A new Ladies European Tour (LET) season begins next week with the Investec South African Women’s Open held at Westlake Golf Club, the first tournament of the Race to Costa del Sol 2021.
The Race to Costa del Sol, official ranking of the Ladies European Tour, offers a bonus of 250,000 € to its top three classified. The competition opens in South Africa with the first of 28 LET tournaments to be played in 20 different countries in a historic season, and will conclude with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España at the end of November.
Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen won the inaugural edition of the Race to Costa del Sol with an 834-point margin. With five wins, another three top ten finishes and her best ranking in a major (eleventh in the AIG Women’s Open) in twelve tournaments, Pedersen was unstoppable in 2020. The best Spanish player in the ranking was Azahara Muñoz from Malaga, sixth in the ranking, followed by Nuria Iturrioz, seventh, and Luna Sobrón, twelfth.
Pedersen became only the second Dane to top the win list on one of the world’s top tours, following in the footsteps of compatriot Iben Tinning, winner of six LET titles and the 2005 Order of Merit. Thanks to her spectacular form, Pedersen also climbed up the Rolex Rankings from 509th at the start of the season to a top-100 position, another career milestone.
After the 2021 season passes through South Africa, the circuit will begin its European leg with the Ladies Italian Open at Golf Club Margara, an event that will lead into the Jabra Ladies Open at Evian Resort Golf Club in early June.
Next up will be the innovative Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik Stenson & Annika Sorenstam at the Swedish Vallda Golf and Country Club, an original format that will pit European Tour and LET professionals against each other for the first time on the same course, competing for the same prize purse and trophy. After a week’s break, the next stop will be the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open at the Beroun Golf Club, followed by the Big Green Egg Open at the Rosendaelsche Golf Club in the Netherlands.
The players will remain in Europe in July as the first Aramco Team Series event will take place in London, and then travel to the Gant Ladies Open played at the Finnish Aura Golf. After that will come The Amundi Evian Championship, considered the fifth major since 2013 and back on the calendar in 2021.
The ISPS HANDA World Invitational Presented by Modest! Golf, another pioneering tournament, will take place at two Northern Irish courses, Galgorm Castle and Massereene Golf Club, at the end of July, while the Tokyo 2020 women’s Olympic competition will be held a week later in early August.
Golf will return to the United Kingdom and Scotland for two weeks with the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at the Dumbarnie Links and the last major of the year, the AIG Women’s Open, to be played at Carnoustie. Then, two consecutive tournaments in Sweden, the Skaftö Open and the Creekhouse Ladies Open, the latter in the same week that the Solheim Cup is played at the Inverness Club in Ohio, USA.
This will be followed by the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open at Golfpark Holzhäusern, while the Lacoste Ladies Open De France is scheduled for mid-September. After a week’s break, the season will resume at the Hero Women’s Indian Open played at DLF Golf and Country Club, followed by the next Aramco Team Series event in Singapore and the Magical Kenya Ladies Open at Vipingo Ridge. Still to be scheduled are the third Aramco Team Series tournament to be played in New York and the Mediterranean Ladies Open to be played at Terramar Golf Club.
The final leg of the Ladies European Tour calendar will pass through Morocco, where the Lalla Meryem Cup will be played, and will continue with the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic at the Faldo course of the Emirates Golf Club. Then, two events in Saudi Arabia: the Aramco Saudi Ladies International Presented by Public Investment Fund and the last event of the Aramco Team Series in Jeddah.
To round off the season, the LET will return to Europe and visit the Los Naranjos Golf Club course, home of the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España. This prestigious tournament will be the perfect culmination for the Race to Costa del Sol, whose winner will lift the spectacular trophy specially designed to identify the best of the season.
The president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado, has emphasized how proud his entity is to be part once again of this new stage of the Ladies European Tour, stressing the opportunity that the Race to Costa del Sol represents for this tourist destination. For Francisco Salado, “this news is a breath of fresh air in the situation we are living and we are proud to demonstrate once again that the Costa del Sol is safe and ready to host tournaments of this magnitude. Our involvement in the Race to Costa del Sol demonstrates the firm commitment of our institution with golf, as it offers many benefits to our destination and women’s sport.” Salado has also indicated that “our courses are in perfect condition thanks to the effort and hard work of the professionals who work on them”.
