Ladies European Tour

Ladies European Tour

Current season, competition or edition: 2024 Ladies European Tour
Sport	Golf
Founded	1978
CEO	Alexandra Armas
Countries	Based in Europe. Schedule includes events outside Europe, in Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the United States.
Most titles	Laura Davies (45)
Related competitions	European Tour
Official website	http://ladieseuropeantour.com

The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. It is based at Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money, rather than on making profits for investors. The tour is run by a board of directors and a Players' Council. Most of the players on the tour are European, with members from more than 40 countries internationally. The tour operates tournaments across five continents.

History

The U.S.-based LPGA was founded in 1950, but women's professional golf was slower to get established in Europe. In 1978 the Women's Professional Golfers' Association (WPGA) was formed as part of Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland. A tour was established the following year with Carlsberg as the main sponsor, supporting 12 36-hole tournaments, with several other tournaments including the Women's British Open on the schedule. ^{[1] [2]} For the first two seasons, the majority of tournaments were held over 36-holes; in 1981, that increased to 54-holes. Total prize money on the tour was planned to rise to £250,000 in 1981, from £80,000 in the inaugural season, ^[3] but several tournaments and pro-ams were lost after sponsors withdrew. ^[4]

Carlsberg ended their sponsorship after the 1981 season, ^[5] and despite initial optimism, ^[6] the tour experienced further problems during its fourth season in 1982 as several more events were cancelled. The circuit was left with just ten tournaments, from which few players could make a living, and the future of the WPGA was being questioned. ^[7]

In 1988 the tour members decided to form an independent company, the Women Professional Golfers' European Tour Limited. This new company moved away from the PGA's headquarters at The Belfry and set up its own headquarters at the Tytherington Club in Cheshire. In 1998 the Tour changed its name to European Ladies' Professional Golf Association Limited and again in July 2000 to Ladies European Tour Limited. In 2008 the tour relocated to offices at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club, which is just outside London. ^[8] In 2010, the LET Access Series (LETAS) was launched as the official development tour.

In January 2020, the Ladies European Tour entered into a joint venture arrangement with the LPGA Tour, with the stated aim of "increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe". The board of directors of Ladies European Golf Venture Limited, which assumed control of the tour, includes high level representatives from the LPGA Tour, European Tour, and The R&A. The 2020 season is the first edition of the Race to Costa Del Sol.

Tournaments

Unlike in men's golf, the European and American tours do not share a common set of majors, although the Women's British Open and The Evian Championship are currently recognised as majors by both organisations.

The Ladies European Tour organises the Solheim Cup when in Europe and in 2011, the Tour received a boost when the European side won for The Cup for the fourth time on home soil at Killeen Castle in Ireland. The success continued when Europe earned an historic first away victory at Colorado Golf Club, winning The Cup for the fifth time in 2013.

A record 26 official money events were scheduled for the 2008 season, which also saw the introduction of a new team competition called the European Ladies Golf Cup. Also, for the first time in several years, the LET scheduled an event opposite one of the LPGA's majors, with the ABN AMRO Open held opposite the LPGA Championship. The schedule dropped to 23 official money events in 2009, but increased to 25 for 2010. In both years, the Ladies Open of Portugal was scheduled opposite the LPGA Championship.

The 2016 schedule featured 21 events including the Olympic Golf Competition in Rio de Janeiro (the biennial Solheim Cup, held in odd-numbered years, is also an official LET event but will next be played in 2017 in Iowa). ^[9] The total of events has been in steep decline since 2016; the peak was 28 in 2008. The two richest events by far are the two European Majors: The Evian Championship (historically the Evian Masters) and the Women's British Open. In 2016, 10 other events (in Australia, China, Morocco, England, Scotland, Germany, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Japan and Dubai) had prize funds in excess of €450,000, with the remainder having prize funds of between €200,000 and €400,000. Total prize money from the 2016 events passed €14 million.

2023 schedule and results

Main article: 2023 Ladies European Tour

Past tour schedules

Individual LET tournaments have purses fixed in a mixture of Australian dollars, British pounds, euro, New Zealand dollars and U.S. dollars, so year on year changes in the total prize fund reflect exchange rate fluctuations as well as prize fund movements in constant currencies.

