Catriona Matthew hopes new Aramco Team Series can boost women's game

Europe’s Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew is hoping the LET’s new big-money Aramco Team Series can help “propel women’s golf forward”.

Catriona Matthew, Europe's Solheim Cup captain, is set to play in the inaugural Aramco Team Series event in a fortnight's event. Picture: Mark Runnacles/Getty Images.

The first of four $1 million events around the world takes place at the Centurion Club, north of London, in a fortnight’s time, with Matthew among the latest big names to be confirmed.

The 2009 Women’s British Open champion has been added to the field along with two members of her winning Solheim Cup team at Gleneagles in 2019, Charley Hull and Anne Van Dam.

Australian Minjee Lee has also committed to the event, joining American Lexi Thompson, as well as European trio Georgia Hall, Anna Nordqvist and Emily Kristine Pedersen.

The unique format will see 36 captains lead teams of four players - three professionals who will be paired through a draft system and one amateur.

“It’s certainly shaping up to be quite the field, which is understandable, considering the exciting new format of the team tournament and what’s up for grabs,” said Matthew.

“Being just a couple of months before the Solheim Cup adds a real bit of spice to the mix, especially with so many major-winners from both sides of the pond playing.

“As the Solheim Cup has proven, team golf is a format that really gets the heart-racing and brings so much additional excitement.”

The other events in the Series will take place at Sotogrande in Spain (5-7 August), New York (14-16 October) and Jeddah (10-12 November).

“Introducing four new Aramco Team Series events in four regions, I find a really fantastic initiative from the LET and I really am excited to see how it will propel women’s golf forward,” added Matthew.

Another Scot, Michele Thomson, was in the winning team captained by Pedersen when the same format was used in last year’s Saudi Ladies Team International.

“When this format of event was trialed last year, you could really feel how positively the women who played in it responded to it,” said Lee, the world No 14.

“It was something completely different but a format of golf that offered so much excitement, and that’s what you want to see as often as possible on tour. I can’t wait to play as part of a team – something I love but almost never get to do.”

*The Aramco Team Series will debut at the Centurion Club London on 8-10 July. For more information visit aramcoteamseries.com

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