Meghan MacLaren has turned from the queen of the greens to a wizard with words to help give the Ladies European Tour a new brand and image. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

MEGHAN MacLaren and Suzann Pettersen have teamed up to help give the Ladies European Tour a fresh logo, updated website and tag line.

The Raise Our Game tagline aims to capture the ambition of the new LPGA-LET joint venture partnership – and a shared desire to keep moving women’s golf forward.

The brand refresh includes a short film created in-house, capturing the passion and potential of the LET players, celebrating their hard work, dedication and perseverance.

Narrated by Solheim Cup star Pettersen, with the script written by two-time LET winner MacLaren, it focuses on the hard work and determination it takes to achieve goals.

The pair hope to inspire women and girls to pursue their passion and realise their potential through the game of golf.

Talented writer MacLaren, who grew up playing golf at Wellingboro GC, in Northamptonshire, said: “I loved working on this project.

“It was great to play an active role in the new direction of our Tour.

“This is an exciting time for the LET and for women’s golf. To see the growth potential as we look ahead to the future for the next is very fulfilling.

“I’ve always worked hard to raise my game and I’m proud to be a member of a Tour which gives us the opportunity to raise our game further.”

Norwegian Suzann Pettersen narrated the video that launched the LET’s new look.
Picture by TRISTAN JONES

‘It’s something we can’t define . . .’

MEGHAN’S script focuses on the fierce commitment required to compete at the highest level.

It also highlights the importance of the friends, family and wider community of tournament promoters and sponsors who can drive women’s golf forward, said the LET.

The script reads: “It starts with something we can’t define. 

“t’s a dream, but we’re too young to know what it is, where it might take us.

“Our family, coaches, friends… they know. On cold winter mornings and warm summer nights, they help us shape it into something we believe in.

“Sometimes we lose it. Sometimes we stop believing. Sometimes we wonder if it’s all really worth it… but we don’t stop.

“Because in every new city that embraces us and every new partner who invests in us, on every Monday that promises and every Thursday that threatens to take away – we have a chance to find it again.

“A chance to believe again. A chance to make each moment our own.

“But it’s yours too, because you’re there by our side, guiding the way. You helped create it.

“So it’s time to believe, in all of our dreams. Together, let’s raise our game.”

•Megan also wrote a first-person piece telling the story of how she raised her game. You can read it here.

Suzann Petersen holed the winning putt at last year’s Solheim Cup. Picture by MARK RUNNACLES

‘The LET made me’ says Solheim Cup star

PETTERSEN – who holed the winning putt at the 2019 Solheim Cup – said at the rebranding launch: “I wouldn’t be where I am without the LET.

“I’m excited about the next chapter of the Tour’s history as it looks to provide even more opportunities for women and girls in the game.

“I’m thrilled to narrate this inspirational video, re-branding the new LET. The future is bright for the LET and its members.”

The 39-year-old Norwegian won 15 times on the LPGA Tour – including two Majors – and another six times on the LET.

After securing the Solheim Cup with that putt at Gleneagles, she promptly announced her retirement to focus on bringing up her son.

But the Scandinavian, who won the British Girls’ title at Wiltshire’s High Post GC in 1999, and played two Junior Ryder Cup matches, is not relinquisihing all ties with the LET just yet.

LET chief executive Alexandra Armas (left) with LPGA commissioner Mike Whan after her appointment – two months after the two Tours signed a joint venture deal. Picture by LPGA.

Future’s bright for LET says chief executive Armas

LET chief executive Alexandra Armas believes the tour has a bright future despite the uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: “This brand refresh expresses our excitement about the LET and its future.

“How passionate and proud we all are to represent this strong new brand and that we are in this journey together with our partners – determined to create greater opportunities for the women who play golf today, and for the ones that will follow in the future.

“It has been an unprecedented and eventful start to the new decade.

“In January, we announced a record-breaking schedule and we were extremely excited about the 2020 season.

“Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been a challenging time for us of late. But we are now focused on the long term.

“This is not only the time to preserve tournaments in 202 – but to build the future that we’re so excited about moving forward for women’s golf.

“The year 2020 is a building block to a bigger and better 2021, 2022 and beyond. Together, let’s do all we can to raise our game.”