For her part, Alexandra Armas, executive director of the LET, also wanted to emphasize the importance of the Race to Costa del Sol and the support of its main sponsor. “We are looking forward to the 2021 season starting in South Africa and we are very excited to see who will be crowned winner of the second edition of the Race to Costa del Sol. Last season, Emily was a worthy champion thanks to her consistency, and her efforts were rewarded by taking the title. I would also like to thank Turismo Costa del Sol for their unwavering support over the past year. We are looking forward to seeing what this season has in store.
The Race to Costa del Sol starts next week… Join the conversation on @LETgolf with the hashtag #RaceToCostaDelSol.
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Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning, partner of the Ladies European Tour
In 2020 Costa Del Sol Tourism and Planning partnered with the Ladies European Tour to sponsor the order of merit, which is now called Race to Costa Del Sol.
The work of Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol is focused on promoting the Costa del Golf, advising and supporting all institutions and entities related to the golf industry. For the IAGTO (International Association of Golf Tour Operators), the Costa del Sol is a priority golf destination and the PGA of Germany has also declared it an exclusive destination in continental Europe.
The Costa del Sol, which includes the province of Malaga and the Mediterranean area of the province of Cadiz, is the preferred destination of all
s those golfers looking for a wide range of first class courses and an ideal weather for golf practice throughout the year. With more than seventy golf courses, many of them considered masterpieces in terms of their design, the Costa del Sol is recognized for its prestige worldwide. In addition, its courses have hosted historic and unforgettable competitions such as the Ryder Cup, several editions of the World Golf Championships, the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters of the European Tour and the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España of the Ladies European Tour.
The Costa del Sol, Global Partner of the 2023 Solheim Cup, is looking forward to hosting this historic tournament and welcoming golf fans from around the world before, during and after the event.
Year after year, golfers of all levels come to this unique destination to enjoy golf and its many attractions, such as the top class restaurants, its dynamic nightlife, the magnificent commercial establishments or the wide range of hotels, apartments and villas that stand out for their wide range of services, without forgetting the wonderful Andalusian landscapes.
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Race to Costa del Sol
In 2020 Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning began sponsoring the Ladies European Tour order of merit, which is called “Race to Costa del Sol” and offers an additional €250,000 prize purse for the top three players of the year.
The top player in the Race to Costa del Sol will receive an additional €125,000, while the second will be awarded €75,000, and the third, €50,000 at the end of the season. The winner will also get a seven-year exemption in category 2A.
The Race to Costa del Sol begins in May in South Africa with the Investec South African Women’s Open and will culminate in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open in Spain in November.
The Race to Costa del Sol will serve to highlight the tourist excellence of the Costa del Sol and Andalusia, while it is a great incentive for the players of the Ladies European Tour.
More information about the Costa del Sol in the attached link. To download images of the Costa del Sol just click here.
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Ladies European Tour
The LET inspires girls and women to pursue their dreams and fulfill themselves through golf. Our fundamental goal is to develop and deliver a comprehensive competitive schedule that allows our players, an example of strength, energy, pride and confidence, to compete at the highest level, pursue their dreams and lead by example.
The LET is a worldwide circuit with European roots, and its members are an example of diversity and multiculturalism, with 316 professionals representing 36 countries.
We want to entertain and excite, but also encourage healthy habits and a better quality of life with responsibility, commitment and respect.
Inspiration: Our players serve as role models and encourage others to pursue their dreams.
Passion: We are driven by the passion to develop our full potential and improve every day. It is not for money or glory, but for the love of the sport.
Commitment: We strive for continuous improvement and know what it takes to achieve long-term goals.
The 2021 LET season is the 43rd since the professional circuit was founded in 1978 and the second in which the Race to Costa del Sol will be played. This year’s calendar includes 28 tournaments in 20 different countries, including the Olympic Games and the Solheim Cup, and a prize purse of more than 19 million euros, an all-time record.
The LET Access Series is the official satellite circuit of the Ladies European Tour and was created to give women golfers the opportunity to compete, reach the LET and thus fulfill their dreams in professional golf.
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