Irish prize fund increase on new LET schedule

Golf: The AIB Ladies Irish Open is one of only four events on the 2009 Ladies European Tour (LET) calendar with increased prize money after the full schedule was released by the tour's executive director Alexandra Armas today.

"In 2008 the Ladies European Tour enjoyed an unprecedented level of success and we are delighted to consolidate our growth despite the current global financial crisis," said Armas, referring to next year's calendar of 27 events across 22 countries.

Prize money for 2009 is in excess of €12.1 million - the most in the tour's 30-year history - while the total purse has grown 67 per cent over five years from €7.2 million in 2004.

After this year's successful staging of the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links in July, the event returns to the north Dublin venue but has been moved to its new date of Friday, June 26th-28th, 2009.

This year's event, won by Norway's Suzann Pettersen, clashed with the Irish PGA Championship at The European Club in Wicklow which was won by Pádraig Harrington the week before the Dubliner successfully defended his British Open crown at Royal Birkdale.

Next year's prize money at Portmarnock is up €50,000 to €500,000 and joins the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup, RICOH Women's British Open and the Korean Ladies Masters as the only events with increased purse.

AIB and Fáilte Ireland are both committed to the Irish event until 2012 and the build-up to the 2011 Solheim Cup at the Jack Nicklaus designed Killeen Castle in Meath.
 
"The strategy of attracting some of the biggest names in the sport to a world class venue worked very well in year one," said Irish Open tournament organiser Roddy Carr earlier this month. "We will continue with this approach and are looking forward to announcing some big names early in the New Year for the 2009 event."

The 2009 LET season begins in Australia on February 5th with the 20th edition of the ANZ Ladies Masters at Royal Pines Resort in Queensland, before the Women's Australian Open at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne.

The European run of events begins with the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at La Sella Golf Resort in Alicante, Spain, from April 23rd. The Tour stops in Turkey the following week before moving on to Switzerland.

There will also be visits to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Norway and Spain before the two European majors, the Evian Masters in France and the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Lytham, England, where the announcement of the European and US Solheim Cup teams will be made on the final evening.

In addition to the 27 scheduled events, Qualifying School for the 2009 season will take place over a two week period in January at La Manga Golf Resort in Spain.