Pedersen 'Saudi Arabia's First Female Champion'... Hole "Runner-up After Playoff Loss"

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark, photo) became the first female champion in Saudi Arabia.

On the 16th (Korean time) at the Royal Greens Golf Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (par 72, 6,351 yards), the final day of the European Ladies' Golf Tour (LET) Saudi Ladies International (total prize money $1 million) ended with even par. She tied with Georgia Hall (England) at 10 under par 278, but secured the 'winning birdie' on the first hole of the playoff at the 18th hole (par 5). This is her second LET victory, following the Czech Ladies Open in September, with a winner's prize of $127,170 (about 140 million KRW).

She turned professional in 2015 and is the leading money winner this season. She exclaimed, "I am happy to have won the first event held in Saudi Arabia," adding, "I thought it would be difficult to win, so overcoming the challenges makes it even more special." Georgia Hall (England), the 2018 British Women's Open champion, reduced her score by one stroke but narrowly missed the top spot. Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) finished third (8 under par 280), and Anne van Dam (Netherlands) tied for fourth (7 under par 281).

This tournament was the first-ever international women's golf event held in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is known for its restrictive women's rights, with women only being allowed to enter sports stadiums and drive cars starting in 2018. The originally scheduled March event was postponed to November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most players wore long pants while playing, and if they wore skirts, they wore them over long pants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.