Captains Georgia Hall and Charley Hull go for the 鈥楩ull English鈥� at $1m Aramco Team Series 鈥� London

(From left) Annabel Dimmock, Georgia Hall and Charley Hull are going 鈥榝ull English鈥� at the Armaco Team Series 鈥� London. (LET)
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  • The ladies European Tour event begins at Centurion Club on Thursday, June 16, with German pair Olivia Cowan and Sarina Schmidt defending their title
  • Team captains selected their teammates in an NFL-style draft with Hall picking Lily May Humphreys and Hull selecting Annabel Dimmock

LONDON: German pair Olivia Cowan and Sarina Schmidt will defend their Aramco Team Series 鈥� London team title this week after partnering up for the second year in a row in Tuesday evening鈥檚 tournament draft, while English captains Georgia Hall and Charley Hull have gone for compatriots in their efforts to stop them.
Captain Cowan chose to reunite with Schmidt in the hope of repeating their winning feat from last year鈥檚 debut Aramco Team Series event, which saw them triumph by three shots and claim the $1 million tournament鈥檚 maiden fourball title.
That year India鈥檚 Diksha Dagar was their randomly assigned third team-mate. This time around, French starlet Emma Grechi completes a line-up that will be expected to be in with a challenge this week at Centurion Club, St. Albans.
Cowan, 26, said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got the band back together, so it should be a good week. We did really well last year, mainly by just supporting each other. I think we鈥檒l be good this year as well.
鈥淚 had a few options in the draft just in case Sarina was taken, but obviously I鈥檓 delighted I got to pick her.鈥�
Schmidt added: 鈥淲e had so much fun last year and liked pushing each other. When Olivia holed out for eagle in the final round last year, that was a turning point for us. Hopefully same again this week.鈥�
Australia鈥檚 Whitney Hillier used her captain鈥檚 pick to reunite with Finland鈥檚 Krista Bakker just a month after the pair won the Aramco Team Series 鈥� Bangkok team title together in the first ATS event of the season. Team Hillier will this week also feature Lisa Pettersson of Sweden.
鈥淜rista鈥檚 got good vibes and she鈥檚 playing well, too, so that鈥檚 why I chose her,鈥� said Hillier, whose title in Bangkok was her first in ten years on the Ladies European Tour.
鈥淲e get on so well together 鈥� and I just met Lisa as well. She鈥檚 a good player too, so I鈥檓 excited to get playing tomorrow.鈥�
Other notable captain鈥檚 picks included both Georgia Hall and Charley Hull going for the 鈥渇ull English,鈥� selecting Lily May Humphreys and Annabel Dimmock respectively.
Former Women鈥檚 Open champion Hall said: 鈥淚鈥檝e met Lily a few times. She is an up-and-coming player and I鈥檓 really excited to spend some time with her. She鈥檚 a good player so I look forward to it. It should be a good week.鈥�
On her choice of Annabel Dimmock, Charley Hull said: 鈥淚鈥檓 just looking forward to having a bit of a laugh out there, so hopefully she just brings some giggles. She鈥檚 a pal and it will be a laugh out there.鈥�
And on Norwegian Karoline Lund, who will complete the professional element of Team Hull, the 26-year-old added: 鈥淲e鈥檒l see if she can take on the English banter.鈥�
Elsewhere, Chloe Williams was picked by fellow Welsh Becky Morgan, with Scot Gabrielle Macdonald completing a Celtic pro-trio for Team Morgan.
Sweden鈥檚 Linn Grant 鈥� fresh from becoming the first woman to win a DP World event after her nine-shot win at last weekend鈥檚 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed 鈥� also opted for a countrywoman pick, with Sofie Bringer her choice.
For the third time in Aramco Team Series history, Bronte Law selected her hero Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew as her pick.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a major champion and is a very good golfer,鈥� said Law, who finished T6 in the US Women鈥檚 Open earlier this month. 鈥淚 think this event requires stable players who can contribute frequently. Catriona is that person.鈥�
This week鈥檚 London leg is the second of five $1 million Aramco Team Series tournaments on the LET calendar for 2022. It is famed for its format, in which three LET professionals play in teams with one amateur player.
It returns to Centurion Club with a new format from last year鈥檚 inaugural Series. For this season, the teams will compete over only 36 holes 鈥� the Thursday and Friday of the tournament 鈥� with $500,000 prizemoney being split between the lowest-scoring fourballs.
Saturday鈥檚 final day of play will see only the lowest-scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two days return to the course to battle it out for a share of another $500,000, this time in individual earnings.