JEDDAH: The team captained by Belgium’s Manon De Roey have their amateur teammate to thank as they take a two-shot lead into the final day of the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series Jeddah.
De Roey and teammates Carmen Alonso, from Spain, and Elina Nummenpaa, from Finland, recorded a combined 13 birdies and one eagle en route to a day-two 20-under-par total at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City.
However, it was their 61-year-old amateur teammate Nic Davies, the general manager of a nearby Saudi golf club, that proved to be the difference as he carded a pair of net-eagles that propelled the team to 37-under-par after 36 holes, giving them a two-stroke lead with one round left to play.
As the sun began to set, Spain-born Davies — playing with a handicap — lit up his team’s closing hole with an unlikely birdie four on the par-5 ninth, a score that after stroking became a net eagle.
Team De Roey now sit top of the pile and if they remain there at the end of Friday’s play, De Roey, Alonso and Nummenpaa will share the $150,000 top prize and each will earn their first Ladies European Tour victory.
“I’m really happy with my team,” said De Roey. “They fought really hard today. We didn’t do so well in the first nine, but we came back strong and I’m very proud of them and how we played.
“We love playing on this course, it’s very scoreable out there. We’ll fight tomorrow as we have a great opportunity.”
Davies said: “I’ve always followed women’s golf, so as an amateur this is just phenomenal to be part of. I obviously now know Manon, Carmen and Elina quite well, so if we were able to see this through, I’d be absolutely over the moon for them.
“They, to me, epitomize ladies golf. I’ve got a seven-year-old daughter who is just amazed seeing these girls whack the ball so well and so far. If I connect with the ball, I can get up there, but I’ve not nearly out-driven any of my team. It’s amazing to see up close and, hopefully, we continue doing well tomorrow.”
Team Kyriacou — captained by Australia’s Steph Kyriacou, with Lina Boqvist, from Sweden, Laura Beveridge, from Scotland, and amateur Andreas “Andy” Feller, from Switzerland — shot the lowest round of any of the four Aramco Team Series events to date, 22-under-par, a score that took them to 35-under for the tournament and into second spot on the leaderboard.
“Up until the last hole neither of us scored on the same holes, which is what you need in this format,” said Kyriacou. “Lina came in real clutch at the end, Laura in the middle, and Andy our amateur played well. It was Andy and I on the front then Lina and Laura on the back nine.”
Like Team De Roey, Team Kyriacou had much to thank their amateur partner for, with Feller’s eagle three on 13 giving them the first net-albatross of any ATS event.
Talking about his play on the hole, 10.4 handicapper Feller said: “I went driver, then hit a 5-wood to 8 feet. We got a good read on the putt, the team gave me good comfort and I holed the putt.
“That was my best ever nine holes. I’m a bit of a wildcard but it worked out for me today. Let’s do the same again tomorrow.”
In the Aramco Team Series Jeddah individual contest, Germany’s Olivia Cowan leads, a stroke ahead of Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher, and two clear of English pair Bronte Law and Georgia Hall.
“I’m really happy with how I’m playing at the moment,” said Cowan, who holed-out for an eagle from the fairway of the par-4 seventh. “It’s quite steady and I’m giving myself a lot of chances to hole putts, which I think is important out here.
“I think the relaxed team format of this event helps bring out the best in me. We as a team get on really well and are all quite chatty out there, which I like.”
The Aramco Team Series – Jeddah is the last of four new $1million team tournaments added to the Ladies European Tour this season. It follows events in London, Sotogrande in Spain, and New York.
Free tickets are still available for Friday’s final day, and the event offers a fun family day out in spectacular surroundings. All that is required is online registration. Visit www.aramcoteamseries.com for more information.