World No.8 Charley Hull carded her second straight 68 to power into individual top spot at the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF–Tampa.
The Englishwoman sits at 8 under, one clear of Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and Germany’s Alexandra Forsterling.
“It has been a very productive Saturday,” said Hull, as focused as ever. “I managed to hole a few clutch putts, so I’m happy with that. I love playing in America and I love playing on the LET, so this event is a win-win.
“I was expecting a nice slow stroll around today, but I do enjoy playing in the wind and a bit of a challenge.
“I’ve never really let my mental health affect me on the golf course. I am a very strong-minded person, and I’m in a good place.”
The team element of the tournament had an enthralling finish, with France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard leading her team to victory with a score of 68, retaining the team title after her 2023 win at Trump National in West Palm Beach.
A nerve-wracking putt from their amateur LuJain Omar Khalil on the 18th sealed the deal for Team Roussin-Bouchard, with Celine Herbin and Meghan MacLaren making up the group as team champions.
The amateur Khalil, who represents Saudi Arabia, has incredibly claimed her second successive team title, having played her part in Team Ciganda at the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF–Riyadh in October 2023.
“I am extremely proud,” reflected Roussin-Bouchard. “It’s been a blast, honestly. There was an amazing atmosphere. Everyone was cheering on one another, and it was just a very good balance in the team.
“We had each other’s back no matter what. We had some tough times especially with the wind, but it didn’t get a hold of us. Honestly, I couldn’t be proud of the golfers, the way they handled everything.”
“It was all about those last two holes; they were very stressful. It’s a team effort and LJ [LuJain] did well.
“She got very, very stressed out on that last putt, she worried she was going to lose it, but we’re proud of her, a real credit to the team.”
Earlier in the day, American favorite Lexi Thompson carded a phenomenal 68 with six birdies, pushing her back into contention at 5-under-par, three strokes off the lead.
The Florida native has enjoyed the homefield advantage this week, saying, “The bigger the crowd the better for me, that makes a world of a difference whether I’m playing good or bad, people watching my bad shots and watching my good ones. It’s just great to have the support.”
Aramco Team Series Present by PIF–Tampa concludes on Sunday 10 March, with the professionals all fighting it out for the first of five titles and their share of $500,000.
Aramco Team Series press release was used to compile report.
