For a third consecutive year the Ladies European Tour (LET) headed to Centurion Club for the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – London, and it proved to be a memorable week for several rookies as world number two Nelly Korda cruised to victory in England.
With team and individual titles up for grabs in the third ATS event of the season, the Draft kicked off proceedings with Major winner Georgia Hall selecting Welsh rookie Lea Anne Bramwell as her second pick.
Elsewhere, Germany’s Leonie Harm selected compatriot Alexandra Forsterling as her first pick, while Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab – currently leading the Rookie of the Year race – also opted for a close friend by picking Japan’s Yuri Onishi.
On a torrentially wet first day, Forsterling and Onishi vindicated their captains’ decisions as they both shot 72 (-1) to move inside the top-10 of the individual standings.
As the wind picked up on day two, it was again Onishi who led the first year ranks as she fired a 71 (-2) in tough conditions to soar into T3.
Over in the team competition, a dramatic conclusion saw Bramwell taste LET silverware for the first time as she, Hall, Kylie Henry, and amateur Michael Austick edged out Team Hull by one shot.
“This is my second ATS and it was really good to have a great team and a great experience,” Bramwell said. “I have really enjoyed it.”
After two rounds of action, 10 rookies made the cut which stood at +7. This included Onishi, Forsterling, Cheenglab, Emma Spitz, Momoka Kobori, Amy Taylor, Kirsten Rudgeley, Louise Duncan, Clara Manzalini, and Nastasia Nadaud.
On to the final day, and a rollercoaster round for Onishi saw her clinch rookie of the week as she finished T6 on level par – her closing 76 (+3) consisting of an eagle on the first hole, two double-bogeys, and a birdie on the final hole.
“The wind was so strong and it was very hard conditions, but my putting was good and I had many lucky moments,” Onishi said, who secured her second top-10 of the season. “I enjoyed the week with my team.”
After making the cut at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, Austria’s Spitz finished one shot behind Onishi in T12 on +1, while Cheenglab closed with a 69 (-4) to finish the week in T22.
In the Rookie of the Year standings it’s Cheenglab who remains top on 638.30 points. Germany’s Patricia Isabel Schmidt sits in second place on 575.28 points. Onishi moves up to sixth on 301.84 points.
Next up for our first year graduates is a trip to Spain for the La Sella Open. Follow all the action on @LETGolf on Instagram and Twitter and Ladies European Tour on Facebook and YouTube – #RaiseOurGame
