Lalla Meryem Cup winner Nuria Iturrios (left) with Spain’s Gorge Campilo who claimed the Trophée Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam last year. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

THE European Tour has confirmed the postponement of the Trophée Hassan II while the Scandinavian Mixed has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scandinavian Mixed was set to be a ground-breaking event – hosted by Sweden’s two most successful golfers Henrik Stenson and Annika Sorenstam – with male and female players competing head-to-head in the same event for the first time.

The Scandinavian Mixed was scheduled to take place at Stockholm’s Bro Hof Slott Golf Club, from June 11-14, , with men and women battling for one prize fund and one trophy.

The Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Meryem Cup – which was scheduled to take place concurrently with Trophée Hassan II, at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco from June 4-7 – has also been postponed.

The decision to postpone both events in Morocco was taken following consultation between the Hassan II Trophy Association, chaired by Prince Moulay Rachid, the European Tour and the LET.

Following this season’s cancellation – which was agreed in consultation with all parties – the event will still be included on the European Tour and Ladies European Tour schedules from 2021.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “We will continue to monitor the global situation in relation to coronavirus and evaluate its impact on all our tournaments, with public health and well-being our absolute priority.

“We thank all stakeholders involved in Trophée Hassan II and the Scandinavian Mixed – including His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid and the Hassan II Trophy Association, the Ladies European Tour and Henrik Stenson and Annika Sorenstam.

“Discussions regarding the possible rescheduling of all postponed tournaments will remain ongoing until we have clarity on the global situation.”

LET chief executive Alexandra Armas, said: “We are deeply grateful for the incredible support and flexibility shown by our partners at this challenging time, and would like to thank the Hassan II Trophy Association – and the European Tour – for their unwavering commitment to working together.

“As we monitor the global situation with regards to COVID-19, we continue to wish for the health and safety of the entire golfing community.”

The Ladies European Tour schedule for 2020 featured some 24 tournaments – an increase of four from 2019 – and an €18million prize fund up €4.5million. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

LET schedule’s record prize fund

THE Ladies European Tour schedule for 2020 featured a record-breaking prize fund of almost €18million spread across 24 tournaments to mark a new decade brimming with optimism.

As well as the increase of €4.5million in prize money – the LET unveiled the Race to the Costa del Sol with a bonus pool at the end-of-season Andalucía Costa del Sol Open Ladies Spanish Open, in January.

The top three finishers on the Race to the Costa del Sol rankings were set to share the bonus pool worth an extra €250,000.

But only the first three events were played before the coronavirus epidemic became a pandemic in March, forcing the first-ever Saudi Ladies Championship at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to be postponed.

The Evian Championship – one of the five scheduled Majors of the season – has moved from its slot in late July to the first week of August – the date originally chosen for the Toyko Olympics Games.

It means the world’s top players – if the Evian can still go ahead on its new date – will then head to Scotland for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at North Berwick, from August 13-16.

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Meghan MacLaren is hoping to improve on her record in the Lalla Meryem Cup at Moroccos Royal Golf Dar Es Salam this week. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

MEGHAN MacLaren is looking to build on her recent strong performances in Australia and Jordan as she sets her sights firmly on the Lalla Meryem Cup this week.

A victory in the Moroccan capital of Rabat would see her take the lead in the race to be crowned European No. 1 and leapfrog Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda into second place on the European Solheim Cup points list, boosting her chances of a debut appearance for Team Europe at Gleneagles in September.

The 24-year-old from Northamptonshire tied for 25th and 30th in the last two editions of the Lalla Meryem Cup respectively and is determined to do better this time round over the newly renovated Blue Course.

Having won the Access Series Order of Merit in 2017, she feels that winning the LET Order of Merit is now a realistic goal arriving at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in second position on the money list after her victory in the Women’s New South Wales Open and runner-up finish in the Jordan Mixed Open.

Meghan said: “I’ll always be aiming for the top. Everything I do is about being the best I can be, and I think I get my best results when I’m completely focused on that.

“I had that approach in 2017 and it’s something I wanted to go back to coming into this year, without getting distracted by outcome goals or trying too hard.

“As long as I focus on the little things that make up my game and always recognise what’s going well and what I can improve, I think I can continue progressing in my own way. I do think consistency is one of the most underrated things in golf and winning Order of Merits is probably the best representation of that.”

The runner-up in the Jordan Mixed Open, where she took on the best of the European Challenge and Seniors tours,  added: “I’m really happy with where my game is right now.

“I think the consistency of my scores and results shows that there isn’t too much going wrong, and I feel much better equipped to manage both my swing when I’m competing and also my game on the course even if it doesn’t feel perfect. I’m hitting a lot more greens than I was last year which has been key to bringing my scoring down.

“This will be my third time at this course, so I’ve got a good sense for the things that will be important. It’s a much more strategic course than most, which I really like.

“It’s so important to keep the ball on the fairway, so feeling comfortable with my shot shape off the tee has been a big one. My driving was great in Jordan so if I can keep that going it’ll be a massive help. I’ve done quite a bit of practice with my pitching as well because you have wedge in your hands quite a bit round here.”

MacLaren is expecting a big challenge from some of the other players in the field, such as the 2018 and 2016 champions, Jenny Haglund and Nuria Iturrios, as well as recent tournament winners Marianne Skarpnord and Diksha Dagar.

The Lalla Meryem Cup and the Hassan II Golf Trophy, a men’s European Tour event, are co-located at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and the two tournaments are being played over the Blue and Red Courses respectively for the fourth consecutive year, which means the players share a lounge and practise facilities.

MacLaren said: “It’s a really cool experience. Even in the few years I’ve played this event, it’s grown and strengthened massively – they’ve really put a lot of thought and investment into the facilities and tournament as a whole – which is reflected in the players that turn up.

“Anytime the men and women are in the same environment it creates a different kind of buzz for the players, because I think there’s a lot of mutual respect and also enjoyment that we’re all connected by creating a living through the game of golf. It’s definitely one to which we all look forward.

“It’s another great platform for the game of golf as a whole, I think. The more opportunities there are for women’s golf to raise its profile, the more I think investment and interest in it will grow, as people begin to see the skill and character on display every week.

“The Jordan Mixed Open was obviously different in its innovation – the first time men and women have competed for the same tournament in the professional game is bound to draw interest, and I think the success of that event will encourage more events like it.

“I’ll be honest, 72-hole strokeplay events will always be my favourite! I think they are the best reflection of what golf is all about: the skill, patience and grit required to come out on top is such a huge demand, and an addictive one.

“But I would like to see more events that bring men and women together, because I think it’s incredibly engaging to the wider golfing public.

“The Jordan event showed that coming down the stretch it doesn’t matter what the person looks like, at the end of the day, it’s one person’s golf against another person’s golf. Golf as a sport is so unique in that sense, so I’d love to see it taken advantage of more.”

And she knows that more performances like her second win in Australia, and competing against the men, will do her Solheim Cup ambitions no harm.

Her performance earlier this month caught the eye of European captain, Catriona Matthew, who sent her a text message after the final round in Jordan.

Meghan, who has had three three top 10s in six starts this season, revealed recently: “Just the fact I got a text from her is pretty inspiring really. It’s obviously nice to know I’m on the radar and it will only make me work harder over the next few months.”

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