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Ladies European Tour Chairman Karen Lunn has announced her retirement from competitive professional golf and will step into the position of Executive Director of the Australian Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour (ALPG) on September 9, 2013.
As a result of Lunn’s retirement and new position, Helena Alterby Nordstrom, who has been Vice Chairman of the LET since 2010, will take over the role of Chairman with immediate effect.
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Lunn joined the Tour in 1985 and amassed 14 tournament victories over a 29-year career, including the 1993 Women’s British Open.
She earned her first win on Tour in 1986, when she played through a snow storm to claim the Borlange Open in Sweden – the first time she had seen snow! She most recently won the 2012 Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco – and The Pilsen Ladies Masters was her final competitive event. Fittingly, she was also at Colorado Golf Club to witness one of the Tour’s greatest achievements: the European Team’s first victory on US soil in The Solheim Cup.
“I am extremely honoured to have been offered the role of Executive Director of the ALPG tour in Australia which I have accepted,” said Lunn.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate time to leave after having the pleasure of being in Colorado last week to witness Lotta Neumann’s European team’s historic win. Congratulations to Lotta, Carin, Annika and the entire European Team.
“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to my colleagues on the Ladies European Tour Board of Directors, with whom it has been a pleasure to work with over the past nine years. I would like to say particular thanks to our Non Executive Directors Roland Specker, Ronny Lemmens and Vivek Batra and my Vice Chairman Helena Alterby Nordstrom for their enormous contribution and input to the tour, and for their advice and guidance which has been invaluable to myself and the other Player Directors.”
Alterby Nordstrom commented: “It is an honour to have been given this great assignment. I will do my very best to continue the excellent work former chairman Karen Lunn has made through the years to grow the Ladies European Tour stronger.”
Ladies European Tour Chief Executive Officer Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh commented: “As the new chief executive of the LET I have had the full support of Karen at all times and her advice has been invaluable for me. I understand that Karen is ready to open a new chapter in her professional life and I wish her the very best. I look forward to staying in touch with her.”
Lunn was appointed Chairman of the Ladies European Tour in 2004 and was integral in overseeing the tour’s growth from 15 tournaments in 10 countries to 23 tournaments in 2013, offering playing opportunities in 18 different countries all over the world.
The staff and members of the Ladies European Tour would like to recognise her enormous contribution and wish Lunn all the best for the future.
About the Ladies European Tour:
The Ladies European Tour is a company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital, and its objectives are to promote world-wide interest in the game of golf, to maintain high standards in the promotion, development and conduct of ladies’ professional golf activities, to provide opportunities in tournament play and golf promotion for lady golf professionals, to co-operate with organisations engaged in golf promotion whose objectives are compatible with those of the Ladies European Tour and to protect and further the mutual interest of the Tour and its Members.
Formed as the WPGA in 1978, the first series of golf tournaments took place in Great Britain in 1979. Now in its 35th year, in 2013 the Ladies European Tour features 23 tournaments in 18 different countries globally.
With a strong base in Europe, the LET has in recent years expanded into new territories such as Dubai, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and China. In 2013, the international schedule began in Australia and concludes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Tour’s 300+ Members represent 40 different nationalities.
In 2010, the LET launched the LET Access Series, the official feeder tour to the Ladies European Tour, formed to give players not part of a major tour an opportunity to compete and progress on to the Ladies European Tour.
In January 2013, Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh became Chief Executive Officer of the Ladies European Tour, whose headquarters are located at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in Denham, near London, England.
