Finnish rookie Marika Voss collected her first trophy on the Ladies European Tour – before even teeing up in a golf tournament.
At a special gathering of the Rookies prior to the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, the 26-year-old from Kuopio was presented with a magnificent silver ‘Quaich’ donated by The R&A and a pair of stylish sunglasses by ic! berlin for topping the rookie class in the R&A’s Level 1 Rules Academy Exam.
Denmark’s Daisy Neilsen and Germany’s Sophie Popov also both received a pair of sunglasses for finishing second and third respectively.
For the first time this year, all of the Ladies European Tour rookies were required to join the R&A’s impressive Online Rules Academy and complete the exam in order to better understand the Rules of Golf. Those who passed were presented with a certificate of achievement.
“An important element of being a tour player is understanding the etiquette and rules of golf and how to apply them. The R&A Rules Academy is a great way for the rookie professional to learn all she needs to know as she builds her career in golf. The R&A Rules Academy programme is also the perfect path for our players to follow in becoming a role model and helping others learn the rules and etiquette of golf,” said the LET’s Sport Director Sally McPherson.
Voss added: “I found the Online Rules Academy very interesting and simple to do, so I would recommend it to anyone who plays golf, no matter what their level. I’m sure it will be beneficial and it will certainly give me extra confidence on the golf course in my first year as a professional. The Lalla Meryem Cup is my first event and I’m now super excited to get going.”
The Rules Academy (http://rulesacademy.randa.org) is an online course developed by The R&A to promote an understanding of etiquette and the most commonly occurring Rules situations. It features videos, images and diagrams and includes revision questions after each section. At the end of the course there is an opportunity to take the R&A’s Level 1 Rules Exam.
David Rickman, the Executive Director, Rules and Equipment Standards for The R&A said: “Having a good grasp of etiquette and the most commonly occurring Rules is of benefit to all golfers, whether you are a beginner or experienced, or even an elite player on the Ladies’ European Tour. We are delighted that the LET shares our belief in the importance of etiquette and the Rules of Golf by endorsing the Rules Academy in this way. Congratulations to all the rookies for taking the online exam and particular praise to Marika for coming top of the class!”
