Aramco Team 2021 R2
July 08-10
Centurion Club, St Albans, England
$1,000,000
Day 1, Day 3

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Olivia Cowan praised her team-mates after their birdie blitz saw them surge to the top of the leaderboard in the $1million Aramco Team Series at the Centurion Club.

Aramco Team 2021 R2

Cowan, fellow German Sarina Schmidt, India’s Diksha Dagar and amateur Andrew Kelsey moved to 29-under-par as they stepped up their search for the lions’ share of the $800,000 on offer for the team tournament.

That left them two clear of Team Simmermacher with a further two strokes back to third-placed Team Williams.

Aramco Team 2021 R2

Cowan and her team-mates began a couple of shots off the pace but wasted little time in making their move.

Under a format in which the top two scores on each hole count towards the team tally, they picked up shots at regular intervals through the opening nine.

In particular, Schmidt and Dagar remained on the front foot after turning for home, with the latter-named sinking a bomb from the front of the green on the 16th.

Aramco Team 2021 R2

Cowan said: “My team-mates carried the team today.  They were rolling in so many putts – I was just on the sidelines! No, we did great today and hopefully it will be the same tomorrow as well.

“We’re going to do the exact same as we have been doing the last two days. We’re just going to go and have fun – have a great time out there, hole some putts and hopefully get the trophy at the end.

“I don’t think there will be pressure as there would be in a normal individual event because we are there as a team – all there to support each other. So we’re all doing it together. If someone is struggling, we’ll try and help them out. I think it will be interesting tomorrow.”

Georgia Hall lit up the race to finish leading individual with a stunning nine-under-par 64, grabbing a narrow lead.

Aramco Team 2021 R2

On a weekend when the England football team will bid for Euros glory, Hall has her sights set on recording another home win.

The Bournemouth golfer, 25, sits at 11-under-par – one clear of talented Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul.

Hall, whose team are tied 16th on 18-under, took advantage of the perfect early-morning conditions, notching four birdies in the first six holes.

She stepped up the charge at the par-4 eighth, holing out for eagle from 114 yards with a wedge.

A second eagle arrived at the uphill par-5 13th where she rocketed a 3-wood onto the green and then sank the resulting 20-foot putt.

Hall’s flying form saw her fizz a 9-iron into the 17th green to set up a tap-in birdie and she kept her card clean by pulling off a brilliant up-and-down from deep greenside rough at the last hole. 

Aramco Team 2021 R2

The English star, who plays mainly on the LPGA Tour, said: “It was a bit more drama than I wanted on the last hole but I was happy to get a par.

“I played really well and managed to hole some good putts. I actually hit it really close – my long game was much better today.

“I’m really happy with how I’m playing. I came into this tournament with good form – hopefully that will continue tomorrow.    

“I’m in a really good position. This course you can shoot low, so another one like that tomorrow, I won’t be too far away.

“It’s really nice just to be in England and see some English crowds and play on an English golf course. I don’t get to play here very often, so it’s really nice to be at home.”

Aramco Team 2021 R2

Hall’s nearest challenger is Thitikul but Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord is only three off the lead after a superb eight-under-par round of 65.

Hall will also be aware that fellow Englishwoman Charley Hull is on seven-under after a round of 70.

As the clouds gathered towards the end of a steamy day, Kim Metraux produced a moment of magic at the short 17th. The Swiss bagged an ace – her first in a professional tournament – with a perfect 9-iron from 128 yards.

It was a masterful stroke from Metraux and there will be more on Saturday when the Aramco Team Series at Centurion Club is set to come to a thrilling conclusion.

Aramco Team 2021 R2