Ladies European Tour
Current season, competition or edition:  2018 Ladies European Tour | |
| Sport | Golf |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Countries | Based in Europe. Schedule includes events outside Europe, in Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the United States. |
| Most recent champion(s) |  Georgia Hall(2017 Order of Merit winner) |
| Most titles | Laura Davies (45) |
| Related competitions | European Tour |
| Official website | 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 different countries internationally. The tour operates tournaments across five continents globally.
Contents
1 History
2 Tournaments
3 2018 schedule and results
4 Past tour schedules
5 Order of Merit and seasonal award winners
6 Notes
7 References
8 See also
9 External links
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 Golf Association (WPGA) was formed as part of Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland and a tour was established the following year.
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 its current name, Ladies European Tour Limited. In 2008 the tour relocated to offices at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club, which is just outside London.[1]
Getting a women's tour established in Europe was not easy. Whereas men's tour golf in Europe developed in parallel with that in the United States, the women's tour had to compete against a well established rival in the U.S. LPGA Tour from its foundation.
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. In 2010, the LET Access Series (LETAS) was launched as the official development tour.
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.
In 2016, the LET took on extra significance for players looking to qualify for the Olympic Games and 30 LET players from 20 different countries participated in the Olympic golf competition at Rio 2016.
In 2018, the Tour will celebrate four decades of women's professional golf as part of its 40th anniversary.
Tournaments
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).[2] The total of events has been roughly stable since 2010; 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.
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.
2018 schedule and results
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[a] | Total purse (€)[b] |
|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 14 | 9 | |
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 | 11,182,500 |
| 2010 | 25 | 21 | 11,055,525 |
| 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 |
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2013 | Suzann Pettersen[3] | €518,448 |  Lee-Anne Pace | Charley Hull | Suzann Pettersen | 68.20 |
| 2012 |  Carlota Ciganda[4] | €251,290 | Carlota Ciganda[4] | Carlota Ciganda[4] | Shanshan Feng | 69.00 |
| 2011 |  Ai Miyazato | €363,080 | Caroline Hedwall | Caroline Hedwall | Suzann Pettersen | 69.36 |
| 2010 | Lee-Anne Pace | €339,518 | Lee-Anne Pace |  I.K. Kim | Suzann Pettersen | 69.75 |
| 2009 | Sophie Gustafson | €281,315 |  Catriona Matthew | Anna Nordqvist | Catriona Matthew | 70.83 |
| 2008 | Gwladys Nocera | €391,840 | Gwladys Nocera | Melissa Reid | Suzann Pettersen | 68.60 |
| 2007 | Sophie Gustafson | €222,081 |  Bettina Hauert | Louise Stahle | Sophie Gustafson | 70.96 |
| 2006 | Laura Davies | €471,727 | Gwladys Nocera |  Nikki Garrett | Annika Sörenstam | 68.33 |
| 2005 | Iben Tinning | €204,672 | Iben Tinning | Elisa Serramià | Laura Davies | 70.35 |
| 2004 | Laura Davies | 777.26 pts | Stéphanie Arricau |  Minea Blomqvist | Laura Davies | 70.31 |
| 2003 | Sophie Gustafson | 917.95 pts | Sophie Gustafson | Rebecca Stevenson | Sophie Gustafson | 69.93 |
| 2002 | Paula Martí | 6,589 pts | Annika Sörenstam | Kirsty S. Taylor | Sophie Gustafson | 70.59 |
| 2001 | Raquel Carriedo | 10,661 pts | Raquel Carriedo | Suzann Pettersen | Catriona Matthew | 70.08 |
| 2000 | Sophie Gustafson | 8,777 pts | Sophie Gustafson |  Giulia Sergas | Sophie Gustafson | 71.21 |
| 1999 | Laura Davies | £204,522 | Laura Davies | Elaine Ratcliffe | Laura Davies | 70.50 |
| 1998 | Helen Alfredsson | £125,975 | Sophie Gustafson | Laura Philo | Laura Davies | 71.96 |
| 1997 | Alison Nicholas | £94,590 | Alison Nicholas | Anna Berg | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | 72.20 |
| 1996 | Laura Davies | £110,880 | Laura Davies | Anne-Marie Knight | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | 71.39 |
| 1995 | Annika Sörenstam | £130,324 | Annika Sörenstam | Karrie Webb | Annika Sörenstam | 69.75 |
| 1994 | Liselotte Neumann | £102,750 | n/a | Tracy Hanson | Liselotte Neumann | 69.56 |
| 1993 | Karen Lunn | £81,266 | n/a | Annika Sörenstam | Laura Davies | 71.63 |
| 1992 | Laura Davies | £66,333 | n/a | Sandrine Mendiburu | Laura Davies | 70.35 |
| 1991 | Corinne Dibnah | £89,058 | n/a | Helen Wadsworth | Alison Nicholas | 71.71 |
| 1990 | Trish Johnson | £83,043 | n/a | Pearl Sinn | Trish Johnson | 70.64 |
| 1989 | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | £77,534 | n/a | Helen Alfredsson | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | 70.84 |
| 1988 | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | £109,360 | n/a |  Laurette Maritz | Marie-Laure de Lorenzi | 72.30 |
| 1987 | Dale Reid | £53,815 | n/a | Trish Johnson | Dale Reid | 72.70 |
| 1986 | Laura Davies | £37,500 | n/a | Patricia González | Laura Davies | 72.09 |
| 1985 | Laura Davies | £21,735 | n/a | Laura Davies | ||
| 1984 | Dale Reid | £28,239 | n/a | Kitrina Douglas | Dale Reid | 73.01 |
| 1983 | Muriel Thomson | £9,225 | n/a | n/a | Beverly Huke | 74.98 |
| 1982 | Jenny Lee Smith | £12,551 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1981 | Jenny Lee Smith | £13,518 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1980 | Muriel Thomson | £8,008 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1979 | Catherine Panton | £4,965 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
Notes
^ Individual events counting towards the Order of Merit only. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland counted separately.
^ Individual events counting towards the Order of Merit only. Excludes team events and qualifying school.
References
^ "About the Ladies European Tour". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 17 December 2011..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ abc "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.
See also
- 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
