The Ladies European Tour, with support from Gateley plc, has made its first education grant awards to Emma Goddard and Leigh Whittaker.
The new grant-aid scheme was launched at the beginning of December last year as part of the ‘LET’s LEARN’ element of the LET’s development strategy. It exists to encourage LET members to give thought to their personal development, which could be relevant to their careers as professional golfers or their longer-term plans.
Goddard joined the tour in 2015 and achieved her maiden win on the LET’s Access Series in 2017 at the Riberia Sacra Patrimonio de la Humanidad International Ladies Open. She is now seeking to obtain an ASQ Level 5 Diploma in Golf Club Management through the Golf Club Manager’s Association.
Commenting on her award, Goddard said: “At some point in the future I would like to be a Director of Golf and I feel the time is right for me to start working towards that goal. The Gateley Grant will help me to gain the qualification that will give me the knowledge I need.”
Having enjoyed five years on the LET starting in 2013, Whittaker is working towards qualifying as a PGA coach and would like to undertake additional training to enhance her communications skills. Leigh said: “This Gateley Grant will enable me to attend a special course that will give me a much deeper understanding of how to communicate effectively. That will give me a much better understanding of my clients and how to reach out to them and to the goals they want to achieve.”
Two additional awards have been made to Germany’s Esther Henseleit and France’s Astrid Vayson de Pradenne.
The introduction of the grant-aid scheme is part of the LET’s longer-term objective to increase the number of women in decision-making roles in the sport. It is also consistent with the aims set out in The R&A’s ‘Women in Golf Charter’, to which the LET is a signatory.
Top Photo: LET Professional Emma Goddard and John Burns, Head of Sport at Gateley plc