The lead golfers after the first round at the Asian Ladies Championship
Great Britain & Ireland women’s golfer Emily Pedersen has been in action in the Saudi Ladies International Pro-Am event.
The SSE Chinese Swimming Complex Golf Course was hosting the Middle East Ladies Tour event, the first major for women in Saudi Arabia.
Joining Pedersen were the top golfers from around the region and the United States.
The 24-year-old finished tied 28th and tied fourth individually and told BBC Sport “It was great to be here. It has been a long time coming and it’s about time.”
“We were in the Sultan Jamalid Hall. It’s a great venue and really relaxed. It’s great to be the first ladies from the United Kingdom to play here,” added Pedersen.
“We had all the world’s best players and it was nice that some of them played with us.”
The event is a qualifying round for next year’s European Ladies Tour, and Pedersen was delighted to get a taste of the pressure that the top golfers in the world could be in for.
“The atmosphere was good from the outset, there was a buzz around the whole event. There were no nerves but there was anticipation when the big players were playing.
“The only way we could go to next year’s European Tour was if we did well here so it was great that I qualified and that was my goal.
“I now have to wait and see if I qualify for a European Tour event here, and if I get the phone call I will be really excited.”