Prize-money to double for Ladies European Tour event in Spain

The pot for the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino will double from €300,000 to €600,000 while the circuit’s Order of Merit will also be renamed the Race to Costa del Sol, with an additional bonus pool of €250,000 being split between the top three.

The player who tops the ranking will receive an additional €125,000, with the second-highest finisher receiving €75,000 and €50,000 for the third-placed player following the season-long race.

The announcements, which were made ahead of the 2019 Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino, which gets underway at Aloha Golf Club in Marbella on Thursday, represent Spain’s biggest-ever commitment to women’s professional golf.

The Costa del Sol is believed to be the favourite to stage the 2023 Solheim Cup, which would be the biennial event’s first staging on the Iberian Peninsula.

At this week’s event, LET members are set to learn the full details of the LPGA’s proposal for a merger with the European circuit, with the US-based circuit’s commissioner Mike Whan reported to be flying to Spain to try and secure the deal.

l Scottish duo Jack Doherty and Scott Henry sit three shots off the lead after carding three-under 69s in the opening round of the MENA Tour’s Journey to Jordan Championship in Aqaba.