Year	Ranking tournaments	Countries [lower-alpha 1]	Total purse [lower-alpha 2]
2022	34	22	€5,375,000+ $24,700,000
2021	23	15	€4,630,000+ $15,100,000
2020	24	18	€17,834,000
2019	20	13
2018	15	9	€11,486,888
2017	16	11
2016	21	15	€14,063,149
2015	20	14	€12,638,013
2014	23	18	€11,502,840
2013	22	17	€10,870,618
2012	24	19	€11,806,680
2011	25	20	€11,032,500
2010	25	21	€11,048,525
2009	21	16	€9,940,358
2008	28	21	€11,647,814
2007	24	18	€10,563,950
2006	20	16	€9,674,536
2005	18	14	€7,875,255
2004	15	10	€7,298,245
2003	14	10	€7,442,162
2002	14	10	€7,626,724
2001	15	12	£4,509,905
2000	16	11	£3,765,000
1999	15	10	£3,197.999
1998	11	9	£2,374,000
1997	15	10	£2,880,000
1996	18	13	£2,589,790
1995	18		£2,300,060
1994	15		£1,852,550
1993	11		£1,435,336
1992	14		£1,663,716
1991	16		£1,605,875
1990	20		£1,900,325
1989	21		£1,600,000
1988	27		£1,565,622
1987	19		£930,000
1986	20		£750,000
1985	20		£580,000
1984	21		£347,470
1983	16		£170,050
1982	10	6	£121,450
1981	13	5	£125,830
1980	21	5	£110,494
1979	18	5	£80,000

Source: ^[10]

Order of Merit and seasonal award winners

The Order of Merit is awarded to the leading money winner on the tour, though for some years in the past a points system was used. The Player's Player of the Year award is voted by the members of the Tour for the member they believe has contributed the most to the season on the Tour. The Rookie of the Year (known as the Bill Johnson Trophy from 1999 to 2003 and now the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year) is awarded to the leading first-year player on the Order of Merit rankings.

