The Ladies European Tour and EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association) are teaming up for a new 36-hole tournament which will be played simultaneously with the Skaftö Open in Sweden this August.
The 36-hole EDGA event will be integrated into the 54-hole LET event to be played at Skaftö Golf Club.
Following two practise rounds, the first 18 holes of the new EDGA tournament will tee off just after the LET professionals on Saturday, August 27.
The final 18-holes, to take place on Sunday, August 28, will be integrated into the last round of the LET event, with the competitors teeing off at intervals of every five to six matches.
The field for the inaugural EDGA event, played by eight golfers with a disability (four male and four female) will see four sponsor invitations joined by four players who qualify from their position in the World Rankings. The players will be fully integrated into the event and enjoy the full experience as will every LET player on site at the Skaftö Open, and they will enjoy the thrill of being cheered along by the gallery as part of the final day action.
Golf is unique in that all ages, genders and abilities can compete together, and this tournament will further support one of EDGA’s primary missions, which is to help individuals with impairment to start, stay, succeed and enjoy golf. Together the LET and EDGE are dedicated to broadening opportunities for individuals to get involved with golf and give new competitive pathways for golfers.
The LET and the organisers of the Skaftö Open are committed to making golf more inclusive with a shared desire to create a closer connection to golfers with a disability.
Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “As an organisation, we are passionate about making golf more diverse – in the broadest sense. Along with our partners at the LPGA, our goal is to change the face of golf and make the sport we love more accessible and inclusive. We are committed to raising our game for everyone and this is just the start. We will build more involvement and diversity into our tournaments in the future.”
Tony Bennett, President of EDGA, said, “The Skaftö Open has a history of breaking new ground. The collaboration between the promoters of the Skaftö Open, the Ladies European Tour and EDGA demonstrates that golf is moving to greater inclusivity and illustrates golf’s commitment to a more diverse demographic in the sport.
“Women are currently underrepresented in golf, but this is changing, and this visionary initiative will help bring greater awareness of golf to women with a range of disabilities and is yet another example of the willingness of all parties to push the boundaries.”
LET player Alice Hewson said: “It’s really exciting that we will have an EDGA tournament alongside an LET tournament at the Skaftö Open. It’ll be fantastic for the LET girls to see players with impairments playing golf, and proving that golf is a sport for everyone.”
“We are looking forward so much to hosting a EDGA tournament together with our LET event Skaftö Open later this summer. The EDGA golf players are so impressive and it’s truly inspiring to watch them play golf. We would like to acknowledge these amazing golf players and give them a chance to show what they can do in a bigger arena,” said Reine Patriksson, Promoter Skaftö Open.