SOTOGRANDE: Team Buhai, featuring South Africans Ashleigh Buhai, Stacy Lee Bregman, Hayley Davis of England and Spanish amateur Ignacio Morillo, has battled its way to a play-off victory at the Aramco Team Series after a thrilling final day in Sotogrande, Spain.
The Aramco Team Series, organized by the Ladies European Tour and Golf Saudi, allows three professionals to partner with amateurs to go head-to-head for a share of $1million in prize money that only the pros can win.
And as strong winds continued to blow across La Reserva Club on Saturday, it took a play-off — after a chipped-in birdie on the last — to separate the tournament’s two leading fourballs after 54 holes at La Reserva Club.
Team Buhai and eventual runners-up Team Strom (Linnea Strom, Jenny Haglund, Agathe Sauzon and amateur Alessandro Anzelmo) came in at 35-under-par, forcing a late-evening deciding hole.
Both team captains stepped up, but it would be Ashleigh Buhai’s par that trumped Strom’s bogey to bag the second Aramco Team Series title of this year’s Ladies European Tour season.
“It was a team effort,” said Buhai. “We’ve all played our part this week. For me personally, our back nine turned even and I thought we had to get going if we wanted to have a chance. Luckily, we managed to do that.”
“Ignacio was great — such great company. He was a little nervous today but still came in when we needed him,” Buhai said of the Spanish amateur.
Countrywoman Stacy Lee Bregman, who had holed the critical 54th-hole birdie that eventually took the tournament to its concluding play-off, said: “I’ve been practicing (that shot). I had a feeling I was going to use it at some point and knew on 18 it was the perfect shot. When I hit it I knew it was good and it was just a magical moment. It’s surreal.”
In the tournament’s individual scoring, US star Alison Lee settled for a one-under-par 71 to take her to 15-under for the tournament, five shots clear of Buhai, who herself finished second on 10-under.
That performance secured Lee’s first professional title, following two opening-round 65s.
“I honestly can’t even describe in words how happy I am,” said Lee, who led by seven heading into today’s final rounds and was visibly emotional after finishing with a par to confirm her maiden win.
“I can’t wait to call my parents. The last three weeks I’ve been overseas, and I’ve known they’ve been up all night watching me play, which is so heartwarming. I’ve been through a lot with golf. There were times I just thought about giving up, having been years I’ve lost my card and had to go back to Q-school. My parents have supported me so much and I can’t wait to call them!”
The 26-year-old continued: “I obviously had a seven-shot lead coming into today. I didn’t want to think about it too much and get ahead of myself. And it was another difficult day out there with the win. It felt like it was blowing harder today, honestly. But I just did my best to try and take it one shot at a time, stay confident and not get too down on myself and make as many birdies for the team obviously. I felt like I could have played a lot better today, but I’m happy with my round.”
