The Ladies European Tour (LET)
The Ladies European Tour (LET) is a European equivalent to the American Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour although the latter remains the dominant tour for female professional golfers. However, the LET grew tremendously in prestige since it foundation in 1978 and in 2013, it plans to operate 25 golf tournaments for female professional golf players in 19 countries across the globe which will be competed by golfers from 34 countries.
A Brief History of the LET
Female golf in Europe grew at a slower pace than in the United States and the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA), the forerunner of the today’s LET was founded only in 1978, nearly three decades later than its American equivalent. The WPGA was established as a part of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland in 1978, while a tour was launched one year later.
Name Change
In 1988, the WPGA Tour was renamed as the European Ladies’ Professional Golf Association Limited. However, the tour’s name was changed for the second time in 2000 when it got its current name – the Ladies European Tour Limited.
Rivalry With the LPGA Tour
While Europe’s men’s tour didn’t lag behind that across the ocean, ladies’ professional golf in Europe developed very slowly. As a result, the American LPGA Tour was dominant ever since the LET’s foundation in the late 1970s. For decades, the LET didn’t challenge the LPGA Tour’s dominance and even unofficially recognised it by avoiding to schedule its tournaments at the time of the three LPGA major championships in the United States. This, however, changed in 2008 when the LET organised its own event at the time of the LPGA Championship.
LET Events
The richest LET events are The Evian Championship and the Women’s British Open. The former has a prize fund of €2.5 million, while the latter has a prize fund of €2.1 million. The Evian Championship and the Women’s British Open are also the only two majors that are recognised and co-sanctioned by the LET. In contrary to men’s European Tour which recognises the American PGA majors that are played in the United States, the LET doesn’t recognise any of the LPGA Tour majors outside Europe. The LPGA Tour, on the other hand, does recognise both the Women’s British Open and The Evian Championship. But unlike the United States majors, those held in Europe are co-sanctioned by the LET and the LPGA Tour.