Staff WriterBy the time Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz rolled in her final par putt at Golfcrest Country Club, the Aramco Houston Championship trophy was practically smiling back at her. Three birdies in her last five holes carried the ever-beaming Mallorcan to her fifth Ladies European Tour crown—and the biggest payday of her career.
Iturrioz signed off with a four-under-par 68 on a muggy Texas afternoon, good enough for a 13-under total and a two-shot victory over compatriot Carlota Ciganda and England’s Charley Hull. Relief and joy in equal measure? That’s what you call golf’s rarest bird.
“I’m really happy,” said Iturrioz, still dripping from a celebratory dousing by playing partner Mimi Rhodes. “It’s hard for me to show my feelings in English … but this means a lot. I’m really proud. I’ve been working a lot with my coach this year, and I’ve had chances before. This one is also for him, because it’s been a big team effort.”
A Spanish Showdown Gone Sideways
For a while, it looked like Ciganda had the inside track. She started the day a shot ahead, but disaster struck at the ninth when her tee ball disappeared into a treeline.
One lost ball and a double-bogey later, she never fully recovered, closing with a 71. Hull, meanwhile, shrugged off recent ankle ligament trouble to fire a sparkling 67 and share second place.
“I played really well today,” said Hull, who had only just returned to action after withdrawing from the PIF London Championship. “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d play that well this week, so I’m really happy with the result.”
Hull’s comeback, five birdies and no blemishes, looked impressive enough, but Iturrioz wasn’t about to be outdone. Birdies at 14, 15, and 17 put the hammer down, and though she narrowly missed adding another at the 18th, the grin and putter twirl that followed told you all you needed to know.
A Career-Defining Win
Iturrioz has collected LET titles before—the Lalla Meryem Cup twice, the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, and last year’s La Sella Open—but winning the Aramco Houston Championship carries extra weight. The PIF Global Series offers the fattest purses outside the majors, and this was the kind of stage she’s long been chasing.
“This is very special,” she said. “I had been really looking forward to winning one of these events. I had won with the team before, with Pauline [Roussin-Bouchard] as captain, but to win individually is different. And to do it here in the U.S., where I’ve been trying to get to the LPGA, it shows me I can play well on these courses.
“I hope I can win more of these events … wins like this motivate me to grow even more. For me, every tournament is important because I compete for myself, but the field here was very strong. Names like Carlota, Mimi and Charley Hull made it tough. I felt the pressure, and I’m proud of how I handled it.”
Rising Stars and Community Roots
If Iturrioz provided the fireworks, Singapore’s Shannon Tan supplied the aftershock. Starting the day eight back, Tan scorched Golfcrest with a bogey-free 64 to snatch solo fourth at 10-under.
It was the round of the week and proof that the pipeline of global talent in women’s golf is bubbling nicely.
But the Aramco Houston Championship wasn’t just about birdies and trophies. Off the course, 355 youngsters picked up clubs at Golf Saudi clinics, and thanks to a tie-in with Trees For Houston, every birdie at the par-5 14th meant five new trees for the community. By week’s end, that tally reached 600—proof that golf can leave more than divots behind.
Eyes on China
With $2 million in the purse and a field brimming with champions, the Houston stop reinforced what the PIF Global Series is trying to achieve: world-class competition, community impact, and a platform for women’s golf to thrive.
Next up? The Aramco China Championship at Mission Hills in Shenzhen this November, where the season will reach its final crescendo.
For now, though, Iturrioz has earned her moment. A Spaniard with a grin as wide as Texas has shown once again that in golf, persistence and patience are rewarded—and occasionally, so is your coach.
