Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen is making a second return to professional golf at this week's Aramco Korea Championship in South Korea. The two-time major champion, who retired from full-time competition seven years ago, said her appearance in Asia may not be a one-off as she considers playing five or six events a year.
The 45-year-old retired on the spot in 2019 after sinking the winning putt for Team Europe in the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles. Having last featured in a professional tournament at an Aramco Team Series event in Jeddah in 2022, Pettersen explained that she now has more time on her hands as her children get older.
Pettersen admitted that travelling to South Korea was a long distance to test her game, but said she was eager to compete again. "Coming here to Korea feels quite a long way to come to test your game, but I might as well just get the gloves off," she said. "I have nothing to prove to myself. I'm just doing this because I love the game."
She added that she has been preparing away from the tour circuit: "Obviously, I've been playing and practising quite a bit at home. Nothing close to playing competitions. I'm curious just to see where my game is at."
Pettersen is one of the most successful European golfers of her generation, having spent more than 400 weeks inside the top ten of the Women's World Golf Rankings. Over a professional career launched in 2000, she collected 15 LPGA Tour victories and seven Ladies European Tour titles. She secured her first major championship at the 2007 LPGA Championship before becoming the first player to win the Evian Championship after it was designated as a major in 2013.
Opening round at New Korea Country Club
Pettersen will play alongside Germany's Alexandra Försterling and Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen in the opening round at New Korea Country Club. The tournament represents her first competitive outing since her brief appearance in Saudi Arabia four years prior.
New Korea Country Club, established in 1986 in Goyang near Seoul, is a prominent South Korean golf venue featuring hilly terrain and dense pine forests. The Aramco Team Series events, sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, bring together top female golfers across individual and team formats at venues in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Looking beyond this week, Pettersen ruled out a full-time return to tour play while leaving the door open for selective appearances. "I'm not going to come back and play a full schedule ever. That's being very honest," she said. "I could ideally see myself playing five or six events a year."
Pettersen is eligible for the Legends of the LPGA and will soon be eligible for women's senior major championships. She explained her desire to stay active: "I want to keep the game going in my body, so I don't have to pick it up in another three years, and then it's going to be even harder."
The Legends of the LPGA is the official senior tour of the LPGA, designed for female professional golfers aged 45 and over. Established in 2000, it provides competitive opportunities and senior major championships for legendary figures and former tour winners.
Solheim Cup captaincy and unchanged equipment
Since stepping back as a player, Pettersen has presided over two Solheim Cup campaigns as captain of Team Europe. She led Europe to retain the trophy following a 14-14 draw in Spain in 2023, followed by a 15½-12½ defeat against the United States in the States a year later.
The Solheim Cup is a biennial match play competition contested by 12-player teams representing Europe and the United States. Named after Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, it is the premier team event in women's professional golf.
Despite her extended time away from tournament play, Pettersen noted that her equipment setup remains unchanged from her playing days. "The clubs are the same. I have the same irons. I haven't changed much since last time I hit a professional golf shot, so we'll see how this goes," she said.
She also acknowledged that her return might surprise her fellow competitors on tour. "I think [the players] are all thinking 'what the heck are you doing?'" she said.
Live coverage of the Aramco Korea Championship will be broadcast on Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports+ from 5.30am on Thursday, with further coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 8am.
