Dustin Johnson earned his second Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers title in three years after holding off the chasing pack to secure a two-stroke victory at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
It’s Manic Monday, so here is a very quick round up of all the results and stories from the weekend on the, PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA and Women’s European Tour.
World Number One Dustin Johnson is excited to get started at the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, as the American targets a second title at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, a maiden victory of 2021 and a seventh successive winning season.
The European Tour has a real headache on its hands following Iran’s recent threats to "destroy" parts of the United Arab Emirates if there is retaliation after the attacks they launched on Iraq in reprisal for the US killing of Qassem Soleimani.
Sergio García will play in next year’s Saudi International despite trying to trash a number of their greens when playing the event in February of this year. The Spaniard was disqualified after his extraordinary behaviour but it seems that there was a further sanction from tour who have insisted he plays at the event in 2020 without an appearance fee. call that a sanction? We are not impressed.
Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes made a sensational move to the top of the individual standings at the Saudi Ladies Team International, firing a course-record equalling seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead from Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen at ten-under-par. Heading the individual standings with one round to go is Luna Sobron Galmes.
It was great to see Graeme McDowell win again on the European Tour but had the tour applied the slow play rules more strictly come Sunday afternoon might it have been a different story? The Northern Irishman was carrying a ‘bad time’ after a transgression during his second round and playing in the final pairing come Sunday he and partner Victor Dubuisson became detached at the back of the field.
Lydia Ko and Pajaree Anannarukarn fired rounds of 64 (-8) to be tied at the top of the leaderboard on the first day of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund. On a windy day at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, it was the morning wave who had the better of the conditions and were able to shoot the lower scores.
It takes a lot for Tiger Woods to turn down a massive appearance fee (reportedly north of $6m) and a free yacht, but that's what happened recently when the European Tour came knocking with an invite to the Saudi International, the country's first professional significant golf tournament.
Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen held her nerve to secure a dramatic play-off victory over Georgia Hall to win the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF. Hall had the advantage of a three-shot cushion with five holes to play but gutsy Pedersen clawed her way back following a rollercoaster round that included six birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey.
Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen closed her second round with an emphatic eagle to post a silky round of 68 (-4) and hold a two shot halfway lead at nine-under-par from Lydia Hall, heading into the weekend at the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF. The halfway cut fell at +7, with 67 players advancing to the weekend.
As the sun set on a sensational ten days in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen completed the ‘Saudi Sweep’ of titles, adding to her season’s trophy haul with victory in both the team and individual standings at the inaugural Saudi Ladies Team International.
