The Ladies European Tour has added a third tournament in Spain to its 2019 schedule following the announcement that Sotogrande is to host a new tournament in May.
La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, which is being sponsored by La Reserva de Sotogrande and organised by Deporte & Business, will be played from May 16-19.
Speaking at the launch of the new tournament, Marc Topiol, CEO of sponsors Sotogrande S.A., said: “I’m glad we could reach an agreement to host an additional event in the LET calendar and participate in this adventure. It is a very nice complement of what is happening in Sotogrande on an ongoing basis. I think is very important for us to support women’s sport and women’s golf. Sotogrande has been first in many things, and we are very proud in creating the first LET event in Sotogrande. I hope it last for a long, long time.”
Gonzaga Escauriaza, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation’s President, thanked the press and all the members of the presidential table and emphasized the importance of this event.
“Once again, we are delighted to offer the headquarters of the RFEG, the home of Spanish golf, to present this new Ladies European Tour tournament, La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational. Women’s golf is a top priority for us and we must thank Sotogrande for its involvement in this great tournament, the Ladies European Tour, with Mark Lichtenhein and Marta Figueras Dotti at the forefront, for making our country the mainstay of the LET schedule, and Deporte & Business for organizing this event. We are sure that it will be a great success and, at the same time, the best showcase for La Reserva, women’s golf and Spain.”
Mark Lichtenheim, Ladies European Tour’s CEO, said: “We are thrilled to bring Europe’s best female golfers to La Reserva, and I would like to thank Marc Topiol and Sotogrande S.A. for their vision in making this happen. La Reserva is a unique community and we look forward to showcasing the resort, its state-of-the-art facilities and its world class golf course through live television and digital coverage in more than 150 countries on all four tournament days. Spain’s commitment to women’s golf is second to none in Europe and our players love coming to this very hospitable country, which is fast becoming a home from home for them.”
Alicia Garrido, Executive Manager of Deporte & Business, the company organising the three Spanish events on the LET this season (La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, Estrella Damm Mediterránean Ladies Open and Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino), added: “La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational will be a full-field event with 126 players and a prize fund of €300,000. There will be three hours of live television coverage per day throughout the tournament. We’ve made a great effort to have that kind of coverage, but we think it is essential for women’s golf to reach a lot of homes where is not already well-known.
“This is a new tournament, and it’s being held at La Reserva de Sotogrande; that’s why it needs to have the best players and we will do our best to get them. The tournament will rise to the challenge of a great venue. It’s going to be a very exclusive event that will help to make known the unique lifestyle of Sotogrande.”