2013 Golf Chic (pdf version) - Ladies European Tour

ExcitingSwedennew intournamentThe 2013 Ladies’ European Tour schedulefeatures an exciting new tournament insouthern Sweden. The Helsinborg Openwill be played at Vasatorp Golf Courseon 5-8 September as part of a three yearagreement that will see the club host theevent until at least 2016.“It’s strategically important for Swedishgolf that we once again can present an LETtournament in Sweden,” said SGF GeneralSecretary, Gunnar Håkansson. “Historicallythe tournament has been an inspirationfor younger players and that we now areable to see our Swedish stars at home willinspire young talents even more.”The fact that the tournament is back onthe schedule is thanks to the co-operationbetween the Swedish Golf Federation (SGF)and IEC in sports. IEC’s expertise in sportsmarketing will benefit Swedish golf in thelong term with plans to grow the event intoone of the most significant on the LadiesEuropean Tour.“This is an important step in IEC’s investmentin the Ladies European Tour, where we areresponsible for the international mediadistribution,” said Max Kållberg, CEO of IEC inSports. “IEC’s hope is to put the LET on the mapas one of the leading tours in the world. Givenall the world class players that Sweden hasproduced, and still has, this is a natural step.”The date is ideally placed in the calendar toattract a strong field of competitors, playedthe week before The Evian Championship,which is the final major of the season.The Helsinborg Open will be played in thestroke play format over 72 holes with aprize fund of €250,000. Sweden has not hada tournament on the LET calendar since2008 when both the Scandinavian TPC andGoteborg Masters were both played, but hasa long tradition of great competitions.The first European Tour event in Swedenwas played in 1985 and Lotta Neumann wasthe first home winner in 1986, before goingon to win the US Women’s Open in 1988.The country also hosted The Solheim Cuptwice, in 2003 and 2007.Vasatorp Golf Club in Helsingborgpreviously hosted the Ladies European Tour11 years ago in 2002 when Sweden’s worldnumber one Annika Sörenstam bestedSophie Gustafson.This year’s event is poised to attracta mixture of the best Swedish andinternational talent. Swedish Solheim Cupplayers Caroline Hedwall, Anna Nordqvist,Sophie Gustafson, Linda Wessberg andCarin Koch will be joined by future starssuch as Pernilla Lindberg and Karin Sjödinamong others.Speaking to Golf.se, the 2013 EuropeanSolheim Cup Captain Lotta Neumanncommented: “It’s incredibly exciting to havea women’s tournament in Sweden again.It’s fun for the Swedish girls to play forthe Swedish audience and their familiesand friends. It is also very important for ouryoung promising girls that they can play orfollow the best women golfers in Europeup close. They need role models and highambitions to develop into skilled golfers.”Johan Lundell, events manager for thecity of Helsingborg, said: “We are verypleased and proud that a Ladies EuropeanTour event will be played in Helsingborg.Both the residents and the businesscommunity will experience the event’spositive effects.”Vasatorp Golf Club, in Skåne, has along tradition of hosting championshipevents. The original course played hostto the European PGA Tour’s ScandinavianEnterprise Open (what became theScandinavian Masters) from 1978 to1980. Having produced champions suchas Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman andSandy Lyle, the Scandinavian EnterpriseOpen and Vasatorp are generally creditedwith establishing golf in Sweden as aspectator sport.Pernilla LindbergPhotographer: Tristan JonesPhotographer: Mickael TannusPhotographer: Mickael Tannus44Sophie GustafsonPhotographer:Tristan JonesAnna NordqvistPhotographer: Tristan Jones45