TEAM KOUSKOVA CLINCH VICTORY IN DRAMATIC FINISH AT ARAMCO HOUSTON CHAMPIONSHIP

Team Kouskova broke clear of a tightly bunched leaderboard to clinch victory at the Aramco Houston Championship on Saturday after April Angurasaranee sensationally rolled in a 24-foot birdie putt from just off the 18th green.

Although a few teams had a chance to catch Team Kouskova in the final groupings of the day at a hot and humid Golfcrest Country Club, Thai Angurasaranee's timely birdie ultimately made the difference and victory was secured by just one shot with an aggregate total of 32-under.

Team Rhodes and Team Boutier tied for second at 31-under, with Team Alexander and Team Gainer a further stroke back in a tie for fourth. Golf Saudi ambassador Carlota Ciganda of Spain leads the individual competition by one shot after firing a superb eight-under 64 in the second round to post a 10-under total.

The Golf Saudi-backed event is the fourth and penultimate leg of this season’s PIF Global Series, which underscores a long-term commitment to the growth of women’s sport, and also offers one of the highest purses in the women’s game with $500k gong to the winning team and $1.5m across the individual competition.

The winning team, captained by Czech Republic's Sara Kouskova, also featured Slovenia's Ana Belac and Denmark's Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen. For Kouskova, it was a second PIF Global Series team title this year as she had captained a different lineup to victory at the Aramco Korea Championship in May, and it washer third team win in all - having been a member of Ciganda's triumphant line-up in Riyadh in 2023.

"I've been fortunate to be in this position before, but every team is different,"Kouskova said after following her opening 69 with a 73 to share 39th place in the individual competition heading into Sunday's final round.

"As captain, you try to create an environment that gives us the best chance of posting a good score, but ultimately it comes down to how the players perform — and my teammates did an incredible job.

"We focused on spreading the birdies around and keeping the momentum going. I cooled off a little on the back nine, but thankfully my teammates stepped up brilliantly," added the Czech, who lies second in the 2025 LET Order of Merit after winning the Jabra Ladies Open in May and the Tenerife Women's Open in June.
Angurasaranee had a day to remember as she surged into a share of fourth in the individual competition, three shots off the pace, after shooting a bogey-free6-under 66.

A runner-up in her first LET event as a member, at the 2023 season-opener Magical Kenya Ladies Open, Angurasaranee has fully embraced being part of the team format instigated by Golf Saudi.

"I'd never really played that well in team events before, so this is a big change and a really important moment for me," the 21-year-old smiled. "I didn’t have any expectations coming into the week, but being part of such a relaxed, supportive team made it really enjoyable.

"That birdie putt on 18 is something I’ll remember for a long time. To see it drop in front of the crowd was such a confidence boost, and it came at just the right time for me."

Belac, who became the first Slovenian to join the LPGA Tour after winning both the 2020 Symetra Tour Rookie of the Year and the Symetra Tour Player of the Year, has also relished playing in the team environment this week.

"This was one of the most enjoyable weeks I've had this year," said the Slovenian after totalling seven birdies in her 68. "I haven't been playing my best lately, so to be part of such a fun, relaxed group really helped me play with freedom and enjoy my golf again.”

Kibsgaard Nielsen, who won three LET Access Series titles on her way to securing LET membership for 2024, was delighted to share in team victory after struggling for form last year.

"I came here without huge expectations — in fact, I only committed quite late," said the Dane. "But I've been playing really solid golf this season, so my mindset was to stay patient.

"The atmosphere in our group helped so much. We kept it calm, didn’t get ahead of ourselves, and just focused on doing our jobs. That made it easier to perform and to contribute to the team. It was a really enjoyable week."

The stunning team event capped another day of excitement on and off the course as temperatures reached the 90s at Golfcrest Country Club in Texas.

Over 100 fans from Muslim Golf Association, Girls Inc Houston and First Tee Houston attended and took part in careers in sport workshops as well as a clinic hosted by coaches Georgia Ball and Charlotte Austwick.

While hundreds enjoyed the Golf Saudi-organised clinics, an initiative with the Trees For Houston non-profit organisation will see five trees donated to the local community for every birdie scored at the par 5 14th and Saturday's superb haul of 44 birdies will mean a healthy addition to the greenery around Greater Houston.

At the core of Golf Saudi's vision is the development and empowerment of women in golf, offering world-class competition opportunities and nurturing the next generation of female golfers. Through innovative programs, grassroots initiatives, and global campaigns, Golf Saudi is introducing the sport to new players and inspiring beginners to pick up the game.

The Aramco Houston Championship concludes with Sunday's final round featuring the top 60 and ties.