Manon De Roey defied the elements as she shot herself into the lead in the shadow of a storm-covered Manhattan skyline on Day One of the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series.
Held at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, the event was sandwiched between views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. But amid the blowy conditions, America’s Annie Park claimed she felt she was in Scotland, not her native New York.
Extreme links conditions would not be the first thing associated with the bright lights and city bustle of the Big Apple but Belgium’s De Roey had to battle the wind and the rain on her way to shooting a flawless bogey-free opening round of 68.
Manon De Roey defied the elements to shoot herself into the lead on Day One of Aramco Series
The players had to navigate their way through blowy conditions at the Trump Ferry Links Course in the Bronx, sandwiched between the Manhattan skyline and the East River
The effort awarded her the position atop the leaderboard as she looks to repeat her Aramaco Series win earlier in the season in Bangkok, where she clinched her first LET victory.
World No. 4 Nelly Korda played herself into a solid position after shooting a round of 70 to sit in second in the individual competition, alongside Sweden’s Madalene Sagstrom at two-under, two shots off the lead set by De Roey.
‘I’m very pleased with my score today,’ said De Roey. ‘It was tough out there. We had some rain, strong winds and just tried to keep it together for the team as well – being bogey-free today which is nice.’
‘I knew today was going to be tricky but I think for the next few days it’s going to be sunny and 19 degrees, so I’m looking forward to that. It can only get better from today, so I’m looking forward to it,’ added the 30-year-old.
Nelly Korda played herself into a solid position after shooting a round of 70 to sit second
De Roey is in fourth place on the LET’s Race to Costa Del Sol standings and a good showing in New York could award her with valuable points with just three tournaments to go in the 2022 season.
American star Korda showed her class in the wind on the back nine to also get her team of Noora Homulainen, Celine Herbin and amateur James Rawson in the mix in the team event in second place.
But the players battled through the brutal conditions blowing in from the East River, even the amateurs.
The amateurs are a unique selling point of the Aramco Series. Each team of four features an amateur, which World No. 8 Lexi Thompson claimed allows them an insight into the life of a pro.
And it was former NFL wide receiver Golden Tate who emerged the victorious amateur on Day One and as helped boost Team Maguire to the top.
Former wide receiver Golden Tate played as the amateur in Team Maguire, who led Day One
The team, captained by Leona Maguire and made up of Liz Young and Tvesa Malik, topped the leaderboard after round one with a combined score of 11-under, pipping Team Pelaez Trivino by one shot.
Irish star Maguire said: ‘It’s a good test out there and was playing long with lots of woods and hybrids needed. It will be a little kinder tomorrow and we can make plenty of birdies to keep it going.’
Pelaez Trivino’s side had rallied to the top of the leaderboard by carding one-under on three of the final four holes but two birdies for a minus-two on the 18th saw Maguire and Co leapfrog the former clubhouse leaders.
The team, captained by Leona Maguire, topped the leaderboard after round one at 11-under
Ana Pelaez Trivino made her professional debut at the Aramco Series event in Spain last season and fast-forward a year she is now captaining her own team.
‘Sometimes I wish I was the picked one,’ she said, ‘but honestly when I have a group like the one I have this week, I feel really good being the captain. I think they did a really good job in the conditions.’
The event’s team and individual format bears similarity to the men’s controversial LIV Golf Series, and that’s not where the likeness ends. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV’s rebel tour, is also a presenting partner of the Aramco Series.
LIV Golf has faced extreme backlash for its Saudi backing, and while the criticism of the Aramco Series has been notably quieter, the event had faced condemnation from families of victims of the 9/11 attacks, who urged New York mayor Eric Adams to rescind the approval to host the event at former President Trump’s golf course in the Bronx.
Ana Pelaez Trivino made her professional debut at the Aramco Series last year and has already rocketed her way up to becoming a captain at the New York event this week
However, Pelaez Trivino insisted the series was special, not just for kick-starting her career, but for supporting the women’s game.
‘It’s where I made my professional debut, so for me it’s a very special tournament,’ she said. ‘Everything they do for women, they support us in a way that very few companies do so I think it’s great.’
The team format will reach its finale on Friday with $500,000 prize-money being split between the lowest scoring fourballs. However, the professionals will continue the battle for the individual prize over a third round on Saturday.