The joint agreement between the LET and LPGA was signed in November.

As a result, it paved the way for this year’s expanded playing schedule, which was hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide.

Armas was appointed in January in week the 2020 schedule was released.

Meghan MacLaren has won twice on the LET. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

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ET player Amy Boulden teaching a young girl ahead of the Saudi Ladies International, which is being staged at the Royal Greens G&CC, in King Abdullah Economic City

THE inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International – the first female professional golf tournament to be played in Saudi Arabia – has been rearranged for October.

The switch following its postponement last month due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the announcement was made by the Ladies European Tour and Golf Saudi to move it to October 8-11.

The $1million event will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club where some of the world’s finest golfing talent are set to arrive on Saudi shores for the historic occasion in the autumn.

Royal Greens hosted the European Tour Saudi International for a second time in February when Graeme McDowell picked up his first European Tour win in nearly six years.

Yasir O Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “It gives me great pleasure to confirm we are working towards a new date of October 8-11 for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund.

“We will, of course, continue to work closely with health authorities both domestically and across the region in the interim, but are hopeful we will be able to bring this momentous occasion to Saudi Arabia in six months’ time.

“As we focus upon the necessary precautions, we would like to pay particular thanks to all of our sponsors, partners and players, who have shown unwavering commitment through these unprecedented times.

“And it is due to their support that we are now able to announce a revised date for this landmark occasion.”

The October tournament will be a watershed moment for the country.

The LET reiterated its commitment to visiting Saudi Arabia after the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and echoed Golf Saudi’s calls to ensure the inaugural tournament lives up to its billing.

LET chief executive Alexandra Armas said: “Postponing the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International – originally scheduled to take place in March – was a difficult decision.

“However we have been extremely impressed by Golf Saudi’s commitment to working through the challenges and making this historic event happen.

“We would like to thank all stakeholders for their incredible support, and I am sure this fantastic new tournament will be one of the major highlights of 2020.”

One of the richest tournaments on the LET schedule, the hosting of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International was part of a move to increase golf participation significantly through a very ambitious development programme in the kingdom.

The country has staged a number of high-level sporting fixtures, including football, boxing, motorsport and equestrian events – countering criticism of the Saudi regime’s human rights record.

•More information about Golf Saudi and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International can be found at https://www.golfsaudi.com/en-us/ladies-international/

For information on the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club visit: https://royalgreens.net/

Graeme McDowell – winner of the 2020 Saudi International at Royal Greens G&CC. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

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Left to right: Keith Pelley, Marta Figueras-Dotti, LET CEO Alexandra Armas, Catriona Matthew and LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, at Buckinghamshire Golf Club, which unveiled the significant jump in prize money for 2020. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

A NEW decade brings a new-look Ladies European Tour and for the first time in history, LET members will play for a combined prize money fund of almost €18 million in 2020.

That’s an increase in prize money of around a third – up €4.5 million on 2019, with the 2020 schedule featuring 24 tournaments, which is four more than last year.

They include 15 in Europe, in addition to August’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, plus a new event in England in August, which will be announced separately.

The Race to Costa del Sol, offering €250,000 in prize money between the top three finishers on the official ranking, will commence with the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville, in February.

It will conclude with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in November, the latter having doubled its prize money to €600,000.

The 2020 LET schedule includes two new events in Sweden – the €1.5million Scandinavian Mixed hosted by Henrik Stenson and Annika Sorenstam and the Creekhouse Ladies Open.

There is also a new $1million event in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Ladies Championship, as well as the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open, the Dutch Ladies Open and the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.

The 15 events in Europe also include the Jabra Ladies Open, La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, the Evian Championship, Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, AIG Women’s British Open, TIPSPORT Czech Ladies Open and Lacoste Ladies Open de France, as well as the new UK event.

The significantly improved schedule demonstrates the immediate success of the new LPGA-LET joint venture, with a new board of directors working together to grow the opportunities for LET members, especially in the continent of Europe.

Chaired by LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, the new joint venture board includes six directors from the LET, who met at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club for the historic announcement on Friday.

The six LET directors are Marta Figueras-Dotti, Eleanor Givens, Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew, Liz Young, Justin Abbott and Alastair Ruxton.

