Georgia Hall wins 2022 Aramco Saudi Ladies International by 5 shots

JEDDAH: England’s Georgia Hall delivered a measured final round 71 to win the $1 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by the Public Investment Fund by five shots at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on the Jeddah coast.

After being congratulated on the final green by Solheim Cup team member and good friend Emily Kristine Pedersen, a clearly delighted Hall showed how much the win — her first on the Ladies European Tour since her only other Tour victory, the 2018 Women’s Open — meant.

“It’s fantastic to win in March, so early in the season,” said the world number 25. “I really love this place and love the golf course. I was fine after 18, and then Emily started crying, and it made me cry. I was just really proud of the way I played today.”

Hall’s one-under-par round started with two birdies in the first three holes to extend her overnight lead to seven shots, from where she never really looked back.

“That was the plan in my head,” said the 25-year-old. “The front nine is a little bit easier, a little bit less wind than we’ve had, so I tried to take advantage and hit some really good shots on the front nine to get me further ahead, and that kind of settled me.”

Despite four bogeys — on five, 10, 15 and 16 — the chasing pack never got closer than four shots. Hall — a runner-up at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in 2020 — sealed things with a birdie three on 17, rolling in a 15-foot putt.

She added: “Even on 16, I thought it was a pretty good shot. It just didn’t come back. It was so tough. It was windier than yesterday, and 15, 16 can be very tricky, so I tried a few damage limitations there. Obviously really happy with the birdie on 17.

“To lead all week is very special. I think the first round