Team Cowan And Marianne Skarpnord Claim Aramco Team Series Honours

In a compelling final day at Centurion Club, it was Team Cowan who won the team award and Marianne Skarpnord who claimed individual honours.

Team Cowan And Marianne Skarpnord Claim Aramco Team Series Honours

In a final day that had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, it was Olivia Cowan’s team who secured a three shot victory in the team event.

Team Event

The team, who consisted of Cowan, Diksha Dagar, Sarina Schmidt and Andrew Kelsey, had been trailing going into the back nine.

That was before an outrageous hole out at the 13th by team captain, Cowan, swung the tide in their favour.

Leaving a wedge with her third shot into the par-5, Cowan’s shot pitched on the back edge of the green, spinning back a near 10- feet and finding the bottom of the hole to much celebration from her teammates and the fans surrounding the hole.

As Dagar made back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th, captain Cowan would birdie the 17th to give her team a two shot margin in the run-in to the finish.

And with Dagar producing her third birdie in her fourth hole, the team honours fell to Cowan’s team, with the victory the German’s first win on the Ladies European Tour.

“We all just had a great time this week which is what this event is about really. To share this win with this team just means the world,” said an emotional Cowan, as she embraced her teammates and close friend, Schmidt.

Cowan’s team shot a 41-under-par total. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Individual

To add more drama to an already exhilarating day, Marianne Skarpnord defeated one of golf’s brightest future stars, Atthaya Thitikul, in a two hole playoff.

18-year-old Thitikul had looked to be on course to secure her fourth European Tour title after being five-under-par and three shots clear through 10 holes. That was until back-to-back bogies derailed her momentum.

Thitikul already has three LET wins. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)

Skarpnord, on the other hand, would pounce, making a trio of birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th to put her into a share of the lead with the 18-year-old Thai.

However, despite being in prime position down the last, Skarpnord chunked her approach shot into the bunker, with her recovery only finding the back edge of the green.

But the 35-year-old went on to hole a stunning par putt, securing her a playoff with a player who was nearly half her age.

With the first hole being halved with pars, Skarpnord would win at the second time of asking, holing a sloping right-to-left birdie putt to claim the individual honours and her fifth Ladies European Tour title.

“I feel like I’ve been close to playing good for a while and the funny thing is I didn’t even know that I was going to be in a playoff because for us this week it’s just been about the team.

“We’ve had such a good atmosphere in our group and I think this has been the best week I’ve ever had on Tour! It’s been so much fun.”

The Aramco Team Series now moves to Sotogrande, Spain, on the 5th – 7th August, with more details set to be released soon.

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