Staff WriterIf you’re ever wondering what romance looks like in elite sport, Charley Hull provided the answer at the PIF Saudi Ladies International: it involves a seven-under-par 65, seven birdies, an eagle, and a 60-foot putt that probably needed its own passport.
In her trademark all-or-nothing manner, Hull tore through Riyadh Golf Club on Valentine’s Day to win the $5 million showpiece and kick off the Ladies European Tour season in style.
Throughout the week in Riyadh, Hull relied on the consistency of spin with her new Qi4D driver, the performance giving her an element belief that also made her feel confident enough to change her remaining metalwoods into the Qi4D very quickly following testing. In other words: when the pressure arrived, the big stick behaved—so she could swing like someone who’d already read the ending.
Charley Hull’s WITB (TaylorMade)
- Qi4D LS 8.0° driver
- Qi4D 17.0° fairway
- Qi4D 19.0° rescue
- P·770 4 iron
- P·7MB 5-PW
- MG4 48°, 54°, 60°
- TP Soto
- TP5x
The English rose has clearly taken a shine to the Saudi capital. She’s now a repeat winner at Riyadh Golf Club — having lifted this title in 2024 — and she’s stacked up three more top-10 finishes here for good measure. This time, she had to scramble through a crowded leaderboard, post a clubhouse target, then endure the kind of waiting that makes even the calmest athlete consider taking up knitting.
The 29-year-old’s closing push featured the headline moment on the par-five 12th, where she rolled in a 60-footer for eagle — a putt that didn’t so much drop as arrive with purpose. After holing a birdie on her 72nd hole to post the lead at the first PIF Global Series event of the year, Hull did what winners do: she made everyone else chase.
Clutching the trophy, Hull said: “I feel great, and I love this golf course, and I like how it’s really matured over the years. It’s getting trickier each year. The grass is getting thicker, and I just really like it. It was a good challenge.
“I’ve worked really hard this off-season, so it’s nice to see results straight away. It’s one of the bigger events on the LET, and it feels like a home event for me because I’m a Golf Saudi ambassador. So it’s really special to win for my sponsors.”
One-shot win, plenty of late drama
Hull’s final margin was a single shot, but the back nine had enough plot twists to keep a thriller writer employed. South Africa’s Casandra Alexander launched her own late surge, birdieing four holes in a five-hole burst from 11 through 15. Then came the gut-punch: a bogey at the par-three 17th, leaving the 26-year-old — fresh off contesting a Sunshine Tour playoff last week — needing one more birdie to force another showdown.
The putt didn’t fall. Alexander finished runner-up for the second week running, joined by Japan’s Akie Iwai, as Hull’s clubhouse number held up.
Further down the board, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda opened with a 67 and followed it with three straight 68s — the golfing equivalent of showing up on time, every day, with your shirt neatly tucked in — to tie for fourth alongside Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi, who had shared the third-round lead.
And for England’s Mimi Rhodes, it was a reminder that weekends can be both cruel and redeeming. After leading through the first two rounds and slipping back with a level-par score yesterday, she rallied with a confident five-under 67 to finish joint sixth — a strong statement for a prodigious talent finding her feet in a big week.
Beyond the ropes: a community effort with real impact
The PIF Saudi Ladies International wasn’t only about leaderboard movement and putts the length of a small driveway. Organisers also leaned heavily into community and grassroots impact, with 775 CSR participants from a wide spread of institutions across the Kingdom — including Al Faris International School, Quality Schools, Wagt Altaalm School, Ibn Rashd School, Downe House School, Ibn Khaldoon, and Al Namothgya — getting involved.
Their participation, alongside the Cancer Survivor Charity, Ensan Orphanage, and the Make-A-Wish Charity, was positioned as part of a broader push: engaging the next generation, growing interest at local level, and converting curiosity into a lasting sporting legacy.
Next stop: Las Vegas and a historic West Coast debut
The PIF Global Series now heads to Las Vegas for stop two — a landmark West Coast debut that also marks the first time the PIF Global Series and the Aramco Championship will be hosted in the region.
Scheduled for April 2–5, the tournament will offer a $4 million prize fund, bringing elite women’s golf to one of the world’s flashiest sporting stages.
For more information on the PIF Global Series and the upcoming Aramco Championship please visit: www.pifglobalseries.com
