Saudi Arabia to host new ladies’ European Tour event in March
- Last updated: December 12, 2019 | 23:05
Saudi Arabia has become renowned at breaking boundaries in sport, a trend which continues with today’s announcement of a fully sanctioned Ladies European Tour (LET) event set to take place in the Kingdom from the March 19-22, 2020.
The tournament, which will carry a $1 million prize fund, will be staged in collaboration with Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf Federation.
The event is a watershed moment for the country, and will mark the first time that professional female golfers have played competitively in the country, breaking new ground in its ongoing transformation as part of Vision 2030.
The 72-hole stroke play competition, which will be broadcast domestically and to more than 340 million homes across more than 55 countries worldwide, will inspire a new generation of golfers throughout the Kingdom. A field of 108 LET professionals will contest for one of the richest prizes on the LET Schedule at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, near Jeddah, on the country’s stunning Red Sea coast.
Commenting upon hosting the event for the first time and setting new precedents within the sport, Yasir Al Rumayyan, Chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, said: “We are delighted to be creating history by hosting the inaugural ladies professional tournament in March.
“I hope the tournament will inspire many women to take up the great game of golf and awaken their interest in this wonderful sport.
“We warmly welcome all the players to the Kingdom and wish everyone a rewarding experience in our magical country.”
Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, which is set within King Abdullah Economic City, also plays host to the European Tour’s Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers. At the first staging in 2019, Major champion Dustin Johnson emerged victorious and the former World #1 will return to defend his title against a world-class field that also includes the likes of Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, in January.