Harm becomes first woman to strike a ball as Ladies European Tour begins in Saudi Arabia

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Germany’s Leonie Harm scripted history on Thursday after becoming the first player to hit a competitive shot in Saudi Arabia at the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International.

With a prize of $1 million up for grabs, the Saudi Arabia’s leg of the Ladies European Tour kicked off following the first round of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.

Striking her first shot down the middle of the fairway, Harm made light work of the opening par four, posting a birdie in the first group off at 6.50am while England’s Charlotte Thompson did the same on her first hole, starting from the tenth at the same time.

Held at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, on the Red Sea Coast near Jeddah, Thursday marks the first of seven days of elite-level women’s golf which will see the hosting of two world-class debut tournaments: the $1m Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund taking place from Thursday to Saturday, and the $500,000 Saudi Ladies Team International, running Nov.17-19.

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Meanwhile, Golf Saudi has confirmed Anna Nordqvist and Anne van Dam, as the latest Ladies European Tour (LET) players to join their list of international golfing ambassadors. The duo join fellow LET players Amy Boulden and Camilla Lennarth, as well as Spanish European Tour players, Adri Arnaus and Pablo Larrazabal, in representing Golf Saudi on the world stage in their efforts to showcase the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia globally as a first-class golfing destination. 

Born in Eskilstuna, Sweden, Anna Nordqvist became the second Swedish player after Camilla Lennarth to join the Golf Saudi ranks. Since turning professional in 2008, she has won eleven times including eight victories on the LPGA Tour and three on the Ladies European Tour. In only her fifth start of the LGPA Tour, Nordqvist burst onto the scene by winning her first professional tournament and major, the LPGA Championship in Maryland in June 2009. Since then she has further increased her status as one of women's golf's highest rated players by winning a second major at the Evian Championship in 2017.

With five European Tour victories to her name, Anne van Dam is renowned as one of the longest drivers in the game of women’s golf. She led the category for driving on the LET in both 2017 and 2018, and currently ranks second in average driving distance during the current 2020 season.