Talk about an instant turnaround. The Ladies European Tour schedule is out, and it’s a massive step in the right direction. There are seven new events on the docket for 2020, including 15 in Europe. Overall prize money is up $4.96 million (4.5 million euros) to $19.8 million (18 million euros).
Anne van Dam now serves as an ambassador for the new Dutch Ladies Open, played at her home course, Rosendealsche Golf Club, in Arnhem.
There are two new tournaments in Sweden, including the $1.65 million (€1.5 million) Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika and the Creekhouse Ladies Open. The tour also returns to Switzerland with the new VP Bank Ladies Swiss Open next September.
The previously announced Saudi Ladies Championship offers a $1 million purse.
The season ends with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino in November, an event that doubled its prize fund to $661,917 (€600,000). It also marks the end of the Race to Costa del Sol, a season-long competition offering $275,798 (€275,000) between the top three finishers on the official ranking.
“It’s important to have an event in your country to help develop the game and inspire the next generation,” said van Dam, “just as I was inspired when I was able to watch and then play in the Dutch Ladies Open when I was young. The 2020 schedule is looking really strong and I’m so pleased to have an event in the Netherlands.”
Late last year, LET players voted almost unanimously to combine efforts with the LPGA. The new LPGA-LET Joint Venture board includes: includes six directors from the LET (Marta Figueras-Dotti, Eleanor Givens, Catriona Matthew, Liz Young, Justin Abbott and Alastair Ruxton), four Directors from the LPGA (Commissioner Mike Whan, Liz Moore, Kathy Milthorpe and Mike Nichols), one from The R&A (Chief Executive Martin Slumbers) and one from the European Tour (Chief Executive Keith Pelley).
“The LET and the LPGA only began working together in September 2019, but we’ve been blown away with the results in the first 90 days and the positive response from across the golf industry,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said in a statement. “With overall purse increases and seven new events, our athletes will have more opportunities for success. It’s exciting to think what we can accomplish after a full year of working with our new Board. We have a long way to go, but I’m so happy to say that this is the best position that European women’s professional golf has ever been in.”
Matthew, the 2019 and 2021 European Solheim Cup captain, has committed to compete on the LET this season. The LPGA veteran and Women’s British Open winner lives with her husband and two daughters in Scotland.
“This is a tour that existing players and those joining for the first time should be proud to be part of,” said Matthew. “I’ll be keeping an eye on some of the exciting young players coming through as we look ahead to retaining the Solheim Cup in Toledo next year.”
2020 LET Schedule
*subject to currency exchange rates
| Date | Title/Location | Euro/USD prize fund |
| Feb. 20-23 | Australian Ladies Classic Bonville, Bonville Golf Resort, Bonville, New South Wales, Australia | €240,000*/$264,766.80 |
| Feb. 27 – March 1 | Women’s New South Wales Open, Dubbo Golf Club, New South Wales, Australia | €210,000*/$231,670.95 |
| March 12-14 | Investec South African Women’s Open, Westlake Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa | €200,000*/$220,639 |
| March 19-22 | The Saudi Ladies Championship, Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia | €901,000*/$1,000,000 |
| May 7-9 | Jabra Ladies Open, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France | €200,000/$220,639 |
| May 14-17 | La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande, Sotogrande, Spain | €300,000/$330,958.50 |
| May 29-31 | The Mithra Belgian Ladies Open, Naxhelet, Wanxe, Belgium | €200,000/$220,639 |
| June 4-7 | Lalla Meryem Cup, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Blue Course), Rabat, Morocco | €450,000/$496,437.75 |
| June 11-14 | Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika, Bro Hoff Slott Golf Club (Stadium Course), Stockholm, Sweden | €1,500,000/$1,654,792.50 |
| July 2-5 | Dutch Ladies Open, Rosendealsche Golf Club, Arnhem, the Netherlands | €200,000/$220,639 |
| July 16-19 | Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, Club de Golf Terramar, Sitges, Spain | €300,000/$330,958.50 |
| July 23-26 | Evian Championship, Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France | €3,700,000*/$4,100,000 |
| Aug. 5-8 | Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Kasumigaseki Country Club (East Course), Saitama, Japan | N/A |
| Aug. 6-9 | UK Event Confirmed | €991,500*/$1,100,000 |
| Aug. 13-16 | Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland | €1,352,000/$1,500,000 |
| Aug. 20-23 | AIG Women’s British Open, Royal Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland | €4,055,000*/$4,500,000 |
| Aug. 28-30 | TIPSPORT Czech Ladies Open, Golf Course Karlstejn, Liten, Czech Republic | €200,000/$220,639 |
| Sept. 3-6 | Creekhouse Ladies Open, Kristianstads Golfklubb (Åhus Östra Course), Åhus, Sweden | €400,000/$441,278 |
| Sept. 10-12 | VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, Golfpark Holzhäusern, Ennetsee, Switzerland | €200,000/$220,639 |
| Sept. 17-20 | Lacoste Ladies Open de France, Golf du Médoc (Chateaux Course), Le Pian-Médoc, France | €325,000/$358,538.38 |
| Sept. 24-27 | Ladies European Thailand Championship, Phoenix Gold Golf & Country Club, Thailand | €300,000/$330,958.50 |
| Oct. 1-4 | Hero Women’s Indian Open, DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, India | €450,000*/$500,000 |
| Nov. 4-6 | Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, Emirates Golf Club (Faldo Course), Dubai, United Arab Emirates | €260,000/$286,830.70 |
| Nov. 12-15 | Event Confirmed | €300,000/$330,958.50 |
| Nov. 26-29 | Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino, location TBC, Spain | €600,000/$661,917 |
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