抖阴短视频

JEDDAH: Young Moroccan golfer Ines Laklalech is counting down to what promises to be a 鈥渟pecial鈥� professional debut when she becomes only the second Arab woman ever to compete as a full member on the Ladies European Tour at this week鈥檚 Aramco Saudi Ladies International, presented by the Kingdom鈥檚 Public Investment Fund.

The 24-year-old player from Casablanca earned her 2022 tour card in December, despite managing just 15 amateur tournaments in a pandemic-hit two-year spell as she sought to secure her place at women鈥檚 golf鈥檚 top table.

Now she has achieved that dream, sport-obsessed Laklalech is ready to make her mark in what will be her maiden event as a full professional at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, near Jeddah.

She will seek to finish as high up the leaderboard as possible and also inspire the next generation of Arab girls across the world who she believes 鈥� like her 鈥� have greater opportunity than ever before to chase their own ambitions.

Laklalech, who has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in management science from University College London, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy to be playing the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF this week. I didn鈥檛 play in Kenya (the LET鈥檚 first event of 2022) so it鈥檚 my first tournament of the season.

鈥淭he Saudi Ladies International was actually the first LET event I played as an amateur back in 2020 鈥� and I made the cut. So this will be my second LET tournament, in the same place as the first, but this time as a professional.

鈥淚n 2020 it was a great, great tournament and experience. I loved it 鈥� particularly because it was in an Arab country, which to me made it even more special. This time I know what to expect a little more, and I鈥檓 very, very excited to play. The course is great, the windy conditions mean things can get very interesting and tough out there, so I鈥檓 excited.鈥�

The debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International back in 2020 was a landmark moment for women鈥檚 sport within the Kingdom as it became the first ever professional, international women鈥檚 sporting event to be held in 抖阴短视频.

More than 1,000 Saudi women and girls signed up to learn to play golf over the course of the tournament weekend as part of a free coaching initiative.

And, as a female Arab golfer, Laklalech was aware of the tournament鈥檚 impact.

鈥淔or me, high-level golf always happened in the US and Europe. Now we鈥檙e seeing such a strong field of players in both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 events in 抖阴短视频. I would never have thought of competitive golf being played in 抖阴短视频 before, especially a women鈥檚 event, knowing how things had been restricted in the past. To see this now though is so good for the future of golf and for all women in the Arab world.

鈥淭he Saudi Ladies International shows Arab women that if they want to make a living out of their passion 鈥� be that in sport or anything else 鈥� they can, just as much as a man would. It shows that women can play competitive sports no matter what their background and no matter where they鈥檙e from.鈥�

It will be her third trip to the Kingdom, as she made the pilgrimage to Makkah with her family in 2011.

Thriving in the unfamiliar is something the Moroccan is used to though, having first lifted a golf club aged 10 in one of the few places in Casablanca 鈥渨ith a green field and lots of trees,鈥� and quickly going on to join and then beat the boys鈥� club 鈥� of which she was one of only two girl members 鈥� at her local course, aged only 12.

In her drive to make it to the Ladies European Tour, however, she has always had one shining light to look up to: The tour鈥檚 first ever Arab player, fellow Moroccan and Saudi fan favorite Maha Haddioui.

They 鈥� plus fellow Moroccan youngster Lina Belmati 鈥� will all compete in 抖阴短视频 this week.

She said: 鈥淚f you told me I鈥檇 be a professional golfer one day, I would鈥檝e said 鈥楴o way,鈥� because there wasn鈥檛 a lot of women playing the sport in Morocco. 

鈥淲hat Maha has done though was incredible for me, as the first Arab woman to ever make it to this level. Having someone from your country make it to the top makes the dream feel more real, as you can identify yourself more easily with that person. She has and continues to play an important and very inspiring role for Arab women and the people of Morocco, and now that I鈥檓 the second Arab woman on tour, hopefully there will be more after us.鈥�

She will go up against Haddioui plus a 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of many of the world鈥檚 best golfers, including the likes of Georgia Hall, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Anne van Dam. However, she goes into the event without fear.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see what the next years hold for me. Anything new is exciting, and this elite golf is all new to me. My goals for this week and for the whole season are just to keep on learning every single day, and take as much experience as I can. I鈥檓 expecting a lot of highs and lows and I just want to enjoy every part. I鈥檒l just aim to do my best every single shot and have no regrets.鈥