There are also four directors from the LPGA – commissioner Mike Whan, Liz Moore, Kathy Milthorpe and Mike Nichols – as well as The R&A’s chief executive Martin Slumbers and the European Tour’s chief executive Keith Pelley.

Whan said: “The LET and the LPGA only began working together in September 2019, but we’ve been blown away with the results in the first 90 days and the positive response from across the golf industry.

“With overall purse increases and seven new events, our athletes will have more opportunities for success.

“It’s exciting to think what we can accomplish after a full year of working with our new board.

“We have a long way to go, but I’m so happy to say that this is the best position that European women’s professional golf has ever been in.”

The LET’s new chief executive Alexandra Armas was given the job having been in charge since September when outgoing-boss Mark Lichtenhein departed.

Armas said: “I want to thank all the federations who have shown their belief in our new team and vision – but also recognise the important contribution of our existing event promoters and sponsors, whose long-term support and commitment is immensely valuable to our organisation.

“What we have achieved in the last 90 days in incredible and this is just the start of a new direction for the LET.”

Solheim captain hails exciting LET future

VICTORIOUS 2019 Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew believes the LET will hit new heights in 2020.

Matthew said: “I committed myself to playing on the LET in Europe last year and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s been achieved over the last 90 days to improve the schedule.

“This is a tour that existing players and those joining for the first time should be proud to be part of.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on some of the exciting young players coming through as we look ahead to retaining the Solheim Cup in Toledo next year.”

Solheim Cup player Anne van Dam is happy to be involved as an ambassador for the new Dutch Ladies Open, which will be played at her home course, Rosendealsche Golf Club, in Arnhem.

Van Dam said: “It’s important to have an event in your country to help develop the game and inspire the next generation – just as I was inspired when I was able to watch and then play in the Dutch Ladies Open when I was young.

“The 2020 schedule is looking really strong and I’m so pleased to have an event in the Netherlands.”

Jeroen Stevens, director of the Netherlands Golf Federation, said the organisation was proud to have a new LET event, with van Dam as its ambassador.

“The LPGA commitment toward the LET was what the NGF Board needed to commit to signing a three-year contract with the LET, to promote ladies’ golf in the Netherlands,” he said.

“We strongly believe it is essential to have more female golfers, to grow the game of golf in our country.

“We are therefore convinced we will prove in the coming years that investing in women’s golf is not only logical, from a diversity point of view, but also from the commercial perspective.

“We thank the LET and LPGA for giving us the opportunity to prove that golf is a sport for women, men and children of all ages.”

With two new tournaments in Sweden, rising star Julia Engström is looking forward to playing on home soil.

Engström said: “This is my third year on Tour and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to play in my home country for the first time since turning professional.

“The last time I played an LET event in Sweden was when I was 13 years old and I remember it to be the greatest thing in my career.

“I had so much support on the course from all the fans. It’s very exciting to have two new Swedish events, both completely different concepts and at world-class venues!”

European federations hail LET-LPGA joint venture

A NUMBER of European Golf federations have come out strongly in support of the LPGA-LET joint venture, including Sweden, which has two new events.

Gunnar Håkansson, secretary-general of the Swedish Golf Federation, said: “For the Swedish Golf Federation, it’s an important role, to support talent in their aim to become world-class players.

“In doing so, tournaments are important, but for a long time we have lacked an LET event in Sweden.

“It’s therefore very satisfactory that the LET will return in 2020, where our partner Kristianstad GC will arrange the Creekhouse Ladies Open.”

Barbara Albisetti, general secretary of Swiss Golf, also welcomed the LET back to Switzerland.

Albisetti said: “Swiss Golf is extremely pleased a professional women’s tournament of the highest category will take place in Switzerland in 2020.

“Such an event has been missing since the LET tournament in Losone, more than 10 years ago.

“We are very grateful for the support of the LET and LPGA for making this event a reality, and we look forward to hosting the VP Bank Ladies Swiss Open next September.

“The LET event is the ideal platform to promote golf and ladies’ golf in Switzerland, and obviously it is the best place to inspire our top players and our young talents.

“We are determined to make the event in Ennetsee one of the most important appointments for golf in our country for many years to come.”

•To see the full dates of the LET 2020 season and the prize money at each event click here.

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