Amateur's shotmaking helps Team Strom take lead in Aramco event at Glen Oaks Club

Their amateur partner’s 15-foot putt for net eagle on the 18th hole gave Ladies European Tour pros Linnea Strom, Jenny Haglund and Lucie Malchirand a two-shot lead after the opening day of the Aramco Team Series event at the Glen Oaks Club on Thursday.

Amateur Cho Minn Thant’s putt on18 and his other net eagle on the 16th led to an 18-under-par score where the two best scores per hole of the foursome are counted with the amateur getting handicap strokes.

Team Strom overtook the team captained by 2019 Women’s British Open champion Sophia Popov, which is two shots back, with Team Bronte Law another shot back. The event is part of the Ladies European Tour and the first one ever in the U.S.

Popov’s 7-under-par 5 gave her a three-shot lead in the tournament’s individual competition.

"I had a solid round," said Popov, whose teammates are Magdalena Simmermacher, Hayley Davis and amateur Cody Crowell. "I think maybe after having a slow start for me the girls came in and we just made birdies on different holes, which was really good and ultimately the key. We did a very good job of contributing on different holes."

Six players sit three shots behind Popov in the individual competition, including Law, three-time major winner Anna Nordqvist and American Danielle Kang.

Team Jessica Korda with Karolin Lampert, Lina Boqvist and amateur Alexandra O’Laughlin are in fourth. The team captained by World No.1 Nelly Korda trails by seven shots. Lexi Thompson’s team is 11 behind.

The tournament continues through Saturday at the venerable club in Old Westbury. Spectators are admitted free and must register online at https://aramcoteamseries.com/en-us/ to get tickets.