Aramco Team Series: Solheim Cup stars Ciganda, Hedwell and golf sensation Zhang added to Hong Kong field
- Rose Zhang will join list already boasting likes of Chinese stars Muni He and Lin Xiyu
- Carlota Ciganda has already won an ATS event, in Florida, and arrives having holed the putt that meant Europe retained the Solheim Cup
Fresh from battling each other to a standstill in an enthralling Solheim Cup two stars from Europe and one from the US have been added to field for next week’s Aramco Team Series event in Hong Kong.
American sensation Rose Zhang has had quite a year already, bursting onto the scene as an amateur before winning the Mizuho Americas Open, her first LPGA tournament as a professional.
The 20-year-old was just the eighth player since 1992 to win on their first professional start, joining the ranks of household names such as Karrie Webb.
Ranked 32nd in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Zhang said she was “delighted to be part of” the event at Hong Kong Golf Club.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of such an exciting world-class event, and I’m eager to take on some of the world’s best on this fantastic stage in Hong Kong,” she said.
Next week’s tournament in Fanling, which runs from October 6 to 8, follows hot on the heels of a dramatic battle between Europe and America at Finca Cortesín in Spain, which eventually ended in a 14-all tie.
Among those competing then, and in Hong Kong, are Lilia Vu, who posted a 1-3-0 record, and Zhang, who made her Solheim Cup debut in Spain, finishing with a 0-2-1 for the week.
Carlota Ciganda, who won the ATS event in Florida in May, and Caroline Hedwall were two of Europe’s stars of the week.
The former secured the crucial point to help her team retain the Cup by beating fellow ATS winner Nelly Korda, 2 and 1 in their singles match on the final day. She went undefeated at 4-0-0 for an impressive week in Spain.
If Ciganda holed the crucial putt, it was Hedwall who won five of her last six holes against American Ally Ewing to win 2 Up in a decisive Sunday singles match, concluding the week with a 1-1-0 record.
