Singapore has been selected as one of the stops for the inaugural Aramco Team Series, consisting of four innovative Ladies European Tour (LET) tournaments set to take place in 2021. The three other stops are New York, London and King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, with each tournament carrying a US$1 million prize fund.
Teams of four will compete in the 54-hole tournaments, where team captains will recruit one fellow tour professional through a draft system while another professional will be selected at random. All teams will include one amateur player and the prize money will be split between its three pro members.
The first of the four tournaments will take place in New York, followed by London and Singapore before culminating in a season finale at Royal Greens.
His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Saudi Golf Federation and Golf Saudi, described the series as “fantastic news for global sport, for women’s golf and for Saudi Arabia.”
“Following the success of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, we are committed to building the women’s game and promoting female participation in sport in Saudi Arabia. I hope this series inspires people of all cultures and backgrounds to take up the sport and generate enthusiasm for the great game of golf,” he said.
The investment by Aramco, a public Saudi Arabian petroleum and natural gas company, along with Golf Saudi and other partners from the Kingdom make Saudi Arabia one of the biggest backers of the women’s game in Europe. The series follows the hugely successful Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by Public Investment Fund, at Royal Greens last November.
Ahmed A. Al-Subaey, Aramco’s vice president of marketing, sales & supply planning, said: “Aramco played a leading role in bringing golf to Saudi Arabia and, through our support for women’s golf, we aim to advance gender equality and set the stage for future generations of female sports stars.
“It is another example of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, which is reflected in our many talented female employees, scientists and engineers. Our sponsorship of this golf series not only raises global awareness of our contribution in this field but will also promote positive values associated with the sport among communities in Saudi Arabia and around the world.”
The four tournaments form part of a record-breaking 2021 LET schedule, set to be announced in the coming weeks. “This brand new Aramco Team Series takes golf and the sport to a whole new level and I am incredibly excited by all four events,” noted LET chief executive Alexandra Armas.
“Last November, the LET made history in bringing the first-ever professional women’s golf event to Saudi Arabia, and this announcement only builds on that. By adding four new team events to our schedule for 2021, the Ladies European Tour will add a whole new dynamic for both the players competing and the spectators, taking golf to newly engaged audiences across the globe.”
For more information, visit golfsaudi.com
