HONG KONG: World No. 3 Jin Young Ko took the lead in the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF — Hong Kong after an impressive bogey-free first-round score of eight-under-par at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
The South Korean, who was one of the favorites heading into this week, dominated from the start, scoring 30 on the front nine and 35 on the back, establishing a two-shot lead over Anne van Dam of the Netherlands, who shot a six-under-par 67 and sits alone in second place.
“I practiced a lot and worked out a lot (last month), as I really wanted to play in the Aramco Team Series,” Ko said. “I’m really happy to be here in Hong Kong playing in the team event.”
She added: “If I win, it’s going to be my first win on the Ladies European Tour, so it’s going to be an honor. So that motivates me. I have two more rounds to go, so I will get some more birdies.”
Ko hit every fairway and 17 out of 18 greens on the course, where several legends of the game have triumphed in the past, including Hall of Famers Peter Thomson, Tom Watson and Greg Norman, and major champions Rory McIlroy, Bernard Langer and Padraig Harrington.
Ko, who holds the record for the most weeks spent at No. 1 in the Rolex Women World Golf Rankings, is also eyeing up a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame and sees this week as a step closer to that illustrious milestone.
Ko remarked: “I want to get into the Hall of Fame. I have seven more points left. So, I need to get seven wins or two or three majors. So it is my motivation; it is my lifelong goal.”
Also in close contention after the first round in Hong Kong are Spanish star Nuria Itturioz (-5) and Xiyu Lin (-4) from China, along with home favorite Tiffany Chan, who took advantage of her local knowledge, opening her championship with a first-round score of 71 (-2) to remain very much in contention with two rounds to go.
Van Dam led her team of Sophie Witt, Lydia Hall and amateur Andrew Hibbert to the top of the leaderboard in the team championship, courtesy of a combined score of 16-under par.
Speaking after their round, van Dam said, “We had plenty of birdies out there, which was great. The course is definitely scorable, and it’s very fun to play, and we had a super-fun day playing with these girls.”
On their ability to complement each other’s play throughout the day, fellow teammate Lydia Hall commented: “We ham-and-egged it a little bit. I was out of it for a couple of the holes, and the girls took the lead and did what they needed to do. They both played so well, and Anne had it on a string today, which was impressive to watch.”
It is tight at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round of the team championship. Four teams currently sit in second place at 13-under-par (Team Alonso, Team Itturioz, Team Gainer and Team Ciganda), with two more teams tied sixth at 12-under-par (Team Pettersson and Team Davidson Spilkova).
World No.3 Jin Young Ko and Team Van Dam lead at Aramco Team Series Hong Kong
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World No.3 Jin Young Ko and Team Van Dam lead at Aramco Team Series Hong Kong
- Ko leads by two over Anne van Dam in the individual championship
- Team Van Dam leads team championship by three shots heading into final round
Freddy Schott wins maiden title after 3-way Bahrain Championship playoff
- The German beat Calum Hill and Patrick Reed after they all finished on 17-under after 72 holes
BAHRAIN: Freddy Schott won his first DP World Tour title after beating Calum Hill and Patrick Reed in a playoff at the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on Sunday.
The trio were locked together at 17-under par after 72 holes. This was after Reed shot 67 on Sunday to make up a four-shot overnight deficit to Hill, who began day two clear but had to settle for a 71 after a bogey. Schott carded 69 to join the pair.
Reed bogeyed the first playoff hole to drop out of contention and after Hill went out of bounds second time round, before sending his fourth shot into the water, he sportingly conceded without making Schott putt for the win.
Schott, who was presented with the trophy by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, said: “I have no idea. It’s just amazing, I’m just extremely happy, surprised ... I don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just so happy.
“I could have done it the regular way, that would have also been fine. But to do it this way feels even more special so I’m just glad it happened this way.”
Hill, who equaled the course record of 61 in Friday’s second round, added to his two-shot overnight lead with an opening birdie after a superb approach, with Schott responding at the second before both players birdied the next.
The Scot was four clear after another gain at the fifth but bogeyed the sixth while Schott made birdie, cutting the lead to one before drawing level with a birdie at the next.
Schott bogeyed the eighth but led anyway as Hill made a double, and a birdie at the 10th took the German two ahead, only for a double-bogey of his own at the 11th to leave the pair all square again.
“It was tough, especially towards the end,” said Schott.
“The start was okay, because I was playing alright. It had good flow to it. Obviously, nerves kicked in from the back nine onwards. I was happy that I managed it okay, not perfect, but okay, and you guys saw what happened, so I’m very happy now.
Sergio Garcia had joined the leaders by that point after responding to an opening bogey with three birdies in four holes from the third and another three in succession from the ninth, as had Reed after his fifth gain of the day at the 12th.
Daniel Hillier carded six birdies in a blemish-free 66, his second six-under-par round of the week, to set the clubhouse target at 16-under as the leaders still on the course battled for supremacy.
Schott, Hill and Reed all reached 18-under with back-to-back birdies, Reed at the 13th and 14th with his rivals a hole behind.
Garcia’s challenge was left hanging by a thread after a double-bogey at the par-five 14th, as he eventually finished alongside Hillier on 16-under, and Reed dropped a shot at the 16th.
Schott and Hill missed the 17th green to the left before escaping with good chips, but while Hill holed his par putt, Schott made bogey.
Reed set a new clubhouse target of 17-under but when his birdie putt at the last agonizingly stayed up on the short side, Hill had a one-shot lead down the last.
But he sent his approach to the extreme left of the green, leaving a nasty putt up the slope by the side of the green which he was unable to get close. Schott was in similar territory but closer in, allowing him to save par while Hill made bogey to set up the playoff.
Reed found the bunker with his 73rd tee shot and went from there to the edge of another, with Schott and Hill both hitting the fairway and then the heart of the green.
Schott holed for par and despite a superb effort at his up-and-down, Reed was unable to respond and dropped out of contention. Hill held his nerve as he and Schott went back to the tee.
The Scot sent his next tee-shot out of bounds to the left, with Schott only just avoiding the water in response. He sent his approach right of the green but Hill found the water with his fourth and conceded after Schott chipped on.
Hill and Reed shared second with Garcia and Hillier fourth and France’s Ugo Coussaud a shot further back in sixth.
The championship provided invaluable experience for emerging golfers, with local players gaining exposure competing alongside Major champions and multiple DP World Tour winners.
Ahmed Alzayed, Ali Alkowari and Khalifa Almaraisi all teed it up at Royal Golf Club this week, with former Masters champions Garcia and Reed, and three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington.
While the cut proved elusive, the experience of competing at the highest level of professional golf will prove invaluable.
“The competition comes to an end, but it’s not the end for me, I think it’s just the beginning,” said Alkowari.
“I’m happy with the result this year. I played 20 shots better than last year, so there are improvements. Hopefully, if I’m playing next year, it will be even better. Who knows, maybe even making the cut.”
A record crowd of 13,186, a 30 percent increase on last year’s attendance, watched the action across the four days.
