Top women golfers come to the fore in Jiddah

The second Aramco Saudi Ladies International (ASLI) golf tournament, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), took place at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club from Nov. 4-7. 

Last year, Aramco joined Golf Saudi as a title partner of the tournament, which was the first ever professional ladies golf tournament in Saudi Arabia.

On Nov. 10-12, the Royal Greens club will host the fourth and final leg of the Aramco Team Series (ATS), which is also an international ladies’ golf tournament. The ATS held prior series tournaments in the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States.

Both tournaments strive to promote equality within sports, empower women athletes, and show Aramco’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Kiwi wins tournament 

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko secured her sixth professional victory on the European Tour at the ASLI tournament. Ko won by five shots over Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul, with England’s Alice Hewson and Spaniard Carlota Ciganda tied for third.

Ladies First Club Day

On its first day, the ASLI tournament will welcome 1,000 women who have signed up to participate in a number of unique activities and receive special benefits, including:

• Lessons on the golf range
• An introductory seminar from the Ladies European Tour players 
• Access to golf activities and giveaways

To date, approximately 30 women have become active participants in golf through the ASLI, which signifies Saudi women’s interest and passion for golf.

Stadium Concept 

Through its relationship with Stadium Concept — a golf educational platform that provides a 360-game experience — Golf Saudi will invite schools from all over the Kingdom to participate in the Ultimate Golf Lesson. 

Saudi schools that are currently teaching golf as part of the curriculum will be invited to compete in a real stadium set-up at King Abdullah Sports City, Jiddah. The winning school will be rewarded with a starter set of golf clubs for all students in the class. A VIP visit to the Aramco Team Series will also take place, where students will meet some of biggest international names in women’s golf.

Giving back to the environment 

To celebrate the arrival of the ATS in Jiddah, and in alignment with Aramco’s existing environmental initiatives, the company will implement a “birdies and eagles” initiative. One thousand mangroves will be planted for each eagle and 100 for each birdie, potentially resulting in 100,000 additional seedlings.

Future plans

In collaboration with the Saudi Sports for All Federation, National Golf Week will take place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2022. A number of activities at stores, malls, and parks will be scheduled — allowing people to experience golf for the first time.

Golf terms
Par: the number of strokes a golfer is expected to take to finish a golf hole or course
Birdie: a score of one stroke under par
Eagle: a score of two under par for a given hole