Year	Order of Merit		Player of the Year	Rookie of the Year	Lowest stroke average		Ref.
2023	Trichat Cheenglab	1966.52 pts	Johanna Gustavsson	Trichat Cheenglab	Céline Boutier	69.58
2022	Linn Grant	3624.91 pts	Linn Grant	Linn Grant	Maja Stark	69.27
2021	Atthaya Thitikul	3591.96 pts	Atthaya Thitikul	Atthaya Thitikul	Leona Maguire	69.50
2020	Emily Kristine Pedersen	1249.35 pts	Emily Kristine Pedersen	Stephanie Kyriacou	Emily Kristine Pedersen	70.40
2019	Esther Henseleit	743.06 pts	Marianne Skarpnord	Esther Henseleit	Carlota Ciganda	69.08
2018	Georgia Hall	667.73 pts	Georgia Hall	Julia Engström	Carlota Ciganda	69.31
2017	Georgia Hall	€368,935	Georgia Hall	Camille Chevalier	Anna Nordqvist	68.18
2016	Beth Allen	€313,079	Beth Allen	Aditi Ashok	Shanshan Feng	68.80
2015	Shanshan Feng	€399,213	Nicole Broch Larsen	Emily Kristine Pedersen	Shanshan Feng	69.78
2014	Charley Hull	€263,097	Charley Hull	Amy Boulden	Suzann Pettersen	70.25	[11] [12]
2013	Suzann Pettersen	€518,448	Lee-Anne Pace	Charley Hull	Suzann Pettersen	68.20	[13]
2012	Carlota Ciganda	€251,290	Carlota Ciganda [14]	Carlota Ciganda [14]	Shanshan Feng	69.00	[14] [15]
2011	Ai Miyazato	€363,080	Caroline Hedwall	Caroline Hedwall	Suzann Pettersen	69.36	[15]
2010	Lee-Anne Pace	€339,518	Lee-Anne Pace	I.K. Kim	Suzann Pettersen	69.75	[15]
2009	Sophie Gustafson	€281,315	Catriona Matthew	Anna Nordqvist	Catriona Matthew	70.83	[15]
2008	Gwladys Nocera	€391,840	Gwladys Nocera	Melissa Reid	Suzann Pettersen	68.60	[15]
2007	Sophie Gustafson	€222,081	Bettina Hauert	Louise Stahle	Sophie Gustafson	70.96	[15]
2006	Laura Davies	€471,727	Gwladys Nocera	Nikki Garrett	Annika Sörenstam	68.33	[15]
2005	Iben Tinning	€204,672	Iben Tinning	Elisa Serramià	Laura Davies	70.35	[15] [16]
2004	Laura Davies	777.26 pts	Stéphanie Arricau	Minea Blomqvist	Laura Davies	70.31	[15]
2003	Sophie Gustafson	917.95 pts	Sophie Gustafson	Rebecca Stevenson	Sophie Gustafson	69.93	[15]
2002	Paula Martí	6,589 pts	Annika Sörenstam	Kirsty S. Taylor	Sophie Gustafson	70.59	[15]
2001	Raquel Carriedo	10,661 pts	Raquel Carriedo	Suzann Pettersen	Catriona Matthew	70.08	[15]
2000	Sophie Gustafson	8,777 pts	Sophie Gustafson	Giulia Sergas	Sophie Gustafson	71.21	[15]
1999	Laura Davies	£204,522	Laura Davies	Elaine Ratcliffe	Laura Davies	70.50	[15] [17]
1998	Helen Alfredsson	£125,975	Sophie Gustafson	Laura Philo	Laura Davies	71.96	[15] [18]
1997	Alison Nicholas	£94,590	Alison Nicholas	Anna Berg	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	72.20	[19]
1996	Laura Davies	£110,880	Laura Davies	Anne-Marie Knight	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	71.39	[15] [20]
1995	Annika Sörenstam	£130,324	Annika Sörenstam	Karrie Webb	Annika Sörenstam	69.75	[15] [21]
1994	Liselotte Neumann	£102,750	n/a	Tracy Hanson	Liselotte Neumann	69.56	[22]
1993	Karen Lunn	£81,266	n/a	Annika Sörenstam	Laura Davies	71.63	[23]
1992	Laura Davies	£66,333	n/a	Sandrine Mendiburu	Laura Davies	70.35	[24]
1991	Corinne Dibnah	£89,058	n/a	Helen Wadsworth	Alison Nicholas	71.71	[25]
1990	Trish Johnson	£83,043	n/a	Pearl Sinn	Trish Johnson	70.64	[26]
1989	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	£77,534	n/a	Helen Alfredsson	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	70.84	[27]
1988	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	£109,360	n/a	Laurette Maritz	Marie-Laure de Lorenzi	72.30	[28]
1987	Dale Reid	£53,815	n/a	Trish Johnson	Dale Reid	72.70	[29]
1986	Laura Davies	£37,500	n/a	Patricia González	Laura Davies	72.09	[30]
1985	Laura Davies	£21,735	n/a	Laura Davies			[31]
1984	Dale Reid	£28,239	n/a	Kitrina Douglas	Dale Reid	73.01	[15]
1983	Muriel Thomson	£9,225	n/a	n/a	Beverly Huke	74.98	[32]
1982	Jenny Lee Smith	£12,551	n/a	n/a	n/a		[15]
1981	Jenny Lee Smith	£13,518	n/a	n/a	n/a		[15]
1980	Muriel Thomson	£8,008	n/a	n/a	n/a		[15]
1979	Catherine Panton	£4,965	n/a	n/a	n/a		[15]

Notes

1. Individual events counting towards the Order of Merit only. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Guernsey counted separately.
2. Individual events counting towards the Order of Merit only. Excludes team events and qualifying school.

