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Monday, December 14, 2009

Ladies Scottish Open coming back

in 2010 at Archerfield Links

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour (LET), Alexandra Armas, today announced the tournament schedule for the 2010 season.
There are 27 events in 20 different countries, including four new stops in New Zealand, Morocco, Slovakia and China. Two additional events, in Turkey and Scotland, will return to the schedule after a one year absence.
This surpasses the 2009 season when there were 23 tournaments in 18 countries across the world.
The season will start with the inaugural Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open hosted by Christchurch at Pegasus Golf Club from February 25-28.
The next new event is the Princess Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia from March 18-20, which will take place during the same week as the Hassan II Trophy on the men’s European Tour.
From May 27-30, the LET will make an historic first visit to Slovakia with the Ladies Slovak Open at Gray Bear Golf Club. There will also be a second event in China, the week before the popular Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open. The Anji King Valley Ladies Open will be played at Anji King Valley Golf Club from October 21-24.
After a one year hiatus, the LET returns to National Golf Club in Antalya for the Turkish Ladies Open from May 6-9 and to Scotland for the Ladies Scottish Open, at Archerfield Links in East Lothian, from August 18-20.
The Finnair Masters will take place for the sixth straight year at Helsinki Golf Club in Tali, Finland, from August 27-29.
Additionally, there will be several new tournament venues. The Women’s Australian Open moves to Commonwealth Golf Club in Melbourne, the ABN AMRO Ladies Open moves to Golfclub Broekpolder in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and the Tenerife Ladies Open returns to Buenavista Golf.
The Ricoh Women’s British Open returns to Royal Birkdale in England, with the AIB Ladies Irish Open, supported by Failte Ireland, taking place at Killeen Castle in County Meath the following week. The tournament will provide the only opportunity for players from both sides of the Atlantic to test their skills on The 2011 Solheim Cup venue in a competitive environment and expects to draw a quality field of international competitors from all over the world.
Armas said: “We are extremely pleased with next year’s schedule following on from a spectacular 2009 season.
“Despite the tough financial climate, there has been massive interest in hosting a Ladies European Tour event. The players’ efforts have helped to make every tournament a great experience and have given value to all stakeholders. The schedule reflects the continued growing interest in women’s golf.
“There are still some details to be confirmed, such as venues and prize money, but these will be announced in the coming months and we will be playing at quality golf courses. We also anticipate that total prize money will be at least equal to, if not greater, than in 2009.
“I would like to thank all of our partners for their continued commitment to the Ladies European Tour and its players. We look forward to working with all involved to ensure the tour’s continued success in 2010 and beyond.”
Event promoters WSM Sponsorship will manage next year’s return of the Ladies Scottish Open championship at the world renowned Archerfield Links in East Lothian from Wednesday 18th – Friday 20th August 2010.
That month will also see the Scottish Seniors take place in St Andrews and the Ryder Cup team announcement take place after the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. With the addition of the Ladies Scottish Open Presented by EventScotland, August in Scotland will see a festival of golf events and activity.
Commenting on the return of this LET event, Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said:
“The return of the Ladies Scottish Open is fantastic news for Scotland and EventScotland has worked tirelessly with partners to ensure its reinstatement to the Ladies European Tour schedule. The event provides a valuable platform from which to demonstrate Scotland’s ability to host world class golf events as well as support our exceptional home grown talent such as 2009 Women’s British Open winner Catriona Matthew.
"We are delighted to see the return of this key event in Scotland’s golf events calendar and can confirm our long term commitment to its success. We look forward to another exciting year of golf in Scotland and many more to follow.”
Robbie Clyde, Project Director for the 2014 Ryder Cup at EventScotland, continued: “In the years leading up to the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles it is imperative that Scotland continues to build upon the success of our unrivalled golf events calendar and for the past year it has been a priority to ensure that the Ladies Scottish Open returned to Scotland’s golf calendar.
"Archerfield Links in East Lothian will provide an exceptional backdrop for play and there will undoubtedly be a great deal of excitement among players and golf fans for the return of this fantastic tournament to an area with such a rich heritage in golf courses.
“The pro-am format for next year is a real innovation for the event and will ensure the focus of play is firmly on the golfers. 2010 will itself be an exciting year for golf in Scotland and the Ladies Scottish Open will take its place in an exceptional calendar.
"August will be especially prominent and a veritable festival of golf in Scotland with the Ladies Scottish Open taking place in the same month as the Scottish Seniors Open and the Johnnie Walker Championship (at Gleneagles) where the European Ryder Cup team announcement will be made.”
Alexandra Armas, Executive Director of the Ladies European Tour, said “The Ladies European Tour is delighted to be making a return to Scotland. It is only right that there is a women’s professional tournament in the country and we hope that this event will build on the raised profile that Catriona Matthew’s major victory has brought to the game.
"Aspiring Scottish female golfers will be able to watch top class golf at home on their own doorstep, which will be a huge inspiration at all levels. We have all worked extremely hard to bring the Ladies Scottish Open back to the LET schedule and encourage every golf fan, young and old, to come out and support this fantastic new event.

