The Ladies European Tour will compete for a record-setting 35 million euros ($37M) in 2023. The schedule of 30 events includes the $5 million Aramco Saudi Ladies International, presented by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The February event will feature 60 LET players and 50 players from within the top 300 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. It’s the largest purse on the LET outside of the majors.
There are once again six Saudi-backed events on the LET’s 2023 schedule, with the Aramco Team Series featuring five stops worldwide, each with a $1 million purse. The series will begin in Singapore March 17-19 and then head to Trump International in West Palm Beach, May 19-21. The LPGA does not have an event scheduled for that week, noteworthy given the number of top players who are either personally sponsored by Aramco or offered appearance fees.
Other Aramco stops include the Centurion Club in London, a yet-to-be-confirmed location in Asia in October, and one final leg in Saudi Arabia Nov. 3-5 at Riyadh Golf Club. The events remain controversial given the wide-ranging human rights abuses Saudi Arabia has been accused of, especially toward women.
The Aramco Team Series has recently held events in New York, with Lexi Thompson capturing the 2022 edition at last October at Trump Golf Links Ferry Point. This will be the first event held in Florida.
LPGA player Suzann Pettersen of Norway is greeted by Donald Trump prior to the start of the ADT Championship at the Trump International Golf Club on November 14, 2007, in West Palm Beach, Florida (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Trump International Golf Club began hosting the glitzy season-ending ADT Championship in 2001. In 2006, ADT presented the first $1 million winner’s check in women’s golf history to Julieta Granada. Former president Donald Trump was ever-present at the event and top players stayed at Mar-a-Lago Club.
“The LET has grown rapidly over the last three years and we have been oversubscribed for our recent Q-School, demonstrating the record level of interest,” said CEO Alexandra Armas in a release. “The LET now presents a platform for women to build a successful career and achieve their dreams in professional golf. We will continue to work hard to elevate the sport in Europe and around the world.”
Other highlights include the new La Sella Open in Spain as well as the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, where Linn Grant made history last year as the first woman to win a DP World Tour event, crushing the field by nine strokes.
The LET season kicks off Feb. 2-5 with the Magical Kenya Ladies Open followed by the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, back on the schedule for the first time since 2019.