English golf ace ends two-year wait for win after eight near misses

England’s Charley Hull admits she already has one eye on a Christmas holiday after bagging herself an early present at the Aramco Team Series in Riyadh.

Hull came from three shots behind overnight leader Pia Babnik to win the individual title by three strokes and end her two-year wait for a seventh professional victory.

It was sweet relief for the 28-year-old, who had finished second no fewer than eight times since her last win, and is now eyeing one last push before a well earned rest.

“It feels really good to win again. Especially here in Saudi, it’s my sponsored event with Golf Saudi,” said Hull. 

“I felt really sharp and played really solid out there. I held my game together pretty well. Eighteen under across three days is a pretty good score.

“I’m going home for a week now before I head back to America for the last two events in the LPGA, which is the Annika event and then the CME Group Tour Championship. 

“I like the Tour Championship golf course. I won there in 2016, so I’m looking forward to them too. Then home for Christmas – I can’t wait.”

Hull hit the gym for a 5km before even starting her final round and hit the ground running with five birdies in her first seven holes to open up a four-shot lead.

With Babnik going backwards, she only needed a steady back nine to complete a 66 and a comfortable fourth win on the Ladies European Tour and second at an Aramco Team Series event.   

“I feel like my game’s been pretty good all season,” Hull added. “I’ve been knocking on the door quite a lot over the past couple years and this week it all came together. I feel good.”

Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup shot a 67 to take second place, two shots ahead of Babnik, who won this event two years ago when it was held in Jeddah.

Dutchwoman Anne van Dam tied for fourth to boost her chances of keeping her LET card for next year ahead of this week’s season finale on the Costa del Sol.

Tamburlini joins Hull in winners’ circle

Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini clinched top spot in the LET order of merit by finishing seventh. The 24-year-old has also secured the Rookie of the Year crown. 

Tamburlini is only the seventh woman to do the double, having won three times in her debut season on the tour, in South Africa, France and Taiwan.

“It’s such an amazing feeling to have won the order of merit.I can’t believe all my hard work has paid off, it’s a huge accomplishment,” said Tamburlini.

“I set myself the goal of Rookie of the Year but to have also shown my consistency and won the order of merit is beyond what I thought I was capable of at the start of the season.

“Winning a tournament is special and to have done that three times is amazing but winning the order of merit proves you had the game the whole year long. It’s just incredible.”

Tamburlini also became the first captain to win consecutive Aramco Team Series titles after leading her quartet to glory in Riyadh and last month in Shenzhen.