Thirty-seven countries will be represented when La Manga Club hosts the Ladies European Tour’s 2020 Qualifying School. A total of 188 players are due to tee up at the Murcia region resort with the objective of gaining a coveted card for the 2020 Tour.
Initially, 131 players from 33 countries will compete over four rounds of pre-qualifying in cumulative stroke play format from 15 to 18 January. Those who are are successful in this demanding challenge will then join 57 other players already in the field for the final qualifying stage, to be held over five rounds from 22 to 26 January.
The 57 players already qualified for the final state include 39 players who were ranked outside the top 80 on the 2019 LET order of merit, 15 from the 2019 LET Access Series ranking, and two from the top 25 of the world amateur golf ranking.
The youngest player in the field of 131 players at the pre-qualifying will be 16-year-old Ashely Shim, from the United States; while the youngest competitor at the final stage will be Pia Babnik, also 16, from Slovenia.
These potential future stars will be joined by Tour veterans including former Solheim Cup player Becky Brewerton (pre-qualifier) and other past tournament winners Isabelle Boineau, Anne-Lise Caudal and Valentine Derrey (final stage), all aiming to draw on their Tour experience to continue their LET careers in 2020.
After the final round, the top five players will be eligible for Tour membership in Category 5c, and players from sixth to 20th position will be eligible for Category 8a. Players who have made the 72-hole cut to the leading 60 and ties, and finished in position 21st and below, will be ranked according to their scores and be eligible for membership in Category 9b. Players who fail to make the cut will be ranked in Category 12a in final score order.
La Manga Club has previously hosted four editions of the qualifying school (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011), as well as the men’s European Tour qualifying school from 1982 to 1989.
Looking forward to the event, the LET’s acting CEO, Alexandra Armas, said, “We are delighted to return to La Manga Club, which is a fantastic venue. We are so grateful that La Manga Club has provided the opportunity for the next generation of talented international players to compete to become part of the LET, with the platform to achieve their dreams in golf.”
Added La Manga Club general manager Nick Montgomery, “We’re thrilled to have renewed our long-standing relationship with the Ladies European Tour and to be hosting such an important event on the golfing calendar again. The previous winners of the Qualifying School when it has been held here (Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Masson, Caroline Hedwall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff) show that La Manga Club has a proven pedigree for discovering golf’s stars of the future, and it will be a great privilege for the resort to showcase our world-class sports and leisure facilities to a new international audience.”
In addition to golf, the La Manga area is also hugely popular with visitors for its other leisure amenities, beaches, cuisine and local fiestas. More information here.