Charley Hull Secures Fifth Ladies European Tour Title in Riyadh
Charley Hull, an English professional golfer with eight career titles including three on the LPGA Tour, claimed victory at the PIF Saudi Ladies International. The tournament concluded with Hull finishing at 19 under par, one shot ahead of her closest competitors.
The final round leaderboard featured Hull leading at -19, followed by Casandra Alexander of South Africa and Akie Iwai of Japan tied at -18. Spain's Carlota Ciganda and South Korea's Hye-Jin Choi shared fourth place at -17. Other notable finishers included England's Mimi Rhodes, South Korea's I Yoon, and Japan's N Hataoka at -16, with Riko Takeda of Japan at -12, and England's Emily Hamilton alongside Ireland's Leona Walsh at -10.
Final Round Performance and Key Moments
At 29 years old and ranked world number five, Hull delivered an impressive final round, shooting a seven-under par 65. She gained six strokes over the last eight holes, highlighted by an eagle on the 12th hole and a birdie on the final hole. Hull's performance allowed her to set the clubhouse lead, which she held despite a tense wait as her competitors finished.
Casandra Alexander, who shot a 68 in the final round, was tied with Hull at 19 under before dropping a shot on the 17th hole due to a three-putt. Alexander also missed a birdie putt on the last hole that would have forced a playoff. Japan's Akie Iwai, who also finished at 18 under, bogeyed the 17th hole with a three-putt, leaving her two shots behind Hull despite birdying the last hole for a 67.
Other Competitors and Standings
Spain's Solheim Cup player Carlota Ciganda and South Korea's overnight leader Hye-Jin Choi finished tied for fourth place at 17 under par. England's Mimi Rhodes, who led the tournament after an opening round of 64, ended the event tied for sixth place at 16 under following a strong final round of 67. Rhodes, 24 years old, began her campaign to secure a spot on the September Solheim Cup team with six birdies and only one bogey in her closing round.
Prize and Reflections
Hull received a winner's prize of $750,000 (£549,000), marking a strong start to the 2026 season by winning on the same course where she previously secured an LET title in 2024. Upon learning of her victory while waiting on the practice green, Hull expressed her excitement:
"Hooray, at least I can pay my house off now!
I've worked really hard this off season so it's nice to get a result pretty much straight away. It's one of the bigger events on the LET and it's kind of a like a home event for me."
Hull began the final day three shots behind the leader and was two under par through the front nine. She dropped a shot on the 10th hole but responded strongly by gaining four strokes over the next three holes, including a remarkable 60-foot eagle putt on the par-five 12th. Additional birdies on the par-five 15th and the 18th holes solidified her lead and put pressure on her rivals to match her score.
Despite efforts from her competitors, Hull maintained her advantage and celebrated her fifth LET title, demonstrating resilience and skill throughout the tournament.