2010 LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR SCHEDULE

Feb 25 - 28 New Zealand Women’s Open. Pegasus Golf Club, Christchurch, NZ (€ 200,000)

Mar 4 - 7 ANZ Ladies Masters. Royal Pines Resort, Queensland, Australia (€ 372,500).
Mar 11 - 14 Women’s Australian Open. Metropolitan Golf Club, Melbourne (€ 310,500).
Mar 18 - 20 Princess Lalla Meryem Cup. Royal Golf Anfa Mohammédia, Morocco (€ 275,000)

April 22 - 25 Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup. Sella Golf Resort, Alicante, Spain (€ 350,000).


May 7 -9 Turkish Ladies Open. National Golf Club, Belek, Antalya, Turkey (€ 200,000).
May 13-16 Ladies German Open. Golfpark Gut Häusern, Munich (€ 300,000).
May 27 - 30 Ladies Slovak Open. Gray Bear Golf Club,Brezno,Tale ,Slovakia (€ 350,000)


June 4 - 6 ABN AMRO Ladies Open. Golfclub Broekpolder, Rotterdam, Netherlands (€ 250,000).

June 17 - 20 Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open. Golf Gerre Losone, Ticino, Switzerland (€ 525,000).
June 25 - 27 Ladies Open of Portugal. Venue to be confirmed (€ 200,000).

July 1 - 4 Tenerife Ladies Open. Buenavista Golf, Buenavista del Norte- Santa Cruz de Tenerife (prize fund tbc).
Dates to be confirmed: Open de Espana Femenino. Venue & prize fund to be confirmed
July 22 - 25 EVIAN MASTERS. Evian Masters GC, Evian-Les-Bains, France (€ 2,215,850).
July 29 - 1 Aug RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN. Royal Birkdale Golf Club (€ 1,704,500).


Aug 6 - 8 AIB Ladies Irish Open. Killeen Castle, County Meath, Ireland (€ 500,000).
Aug 12 - 15 S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe. Venue & prize fund to be confirmed.
Aug 18 - 20 Ladies Scottish Open. Archerfield Links, East Lothian (€ 200,000).
Aug 27 - 29 Finnair Masters. Helsinki Golf Club, Tali, Finland (€ 200,000).


Sept 9 - 12 Open de France Féminin. Paris International Golf Club, Baillet-en-France. Prize fund tbc.
Dates to be confirmed: UNIQA Ladies Golf Open presented by Raiffeisen Golfclub Föhrenwald, Wiener Neustadt, Vienna, Austria (prize fund to be confirmed).
Dates to be confirmed: Madrid Ladies Masters. Venue & prize fund to be confirmed.

Oct 7 - Oct 9 Carti Si Ladies Italian Open. Venue to be confirmed (€ 200,000).
Oct 22 - 24 Anji King Valley Ladies Open. Anji King Valley Country Club,Lingfeng (€ 200,000).
Oct 29 - 31 Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open. Suzhou International Golf Club, Shanghai, China (€ 200,000).

Nov 4 - 7 Korean Ladies Masters. Venue to be confirmed (€ 255,675).

Dec 8 - 11 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters. Emirates GC (Majlis Course), Dubai (€ 500,000).



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