The Ladies European Tour on Saturday announced the 2016 season schedule, reinforcing the tour’s global footprint.
Starting with the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open at Clearwater Golf Club in Harewood on 12-15 February, the golfing odyssey will culminate with the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on 7-10 December.
With the Olympic Games on the horizon, the ranking points available from tournaments will be highly sought after in 2016, as players from a multitude of different countries aim to qualify when golf returns to the programme after a 104-year absence, with the women’s tournament taking place at Reserva da Marapendi in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 17-20.
Ivan Khodabakhsh, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “This is the confirmed schedule and we have more exciting tournaments soon to be announced but we want to provide these tournaments with dedicated press conferences and they will be announced in January.”
The 2016 schedule places a premium on quality events with improved purses and a significantly increased number of live television broadcast hours, with a consistent on-screen presence on five continents globally.
“These tournaments invest in live television,” Khodabakhsh continued. “We need to showcase to the world women’s golf, and this year we have I believe 11 or 12 tournaments, and next year we will have 16 tournaments live. That’s what will make the difference.”
The LET will also continue the work of its recently created Development Department, which will strengthen the organisation’s bonds with golf’s governing bodies and tournament promoters who share its vision to grow the game in all parts of the world.
The 2016 Ladies European Tour schedule:
DATE |
COUNTRY |
TOURNAMENT |
VENUE |
| Feb 12 – 14 | NEW ZEALAND | ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open | Clearwater Golf Club, Harewood, New Zealand |
| Feb 18-21 | AUSTRALIA | ISPS Handa Australia Women’s Open | The Grange Golf Course, West Course, South Australia |
| Feb 25 – 28 | AUSTRALIA | RACV Ladies Masters | RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
| Mar 10 – 13 | CHINA | World Ladies Championship | Mission Hills Dongguan’s Rose-Poulter & Olazabal Courses, Dongguan, China |
| May 5 – 8 | MOROCCO | Lalla Meryem Cup | Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Rabat, Morocco |
| May 12 – 15 | CHINA | Buick Invitational | Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai, China |
| June 5 – 8 | TURKEY | Turkish Airlines Ladies Open | National Golf Club, Belek, Antalya, Turkey |
| June 17 – 19 | CZECH REPUBLIC | Pilsen Golf Masters | Golf Park Plzeň – Dýšina, Prague, Czech Republic |
| July 22 – 24 | SCOTLAND | Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open | Dundonald Links, Troon, Scotland |
| July 28-31 | ENGLAND | Ricoh Women’s British Open | Woburn Golf and Country Club |
| August 15-18 | BRAZIL | Rio Olympics | Reserva da Marapendi |
| August 25 – 28 | ENGLAND | ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters | TBA |
| Sept 8 – 11 | SWEDEN | The Swedish Open | TBA |
| Sept 15-18 | FRANCE | Evian Championship | Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France |
| Oct 6 – 9 | FRANCE | Lacoste Ladies Open de France | Golf de Chantaco, Saint Jean De Luz, France |
| Oct 13 – 16 | CHINA | Xiamen International Ladies Open | Xiamen Orient Golf Country Club, Haicang, Xiamen, China |
| Oct 20 – 23 | CHINA | Sanya Ladies Open | Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, Hainan Province, China |
| Nov 10 – 13 | INDIA | Hero Women’s Indian Open | DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon, India |
| Dec 2 – 4 | JAPAN | Kowa Queens Cup (Team Match Play) | Miyoshi Country Club, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Dec 7 – 10 | U.A.E. | Omega Dubai Ladies Masters | Emirates Golf Club, (Majlis Course), U.A.E. |