References

1. Ryde, Peter (18 May 1978). "Quality will decide if new WPGA acorn grows into mighty oak" . The Times. p. 12. Retrieved 24 September 2020– via The Times Digital Archive.
2. Mair, Lewine (31 October 1978). "Women's professional tour becomes a reality" . The Times. p. 8. Retrieved 24 September 2020– via The Times Digital Archive.
3. Plumridge, Christopher (9 December 1980). "Women's circuit is booming" . The Guardian. London, England. p. 21. Retrieved 24 September 2020– via Newspapers.com.
4. Hennessy, John (17 March 1981). "Bleak prspect of drop in prize money for women" . The Times. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2020– via The Times Digital Archive.
5. "Sponsors sought for Balgownie" . Aberdeen Press and Journal. 16 February 1982. Retrieved 25 September 2020– via British Newspaper Archive.
6. Jacobs, Raymond. "Faldo well on the way towards a 'safe' figure". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 25 September 2020– via Google News Archive.
7. Hennessy, John (17 August 1982). "A year when women have a slim chance of survival" . The Times. p. 16. Retrieved 25 September 2020– via The Times Digital Archive.
8. "About the Ladies European Tour". Ladies European Tour. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
9. "The 2014 Ladies European Tour Schedule Announced" (Press release). Ladies European Tour. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
10. LET Tour Guide 2013. Ladies European Tour. 2013. pp. 159–200. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
11. "Charley Hull wins Ladies European Tour's Order of Merit". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
12. "Teenager Charley Hull wins Ladies European Tour Order of Merit". Press Association. The Guardian. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
13. "Pettersen wins ISPS HANDA Order of Merit". Ladies European Tour. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
14. "Carlota Ciganda wins the LET's 2012 Rolex Rookie of the Year Award". Ladies European Tour. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
15. LET Tour Guide 2013. Ladies European Tour. 2013. p. 201. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
16. "Tinning Named LET Players Player". Golf Channel Newsroom. 19 December 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
17. "Amarican Express Tour, Penningligan (Slutställning)" [Amarican Express Tour, Money leaders (final standings)]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1999. p. 68. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
18. "Amarican Express Tour, Penningligan (Slutställning)" [Amarican Express Tour, Money leaders (final standings)]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1998. p. 87. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
19. "Fakta från Amex Tour (slutställning) Europatourens fem bästa" [Facts from Amex Tour (final standings) European Tour top five]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1997. p. 89. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
20. "Facit 1996, Fakta från AmEx Tour, Penningligan (Slutställning)" [Season 1996, Facts from AmEx Tour, Money leaders (final standings)]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1996. p. 89. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
21. "Facit 1995, Fakta från American Express Tour (Slutställning)" [Season 1995, Facts from American Express Tour (final standings)]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1995. p. 73. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
22. "Facit 1994, Fakta från WPGET - slutställning" [Season 1994, Facts from WPGET - final standings]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 1. January 1995. p. 51. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
23. "Facit -93, Fakta från WPGET, Penningligan" [Season 1993, Facts from WPGET, Money leaders]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 1. January 1994. p. 47. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
24. "Facit -92, WPG European Tour, , Penningligan" [Season 1992, WPG European Tour, Money leaders]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 1. January 1993. p. 74. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
25. "Facit -92, Europa-touren, damer, Penningligan" [Season 1991, European Tour, Ladies, Money leaders]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 1. January 1992. p. 80. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
26. "Facit -90, Europa-touren, damer, Penningligan" [Season 1990, European Tour, Ladies, Money leaders]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1990. p. 91. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
27. "Facit -89, Europa-touren, damer, Penningligan" [Season 1989, European Tour, Ladies, Money leaders]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1989. p. 67. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
28. "Facit -88, Europa-touren, damer, WPG" [Season 1988, European Tour, Ladies, WPG]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1988. p. 67. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
29. "Facit -87, Europa-touren, damer, WPGA" [Season 1987, European Tour, Ladies, WPGA]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1987. p. 67. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
30. "Facit -86, Europa-touren, damer, WPGA" [Season 1986, European Tour, Ladies, WPGA]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1986. p. 81. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
31. "Facit -85, WPGA-touren" [Season 1985, WPGA Tour]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1985. p. 48. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
32. "Kärstin sjua" [Kärstin seventh]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 9. December 1983. p. 21. Retrieved 18 September 2023.

See also

• Women's sports
• List of golfers with most Ladies European Tour wins
• Ladies European Tour records
• Women's World Golf Rankings
• Professional golf tours

External links

• Official site of the Ladies European Tour