Lydia Ko proved her credentials as world No.1 by emerging victorious over four days of thrilling golf at the $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International, claiming top prize of of $750,000 despite the best efforts of nearest challengers Aditi Ashok and Lilia Vu at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Ko made it career win No. 26 and a second Aramco Saudi Ladies International, thanks to a steady four-under final round of 68 which gave her a 21-under total of 267, one better than Ashok. The world No. 1 ended the day two strokes ahead of Vu, who finished T3 alongside Lexi Thompson of America and Belgium’s Manon De Roey.

Ko, who also triumphed in the tournament in 2021, said: “I’m two for two on this golf course, so clearly something is going for me. In the end, it’s definitely nice to get the win this week.”

Loaded field

It certainly was a statement from Ko in her first event of the year as she came out on top in a field that included 13 major winners including In Gee Chun, Anna Nordqvist, Thompson and defending champion Georgia Hall.
“I’m playing with the world’s best,” she said. “The field this week was really good, so I knew it was going to be a challenge. The first one of the year, it’s really hard because you don’t have anything to base yourself off.
“You don’t know if you’re going to play well or bad. But the start definitely helped, and I think I stayed really patient and I was not as nervous as I thought I would be, which is definitely good.”

Blown away

As ever on the famous Royal Greens fairways, the wind was one of the week’s biggest talking points as the players struggled to come to terms with the breezes off the Red Sea, especially in the afternoon, when gusts can regularly whip up to 30mph. Almost every player mentioned the wind in their post-round interviews, with Lilia Vu perhaps best summing it up when she had to resort to some unusual tactics on the par-4 sixth hole on Sunday.
“I hit my driver and it went 200 yards,” she said. “And I was still left with a 4-iron to the green. It was crazy.”

Ashok primed

While Aditi Ashok came up just short at the Saudi International, the India star boosted her credentials for a stellar season with her second-place finish. The two-time Olympian, at only the age of 24, is in the form of her life and has now gone win (Kenya), third (Morocco), second (Saudi) in her three starts this season, and this just might be the year when she finally makes a statement in the majors.

Chiara continues

Following her victory in the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah last November, 16-year-old Dubai-based star Chiara Noja has hit the ground running in her first full year on the Ladies European Tour. Following a T11 in Morocco at the Lalla Meryem Cup the German schoolkid notched up a 12th-place finish at Royal Greens, and picked up $102,000 for her efforts.
“What an experience,” she wrote on Twitter. The strongest field I’ve ever played in, and making history with equal prize money for the women and men. Feeling incredibly blessed, and love seeing this growth of the women’s game.”

There certainly will be more to come from Chiara in the near future, too.

Records tumble

Along with the record prize money at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, there was also a remarkable double-header on the course as Lexi Thompson shot a course record-equalling 63 to surge into contention on Saturday. Not to be outdone, Manon De Roey matched the feat in the final round, ensuring she secured a share of third spot with Thompson and her fellow American Lilia Vu.