Royal Greens Golf and Country Club will always be a place that has a special place in Pia Babnik’s heart, and the Slovenian is looking forward to returning this week for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
The 18-year-old was triumphant on the course at the tail end of the 2021 season, as she took home the spoils in the individual element of the Aramco Team Series – Jeddah, to claim the second LET title of her career.
That victory also propelled her up the Race to Costa Del Sol standings, helping her to finish second overall behind Atthaya Thitikul in her second season as a professional.
And with an off-season spent in the sunny climes of Spain, Babnik is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things in Saudi Arabia, and looking to return to the top of the leaderboard.
“I know Royal Greens very well now and I really like it there. I’m looking forward to playing again and being back where I had my second victory in November. I’m very excited to start the season,” Babnik said.
“In terms of preparation, I have trained hard on my fitness and played a lot on different golf courses in Spain to get ready for the season ahead.
“I went with my family to Spain to practice and I have played in two Mixed Toro Tour tournaments.”
Despite her tender age, Babnik played like a seasoned pro to claim victory in Saudi Arabia last year, with rounds of 65 in the final two days of the tournament enough to see her top the standings on -16 after 54 holes.
Trailing by four heading into the final round, the teenager produced a scintillating run of five birdies in six holes around the turn to get her momentum going, before picking up two more shots in her final two holes to claim the victory ahead of overnight leader Olivia Cowan, including a clutch-putt to claim the win on the last.
After a superb ending to the last season, 2022 is set to be a promising year for Babnik, with the 18-year-old passing up the opportunity to contend in LPGA Q-School last year to focus on her schoolwork, as well as refine her game.
“Since the end of the season, I have concentrated on my studies at school and I also went skiing before New Year,” she continues.
“I was pretty successful with my studies. I only have five exams left now until I have finished school.
“I also went to the Taylormade testing centre in Dubai to get new carbon age woods. I am really satisfied with my new clubs and especially to be able to get a proper fitting from their top fitters. Since using them I have gained some ball speed and accuracy.”
And with a return to the scene of the finest moment of her career to date, Babnik will be hoping the 2022 season begins in the same vein that the last one finished, with three top five finishes in her final six events of the year.
With a strong field travelling to Jeddah for the week’s action, there will be plenty of contenders for the silverware this time around, but with the memories of four months ago still fresh in the memory, the Slovenian will be in the hunt for more success this time around.
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