- Team Kouskova win by one shot at Aramco Korea Championship
- Defending champion and home favourite Hyo Joo Kim leads Individual competition
Lee-Anne Pace made a terrific birdie on the final hole at the Aramco Korea Championship to clinch victory for Team Kouskova with a winning score of 21-under par.
Starting the day one shot back at New Korea Country Club, Czech Republic’s Sara Kouskova, Germany’s Patricia Schmidt, USA’s Brianna Navarrosa and South Africa’s Pace combined for a second round score of nine-under par to pip Team Delacour to victory.
Pace was the star of the show late on as she carded four birdies in her final six holes, including the winning putt on the difficult par-4 18th.
“I’m so chuffed,” the South African said. “Especially about that last putt. I still can’t believe it. I had a 3-wood and was just thinking about a par. It’s one of the toughest holes. I’m really proud of myself and really proud of my team. It was a brilliant team and we all got on so well. It was great fun.”
For captain Kouskova, the victory marks her second in the team series [this week renamed the PIF Global Series] after she won the Riyadh event as part of Team Ciganda back in 2023.
“I am so proud of the team!” the Olympian said. “I think it was such a good performance from everyone, over both of the days. We just held up such solid games. I’m very proud.”
Navarrosa meanwhile had an excellent day carding a round of 71 (-1) to make the cut in the Individual and win the Team event. Just last week, the rookie was still first reserve but got into the tournament last minute after Casandra Alexander withdrew with injury.
“It’s been a crazy last week-and-a-half,” Navarrosa said. “I remember waking up to a text at 5am last week saying, ‘hey, you might be in Korea.’ I booked all my stuff and now I’m here and won the Team event. It’s the best. I’m super happy to be here.”
In the Individual event, defending champion Hyo Joo Kim leads Pace by one-shot on home soil. The South Korean had a solid day in the wet weather carding a second consecutive round of 70 (-2).
Kim said: “The score is not bad. I think I could have done better. But tomorrow I will bring my game. It was raining all day yesterday and today as well, so I knew today the greens would be slower. In the practice rounds they were really fast so that was a plus.
“I have great memories from last year. They say that the weather is going to be quite good tomorrow so I feel quite good about it. The best part is I will have my fans rooting for me.”
With Pace solo second on three-under par, Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea and France’s Perrine Delacour – a recent winner at the Investec SA Women’s Open – share third on two-under par.
Chasing a 12th win on the Ladies European Tour (LET), Pace added: “I feel really good about my game right now. It always comes down to putting for me. That’s when I score really well. I feel very comfortable out there and I have my wife [Anne-Lise Caudal] on the bag. She helps me quite a lot. We’ll see what happens tomorrow but I’ll take it the same way.”
Seven players share fifth on one-under par, a group which includes Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini, Norway’s Dorthea Forbrigd, Sweden’s Johanna Wrigley, Australia’s Kelsey Bennett plus German trio Schmidt, Polly Mack and Chiara Noja.
With the Team event now done and dusted, the 54-hole Individual competition will conclude tomorrow, Sunday May 11. The leaders, Kim, Pace and Darquea, will go out at 13:12 local time.
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