Following discussions with the ALPG, Golf NSW and key stakeholders, the Ladies European Tour announced the upcoming 2021 Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic and the Women’s NSW Open will be postponed to the same weeks in 2022.
Usually set to mark the beginning of the LET season from February 18-21, tournament organisers investigated numerous contingency plans to stage the events but made the difficult decision to postpone both popular tournaments by a year due to ongoing travel restrictions into Australia.
A must-stop venue on the LET’s schedule, the 2020 Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville was the first event of the 2020 season and was captured by Australian amateur, Stephanie Kyriacou.
At only 19-years-old, the teen sensation romped to an eight-shot victory and immediately turned professional before embarking on a whirlwind first season on Tour, making the cut in her first Major Championship at the AIG Women’s Open and recording three further top-five finishes in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and France. With only four events left to play, she currently sits in seventh place on the Race to Costa del Sol and only one position behind Alice Hewson, in the race for ‘Rookie of the Year’ spoils.
Another popular destination amongst the LET membership, the Women’s NSW Open has been a fixture on the LET for the past three years, with the 2020 edition also yielding a teenage winner, Julia Engstrom.
The Swedish star won her maiden title down-under but has since captured more silverware at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, recording a hole-in-one in the process.
Speaking about the news, Alexandra Armas, Ladies European Tour, CEO, said: “We are disappointed to announce our decision to postpone both popular tournaments for the coming year as we look to confirm our 2021 schedule. Our players have become used to starting their season in Australia, so it was an extremely difficult decision for us to break an established Tour tradition.”
Armas continued, “We have a long-standing relationship with the ALPG and are building a strong foundation for the future with Golf NSW which we will continue to nurture for many years to come. We look forward to building on the success of this year and returning in 2022.”
ALPG Chief Executive Karen Lunn, “It’s extremely disappointing when all tournament stakeholders have worked so hard to build these events to the point that they have both found a regular slot on the ALPG and LET’s annual tournament schedules” Lunn said.
“Their continued success is very much dependent on the support of our leading Australian players and our overseas guests from the LET who come from all corners of the globe. While this has been an incredibly difficult decision, logistically there are just too many variables and challenges to move forward as planned.”
Golf NSW CEO Stuart Fraser, “Whilst this outcome is obviously disappointing for all involved, the reliance on International players for the success of both these tournaments unfortunately meant there was no alternative. Regional NSW has played host to these two great events in past years and the excitement they generate will be sorely missed in 2021. Golf NSW looks forward to working with the LET and ALPG to ensure these two tournaments return to the calendar in 2022.”
For more information and news from the Ladies European Tour, visit: https://ladieseuropeantour.
