- New season-long race commences this week, with the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic, the first of 25 LET tournaments in 18 countries this year
COFFS HARBOUR, New South Wales, Feb. 17, 2020 – A new Ladies European Tour season starts on Thursday with the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville Golf Resort in New South Wales, the first event on the 2020 Race to Costa del Sol.
The Race to Costa del Sol, which is the official LET ranking from 2020, offers a €250,000 bonus pool to the top three finishers. The Race begins in Australia with the first of 25 LET tournaments spanning 18 countries in a greatly enhanced 2020 LET schedule and concludes with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in Spain in late November.
The new era begins at Bonville Golf Resort, situated halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the beautiful Coffs Coast, where an international field of 151 competitors will play on “Australia’s Favourite Golf Course” 2016-2019, according to Golf Australia Magazine’s Favourite Golf Courses poll. The defending champion, Marianne Skarpnord, will be joined by fellow 2019 tournament winners Diksha Dagar, Annabel Dimmock, Esther Henseleit, Nuria Iturrioz, Céline Herbin, Meghan MacLaren, Christine Wolf and Anne van Dam as well as many of the LET’s rising stars from Q-School.
It will tee up a fortnight of competition Down Under, with the Women’s New South Wales Open taking place at Dubbo Golf Club the following week.
The action then moves to the other side of the Indian Ocean for the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club, followed by the Saudi Ladies Championship at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
The main European leg of the schedule begins with the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort Golf Club, in early May, followed by the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande and then the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open in Naxhelet.
The Lalla Meryem Cup, which is co-located with the men’s Hassan Trophy at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, will be followed by an innovative mixed field event, the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika at Bro Hoff Slott Golf Club, where European Tour and Ladies European Tour members will go head-to-head for the first time on the same course, competing for one prize fund and one trophy.
The players will remain in Europe for the Dutch Ladies Open at Rosendaelsche Golfclub and the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open at Club de Golf Terramar.
The Evian Championship, which has been played as the fifth major since 2013, will take place in mid-July. After everyone catches their breath for a week, a new event, to be revealed soon, will be played in the United Kingdom in early August, alongside the Tokyo 2020 women’s Olympic Golf Competition.
The UK swing continues with a fortnight in Scotland and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, followed by the AIG Women’s British Open, the final major of the year, at Royal Troon.
The European odyssey continues with the TIPSPORT Czech Ladies Open at Golf Course Karlstejn, the Creekhouse Ladies Open at Kristianstads Golfklubb, the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open at Golfpark Holzhäusern and the Lacoste Ladies Open de France at Golf du Médoc.
The action then moves to Asia for the Ladies European Thailand Championship at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club, the Hero Women’s Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club and a new event in the Philippines, before moving on to the Middle East for the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic at Emirates Golf Club and then to Africa, for the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, at Vipingo Ridge.
The LET then returns to Europe for the season finale at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino, one of the most popular stops of the year, where the winner of the season-long competition will be crowned.
The Race to Costa Del Sol begins this week… join the conversation at @LETgolf using the hashtag #RaceToCostaDelSol.
Ladies European Tour Partner – Costa Del Sol Tourist Board
In 2020 the Costa Del Sol Tourist Board became a partner of the Ladies European Tour by sponsoring the Order of Merit, which will be called the Race to Costa del Sol.
Costa del Sol Tourist Board is dedicated to the promotion of Costa del Golf and provides advice and support to its partners throughout the golf industry. The Costa del Sol has been recognised as a top European Golf Destination by IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators) and is the exclusive destination in continental Europe of PGA Germany.
The Costa del Sol is the leading destination for golfers who seek a wide variety of quality golf courses and ideal golfing weather through 12 months of the year. With over seventy golf courses, many of which were conceived by masters of golf course design, the Costa del Sol enjoys worldwide prestige. Many top-level championships have provided unforgettable days of competition on its courses: the Ryder Cup, the World Golf Championship, the Estrella Damm Masters and the Ladies European Tour Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España.
Golfers of all levels visit this unique destination, year after year, to enjoy the golf, and explore all that this unique destination offers including top class restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, great shopping and a wide range of hotels, apartments and villas with an astounding array of services, combined with the legendary sights of Andalusia.
Race to Costa Del Sol
In 2020 the Costa del Sol Tourist Board will sponsor the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, which will be called the ‘Race to Costa del Sol’ and will offer an additional bonus pool of €250,000, split between the top three finishers.
The player who tops the Race to Costa del Sol rankings will receive an additional €125,000, with the second highest finisher receiving €75,000 and €50,000 for the third placed player following the season-long race. The winner will also receive a 7-year exemption under category 2A regulations.
The Race to Costa del Sol tees off in Australia in February with the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville and will culminate at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in November.
The Race to Costa del Sol will showcase the tourism excellence of both the Costa del Sol and Andalusia whilst providing a tremendous incentive for Ladies European Tour members.
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