Aramco Team Series makes donation to get more women and girls playing golf

The Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Team Series has donated a raft of new training aids to a Midlands golf coach who has helped bring more than 150 women and girls into the game in just two years.

Hannah Crump is a professional who coaches with Ignite Golf at Stonebridge Golf Club near Coventry, where she focuses on improving the abilities of female golfers of all ages.

Her classes have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, stretching the resources she has available to her growing pack.

For that reason, the Aramco Team Series has announced Hannah as the recipient of a raft of new coaching equipment, as part of the five-leg events’ Power Up initiative.

The Power Up scheme is aimed at backing projects making a difference at grassroots level for junior and female golfers, in each of the Series’ host countries.

For Hannah and the team at Ignite Golf, the Aramco Team Series has donated three brand new sets of women’s clubs for student use, a Flightscope Mevo+ launch monitor, further PGA coaching tuition, a year’s supply of golf clothing through tournament partner Reborn, and a year’s supply of Titleist practice balls.

Hannah Crump with Gary Player.

Hannah said: “My biggest passion is introducing golf to women, and I currently have about 150 women in weekly group coaching coming along, learning – and it’s great, I absolutely love it!

“I have been professional for about seven years, so I kind of at the start knew I wanted to grow the women’s golf community, but I would say in the last two years numbers have absolutely accelerated. For me it’s been so, so, so special to see these numbers grow and see more women getting on board.

“To receive this donation as part of the Power Up initiative is unbelievable. I am at a point where the next stage for Ignite is to grow – and I’m trying my hardest to build everything. So to be able to have this kind of support, it just means I’m going to be able to do things quicker. It means everything can to be bigger.

Player shares his advice with the group of women golfers

“At the moment, I’m capped at the equipment that I have and I’m capped at the clubs that our players can use. For me, the story is now about accelerating this even more, and now we can really do that and put so much back into the game that I love.”

Hannah and more than 25 members of Ignite Golf’s female coaching classes attended the Aramco Team Series London at Centurion Club, where they were given an expert lesson from none other than nine-time Major-winner Gary Player.

Player gave the group swing tips before sharing some of his greatest advice and knowledge on the game.

Hannah said: “I’m really, really grateful to have been able to give the ladies the opportunity they’ve had. Most of them have never watched golf, so having the experience to see the stuff that we try and teach up close and with the best players in the world is pretty special, so they’ve loved it.”

On the course, Bronte Law surged to glory where she holed out for eagle from 55 feet on the final green to win by a shot.

In a thrilling finale, Law powered past fellow English star Georgia Hall to close out at nine-under-par and scoop the $75,000 first prize.

Bronte Law celebrates her 55 foot winning putt

Law needed a birdie at the closing par-five to match Hall’s and force a play-off. Instead, she did better, producing a moment of pure magic when she sank a monster putt for an eagle three that drew a huge roar from the galleries and secured her a second Ladies European Tour title.

Law, 27, said: “That’s why we play this game – for moments like that. And in front of a home crowd, it doesn’t really get any better. Why we go through all the heartache, the pain and everything is for moments like that.”

There had been flashes of adversity in the final round for Law, not least at the 13th hole where she made double-bogey to slip from the leaderboard summit.

But the 2019 Solheim Cup star, who finished tied-sixth earlier this month in the US Women’s Open, showed her fighting qualities as she reeled off birdies at the 15th and 16th to haul herself back into contention.

Hall also had her foot down on the pedal – as did the late-charging Linn Grant. The Swede closed with six birdies in her final seven holes to take third spot, but it was Law who landed the most telling blow of all with that monster putt that saw her sign for a two-under final round of 71.

The victor added: “I’m competitive, I want to win. So I won’t go down without a fight. I never know that I’m going to end up with a win, but I will make sure I give it my all in order to give myself a chance. I knew I had to battle. It’s never over until it’s over – I guess that kind of showed at the end there.”

Runner-up Hall said: “I’m gutted, but what a putt to win. I played really well again. I played really well all week – I just didn’t really hole much again.”

Bronte Law had earlier taken time out from competing to give some lucky young golf fans a once-in-a-lifetime coaching clinic at Centurion Club.

Fifteen-year-old Darcie West is a huge fan of Law and was one of the youngsters the multiple Tour winner shared her secrets with.

Darcie West at the driving range where a clinic from Bronte Law was given

Darcie said: “Bronte is one of my top role models – I’m inspired by the fact she trains every day, she goes to the gym, she works out, she makes sure she’s healthy. Her mind is so focused on what she loves to do.

“To meet her and be part of a group lesson with her was just an amazing experience, something I’ve probably been dreaming of for years! I never thought it would happen. It was just great getting answers to my questions and hitting some balls. Bronte is such a great player. I’ve been following her the last few years and she’s been amazing to watch.”

Back on the course, the team event – with a total purse of $500,000, like the individuals’ tournament – was similarly exciting. Team Garcia and Team Wikstrom finished on 27-under-par on Friday evening, resulting in the two captains returning today for a play-off down the 18th.

Unfortunately for Ursula Wikstrom, her tee-shot at the first extra hole drew an extremely difficult lie in a fairway bunker and she required two strokes to extricate herself from it. Ultimately that proved decisive as Nicole Garcia locked in a solid par to claim the $105,000 winner’s cheque, shared with her two professional team-mates Madelene Stavnar and Kelly Whaley.

Of course, there was a fourth member of Team Garcia – amateur Mia Baker. And, playing off a 16 handicap, she was a major factor in the success, sinking a tricky putt on the final green of regulation play the previous evening.

South Africa’s Garcia said: “Mia really helped us out and that’s what this whole tournament is about, getting involved with the amateurs and giving everybody the experience of a professional event.

L-R: Captain Nicole Garcia, Madelene Stavnar, Kelly Whaley and amateur Mia Baker toast their team victory

“I’m really proud – it couldn’t have gone better. All four girls contributed equally. An experience like this is always going to bring you closer to your peers that you’ve played with.”

Reflecting on the experience of a lifetime and also her playing partners, Baker added: “It has been so nice and the best thing is they made me not feel stressed. I couldn’t have asked for anymore from them – they were amazing.”