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The Ladies Italian Open will return to the Ladies European Tour schedule this summer when the event takes place at Perugia Golf Club on 27-29 June, 2014. It will be the LET’s first visit to Perugia, Umbria’s picturesque capital in central Italy, located on a high hilltop bordering Tuscany, Lazio and Marche.
The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be the LET’s ninth stop of 2014 with a full field of 126 players teeing up for a €250,000 prize fund.
Italy has a long association with the Ladies European Tour. The first Italian Open was contested in 1987 when Laura Davies triumphed at Croara and the most recent, at Il Picciolo in Sicily in 2011, resulted in Christina Kim’s first LET victory.
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There have been 23 editions of the Italian Open on the LET schedule since 1987 and active former champions include Davies (1987, 1988 and 1992), Sophie Gustafson (2000), Gwladys Nocera (2006), Trish Johnson (2007), Marianne Skarpnord (2009) and Kim (2011).
Perugia Golf Club President, Antonio Mari, commented: “We are really proud to have such an important tournament. The Ladies Italian Open is for Golf Club Perugia an occasion to show the world the beauty of our region, one of the most fascinating areas of Italy. We are sure that the players will appreciate our hospitality and the uniqueness of the course, where every shot must be thorough and calculated.”
Ivan Khodabakhsh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ladies European Tour, said: “We are delighted to announce this new tournament in Italy. It will give our members another opportunity to play and I’m sure that they will enjoy the tournament and all the region has to offer.”
Perugia Golf Club is an oasis in the heart of Italy located just 6 kilometres from the city and is strategically positioned close to the cultural cities of Assissi, Gubbio, Todi, Spoleto and Cortona.
The par-71 course opened in 1959 and the clubhouse, made from an old lime kiln, dates back to 1921.
The development and increase in participation of female Italian golfers since the launch of the Ladies Italian Open is evident from the players’ successes and increase in participation. In 1987, Federica Dassù was the nation’s only player in the tournament, whereas today, the country has several international stars including Diana Luna and Giulia Sergas, who have both represented Europe in The Solheim Cup.
For further information visit the official website: www.golfclubperugia.it.
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