UAE’s golfing fans witnessed an exciting finish to three days of world-class golf with England’s Charley Hull emerging as the winner of the hotly-contested third edition of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. Ladies European Tour pro Linda Wessberg and amateur Biblo Perrot also powered through to take first place in what was the first entirely pro-am tournament to be staged in the United Arab Emirates.
Hull fired rounds of 67, 72 and 69 in warm and windy conditions for a total of eight-under-par 208 at the spectacular Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, ending one stroke ahead of Marianne Skarpnord of Norway. Skarpnord set the clubhouse target at seven-under-par and Hull needed a par on the last hole to seal the victory, which she delivered in style, getting up and down from a bunker behind the 18th green.
Hull received the tournament’s iconic gazelle trophy the awards ceremony at the 18th hole with His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, His Excellency Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman, Emirates Golf Federation and course designer, Gary Player in attendance.
“I’ve practised really, really hard over the winter and it feels great to win back on the Ladies European Tour, especially since I had my first pro win in Morocco five years ago,” said Hull. “Hopefully I can get a few more wins this year and I’ve been practising really hard so it shows that my hard work is paying off.”
Skarpnord, who last won on the LET in 2013, said that her 68 for solo second was “a big step in the right direction.”
“Every time I was in contention last year, top three, five, ten, I shot over par on the last round. I kind of had a goal today that I was going to shoot under par and if I did that, then I’d be very happy,” she said.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, the third edition of the tournament featured its strongest line-up to date as it also debuted the new Tour- sanctioned entirely pro-am format, with 56 pros teaming up with 56 amateurs. Sweden’s Linda Wessberg and her amateur partner Biblo Perrot emerged as the inaugural winners of the new format with a total of 23-under-par 193.
Talking about the event His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council said:
“The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is a milestone event for us as it is the first-ever women’s professional golf tournament to be staged in the emirate and the first entirely pro-am tournament to be staged in the United Arab Emirates. The exceptional line-up of talent this year, led by Charley Hull, helped us put on an exciting and exhilarating tournament that was a joy to watch and experience. From the action on the greens to the fan atmosphere around the clubhouse to the training sessions we hosted every day, it beautifully showcased Abu Dhabi’s strong reputation in not just hosting international sporting events but also in fostering appeal amongst the region’s next generation of athletes.”
Remarking on the impact of the event in fostering a culture of sports in the UAE, Dr. Omniyat Al Hajri, Board Member, Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy said: “The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open plays a pivotal role in supporting our vision to champion sport amongst women in the UAE. We want women to take up the game; we want our tournament and its elite female professionals to ignite interest and excite our local audience. The many exciting initiatives on display this week, including events focused on empowering the next generation of UAE’s golfers, will surely help with this vision.”
In addition to the main event on the iconic golf course, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club served up a range of dishes and drinks with food trucks dotting the Tournament Village. Families with children as well as young golfers participated in activities such as arts and crafts, golf clinics and footgolf.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open was organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy. The 2019 edition of the event was sponsored by Aldar, Abu Dhabi Ports, Al Masaood, Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort and Tumi.
