Carly Booth, two-times Ladies European Tour winner, slammed over Golf Saudi sponsorship

Backlash: Carly Booth. Picture: Getty Images

The 26-year-old announced a partnership with Golf Saudi on her Twitter account earlier this week in a now-deleted tweet.

Booth wrote: “I am honoured to represent @Golf_Saudi as they acknowledge that women in sport is of paramount importance.

“Although culturally they are in a different place to some countries, they are doing everything they can to introduce girls and women into sport and lead healthy lifestyles.”

Her post was criticised by many, including radio presenter Georgie Bingham, who wrote: “Crikey Carly, I think you might want to head to Google and [search] a bit of “women’s rights, Saudi Arabia” before announcing that.”

Another follower added: “’Culturally in a different place’ as in, women just got the right to drive, are able to finally attend sporting events if they are seated separately from men, and where death penalty is executed against women rights activists. Cool, Carly.”

The post was eventually taken down on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier this year, Aberdeen footballer Scott McKenna faced a similar backlash after announcing a deal to become an ambassador for the Trump International golf course in Aberdeenshire.

The European Tour, and some high-profile male golfers, were strongly criticised earlier this year when the circuit staged its maiden event in Saudi Arabia.

Brandel Chamblee, former PGA Tour player-turned-analyst on the Golf Channel, branded those involved “ventriloquists for an abhorrent regime”.

A female professional event could be staged in the country as early as 2020 as the country looks to grow the sport amid regular condemnation of its treatment of women.

Booth, who won the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open in May 2012 and the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open the following month, is an ambassador for Scottish Golf, the sport’s governing body in Scotland.

The Scotsman has contacted Scottish Golf for comment.