By: Max Bechtoldt
It was an electric weekend in women’s professional golf, with notable wins on both the LET and LPGA Tours, including one of the biggest thrillers of the season.
CHARLEY HULL WINS ARAMCO EVENT
Charley Hull got her first individual tournament win in two years at the Aramco Team Series Riyadh, with a three-stroke victory over Nichole Broch Estrup. In a field that also included Patty Tavatanakit, Alison Lee and Georgia Hall, Hull was consistently dominant through all four rounds, something she has struggled with as of late.
While Hull started the final round two strokes back of leader Pia Babnik, she thrived where others fell. While the final round gave up higher scores than the first two, Hull had an electrifying -5 front nine, that was followed up by a -1 back side. Of the top 13 on the leaderboard, nine players shot 70 or higher in the final round.
While Hull is still looking for her third-career LPGA Tour win, a title that she has gotten so close to, this is still a hugely positive result for late-season momentum. This field wasn’t quite LPGA Tour strength, but it still included major champions and stars from all over the world.
RIO TAKEDA WINS TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR
While the Toto Japan Classic was technically only a 54-hole event, it wasn’t short on any drama as Rio Takeda won the longest playoff of the season in her home country.
If you are not familiar with the name Rio Takeda, get acquainted quick. The 21-year-old from Japan has quietly (to Americans at least) been the most dominant golfer in the world in 2024. On the second strongest tour in the world, the JLPGA, Takeda has won a startling eight events all in 2024. Now, with her playoff victory over Marina Alex, she has clinched her breakout LPGA Tour win.
Takeda closed strong in regulation, with three birdies and an eagle on the final nine holes of the the tournament. This included an eagle on 16 and birdie on 18 to just get to the playoff. Both players struggled to make birdie on 18 in the playoff, thus switching over to 13, where both players made a four on the par five. Alternating back and forth between the two holes, Takeda finally sunk a putt on 18, the sixth playoff hole, to make birdie while Alex made par in the near darkness.
Takeda does not receive points for this win, but she does earn LPGA status, where she should be a new young star if she chooses to accept it.
