This International Women’s Day, our CEO Alexandra Armas reflects on the development of the Ladies European Tour (LET) and celebrates the growth she’s witnessed in the women’s game.
Alexandra Armas represents the LET through to its core. A former player, the Spaniard competed on the circuit between 2001 and 2005 where she also served as a Player Director.
In 2005, Armas was then chosen by the Board to become the LET’s Executive Director – a role she took on until 2012 before vacating to set up her own sports marketing consultancy.
Returning as CEO in January 2020, Armas led the LET through one of its most difficult periods during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pivotal in keeping the Tour afloat during such testing times, Armas struck a vital alliance with the LPGA and remains committed to increasing playing opportunities and prize money purses for all LET members.
After announcing a record-breaking schedule for 2023, we caught up with the CEO to reflect on the ever-growing progress of the LET…
“Growing the LET tournaments has been my proudest achievement so far,” Armas says. “The talent has always been there, but if players don’t have anywhere to play on a consistent basis, that is lost very quickly.
“In terms of how the LET has developed over the last few years, it’s been about taking it back to basics – working with the LPGA and realigning our objectives, which is more tournaments, more prize funds, and more playing opportunities. That’s our commitment and what we want to do.”
In 2023, LET members will be competing for at least €35 million across 30 events – 10 more than in 2019, the year before Armas took over as CEO.
She explains: “Golf is a game where you need to be out there and experience momentum, playing week in week out. So if there’s big gaps in the schedule that’s not going to happen. So now having a consistent schedule and growing the European events has been so important.
“Our core purpose is very simple. It’s giving players an opportunity to compete and make a living. That’s reflected in prize money, so events like the Aramco Saudi Ladies International – with the $5 million purse – offer a huge opportunity and make a huge difference to the lives of many of our athletes.
“The work our athletes put in is comparable to the hours the men put in, there’s no difference. To get to the top of sport, you must be dedicated from a very young age. So to be able to offer a comparable prize fund to the men is a fair statement and reflects the time and commitment our athletes have put in throughout the years.“
Armas has also committed to expanding the schedule globally to help take golf to new corners of the world. In 2023, the LET will be staged in 21 different countries, something the CEO believes will encourage more young girls to take up the sport.
“It’s hugely important to stage events all over the world,” Armas continues. “We have a global footprint and we’re always welcoming federations to participate.
“The biggest way to get the next generation into the game is to show them what a tournament is and to help young girls see that golf is a career opportunity. It’s a big part of what we do and how we feel we can impact the game.
“I’m a big fan of national opens, so working together with national federations has provided further opportunities to inspire the next generation to get on Tour. We have a clear pathway for amateurs to develop, and I think that’s been critical in developing the LET.”
So just how far has Armas seen women’s golf develop throughout her career in the sport?
“I’ve seen women’s golf grow so much, but especially over the past few years,” she explains. “I think the most obvious thing would be the popularity of the game across the globe and how many countries it’s now played in and recognised.
“I grew up in Spain, and when I started playing as a kid in the 1980s I would go to school and they would say, ‘what’s your hobby?’, and I would say ‘golf’, and everybody would look at me like, ‘what?‘
“But now that perception in Spain is very different, and the same can be said for many other countries when it comes to women’s golf.
“When I started playing golf, I also had to use clubs that were cut down. There were no clubs for girls, and no fashionable clothing tailored specifically for women or girls. But now fashion has changed, equipment has changed, and it’s become a lot more female friendly.
“Golf is a great sport for girls and women. It’s a non-contact sport. It’s non-intrusive. It’s social. It’s family friendly. It’s good for your health.”
So what’s next as women’s golf continues to grow and bridge the gap between the men’s game?
Armas says: “A critical element to increasing playing opportunities as well as prize funds is the media – getting more media coverage and making our product more accessible to the fans. That is the next trigger to help take women’s golf to the next stage, to help grow the appreciation and interest in the women’s game.”
