JEDDAH: Golfers from the Ladies European Tour have praised the decision by Aramco Saudi Ladies International to award prize money of $5m next year, equaling the prize money on offer at the men’s PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour.
“I think it is great,” LET CEO Alexandra Armas said on the sidelines of the Aramco Team Series event taking place in Jeddah. “Obviously it’s of huge significance for several reasons. First, for the women to have a prize fund equivalent to the men is a bold statement and a very important statement that needed to be made. But also, from a practical perspective, it has an enormous impact on some very talented athletes that have a chance to compete for very significant money. Ultimately this is their career and prize funds at this level will definitely go a long way to making it a realistic career option.”
Asked how this development would influence the LET, she said: “Having a relationship with Golf Saudi and the Aramco events has already elevated the standard of the event. It’s the quality and benchmark that we would expect for our athletes, and seeing this reflected now, in this level of prize fund, it’s just going to keep driving the growth of the tour and women’s golf.”
English golfer Georgia Hall, one of the tour’s leading players, called the decision “incredible.”
She said: “I heard positive things from the other players. I think they are all excited to play in the event in February next year, me included. It’s such a great statement. I think it will encourage other companies, hopefully, to also raise the bar for future events.”
Hall added that the increased purse will likely attract more players to the tournament, including LPGA players.
“(We’re) really thankful to Majed (Al-Sorour) and to Golf Saudi for supporting the event. It’s gone from strength-to-strength every year that I’ve been a part of it,” she continued. “The players are really grateful to them and we look forward to playing in February. And hopefully, slowly, tournaments like this will (see women offered) equal prize funds.”
Waleed Muath, Golf Saudi general counsel, said: “We felt very comfortable with the increased purse and our long-term commitment to the LET. This is an exciting time for us at Golf Saudi and we will continue to do more to see stronger fields here.”
Armas also praised the partnership between the LET and the Aramco Team Series, which started three years ago.
“It’s been an incredible partnership,” she said. “This is the 13th event we’ve done together with Golf Saudi in a three-year span. It all started with the Aramco Saudi Ladies International that was due to take place in 2020, and then COVID hit and the schedule got reduced significantly, and we were looking at other opportunities to give players the chance to compete. Because if they’re not competing, they are not working.”