Aramco have set out to bring the game to new players — old and young, male and female — with inspiring players and projects coming to each event.

At the recent Aramco Team Series event in London, Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation team set up coaching clinics led by Saudi coaches, inviting young students including Saudi nationals and their families to participate in various golf-related activities with the objective of creating a positive effect for the first-timers. 

Tristan Jones/LET

Speaking at the time, Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “Our goals, and those of the Aramco Team Series, are in perfect alignment with those of Vision 2030, and we remain committed to delivering on the ambitious objectives of our leadership. Also worthy of celebration is the incredible growth of this sport in the Kingdom and the Saudi population’s increasing passion for golf.”

Another way the series is engaging with new, aspiring golfers is through its unique team format.

Played over the first two days of each event, the series sees 28 ‘captains’, selected on their Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, go into the draft to select one of the four players.

From the remaining field, another professional is assigned to each team based on a random pick and each team is completed by an amateur — old and young, male and female — to embrace inclusivity.

The scoring is based on a ‘two-from-four’ format which sees the best two scores on each hole taken forward for the team, including from the amateur, who realistically could have the chance of holing the winning putt. 

Inspiring and inclusive indeed.

Main image: Supplied