The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1978. Most of the players on the tour are European, with members from more than 40 countries internationally. Despite its name, the tour also has tournaments in Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania.
The organization is based at Buckinghamshire Golf Club near London in England. Like many British-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money, rather than on making profits for investors. The tour is run by a board of directors and a Players' Council.
History The U.S.-based LPGA was founded in 1950, but women's professional golf was slower to get established in Europe. In 1978 the Women's Professional Golfers' Association (WPGA) was formed as part of Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland. A tour was established the following year with Carlsberg as the main sponsor, supporting 12 36-hole tournaments, with several other tournaments including the Women's British Open on the schedule. For the first two seasons, the majority of tournaments were held over 36-holes; in 1981, that increased to 54-holes. Total prize money on the tour was planned to rise to £250,000 in 1981, from £80,000 in the inaugural season, but several tournaments and pro-ams were lost after sponsors withdrew.
Carlsberg ended their sponsorship after the 1981 season, and despite initial optimism, the tour experienced further problems during its fourth season in 1982 as several more events were cancelled. The circuit was left with just ten tournaments, from which few players could make a living, and the future of the WPGA was being questioned.
In 1988 the tour members decided to form an independent company, the Women Professional Golfers' European Tour Limited. This new company moved away from the PGA's headquarters at The Belfry and set up its own headquarters at the Tytherington Club in Cheshire. In 1998 the Tour changed its name to European Ladies' Professional Golf Association Limited and again in July 2000 to Ladies European Tour Limited. In 2008 the tour relocated to offices at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club, which is just outside London. In 2010, the LET Access Series (LETAS) was launched as the official development tour.
In January 2020, the Ladies European Tour entered into a joint venture arrangement with the LPGA Tour, with the stated aim of "increasing playing opportunities for female golfers in Europe". The board of directors of Ladies European Golf Venture Limited, which assumed control of the tour, includes high level representatives from the LPGA Tour, European Tour, and The R&A. The 2020 season is the first edition of the Race to Costa Del Sol.
The 2025 season consisted of 30 events across 20 countries with a minimum prize fund of €39m. In 2026 the number of nationalities represented on the LET was 47.
Tournaments Unlike in men's golf, the European and American tours do not share a common set of majors, although the Women's British Open and The Evian Championship are currently recognised as majors by both organisations.
The Ladies European Tour organises the Solheim Cup when in Europe and in 2011, the Tour received a boost when the European side won for The Cup for the fourth time on home soil at Killeen Castle in Ireland. The success continued when Europe earned an historic first away victory at Colorado Golf Club, winning The Cup for the fifth time in 2013.
A record 26 official money events were scheduled for the 2008 season, which also saw the introduction of a new team competition called the European Ladies Golf Cup. Also, for the first time in several years, the LET scheduled an event opposite one of the LPGA's majors, with the ABN AMRO Open held opposite the LPGA Championship. The schedule dropped to 23 official money events in 2009, but increased to 25 for 2010. In both years, the Ladies Open of Portugal was scheduled opposite the LPGA Championship.
The 2016 schedule featured 21 events including the Olympic Golf Competition in Rio de Janeiro (the biennial Solheim Cup, held in odd-numbered years, is also an official LET event but will next be played in 2017 in Iowa). The two richest events by far are the two European Majors: The Evian Championship (historically the Evian Masters) and the Women's British Open. In 2016, 10 other events (in Australia, China, Morocco, England, Scotland, Germany, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Japan and Dubai) had prize funds in excess of €450,000, with the remainder having prize funds of between €200,000 and €400,000. Total prize money from the 2016 events passed €14 million.
Past tour schedules Individual LET tournaments may have purses fixed in local currencies such as Australian dollars, British pounds, New Zealand dollars and U.S. dollars, so year on year changes in the total prize fund reflect exchange rate fluctuations as well as prize fund movements in constant currencies.
Year Rankingtournaments Countries Total purse20262921€20252821€20242821€20232921€2022 34 22€2021 23 15€2020 24 18 €17,834,0002019 20 13€2018 15 9 €11,486,8882017 16 11€20162115€14,063,14920152014€12,638,013 2014 23 18 €11,502,840 2013 22 17 €10,870,618 2012 24 19 €11,806,680 2011 25 20 €11,032,500 2010 25 21 €11,048,525 2009 21 16 €9,940,358 2008 28 21 €11,647,814 2007 24 18 €10,563,950 2006 20 16 €9,674,536 2005 18 14 €7,875,255 2004 15 10 €7,298,245 2003 14 10 €7,442,162 2002 14 10 €7,626,72420011512£4,509,90520001611£3,765,00019991510£3,197.9991998119£2,374,00019971510£2,880,00019961813£2,589,79019951814£2,300,06019941512£1,852,550199311£1,435,336199214£1,663,716199116£1,605,875199020£1,900,325198921£1,600,000198827£1,565,622198719£930,000198620£750,000198520£580,000198421£347,470198316£170,0501982106£121,4501981135£125,8301980215£110,4941979185£80,000 Source:
Order of Merit and seasonal award winners The Order of Merit is awarded to the leading money winner on the tour, though for some years in the past a points system was used. The Player's Player of the Year award is voted by the members of the Tour for the member they believe has contributed the most to the season on the Tour. The Rookie of the Year (known as the Bill Johnson Trophy from 1999 to 2003 and now the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year) is awarded to the leading first-year player on the Order of Merit rankings.
YearOrder of MeritPlayer of the YearRookie of the YearLowest stroke averageRef.2025 Shannon Tan 2461.74 pts Shannon Tan Mimi Rhodes Casandra Alexander70.422024 Chiara Tamburlini 2718.44 pts Chiara Tamburlini Chiara Tamburlini Andrea Revuelta69.002023 Trichat Cheenglab 1966.52 pts Johanna Gustavsson Trichat Cheenglab Céline Boutier 69.582022 Linn Grant 3624.91 pts Linn Grant Linn Grant Maja Stark 69.272021 Atthaya Thitikul 3591.96 pts Atthaya Thitikul Atthaya Thitikul Leona Maguire 69.502020 Emily Kristine Pedersen 1249.35 pts Emily Kristine Pedersen Stephanie Kyriacou Emily Kristine Pedersen 70.402019 Esther Henseleit 743.06 pts Marianne Skarpnord Esther Henseleit Carlota Ciganda 69.082018 Georgia Hall 667.73 pts Georgia Hall Julia Engström Carlota Ciganda 69.312017 Georgia Hall €368,935 Georgia Hall Camille Chevalier Anna Nordqvist 68.182016 Beth Allen €313,079 Beth Allen Aditi Ashok Shanshan Feng 68.802015 Shanshan Feng €399,213 Nicole Broch Larsen Emily Kristine Pedersen Shanshan Feng 69.782014 Charley Hull €263,097 Charley Hull Amy Boulden Suzann Pettersen 70.252013 Suzann Pettersen €518,448 Lee-Anne Pace Charley Hull Suzann Pettersen 68.202012 Carlota Ciganda €251,290 Carlota Ciganda Carlota Ciganda Shanshan Feng 69.002011 Ai Miyazato €363,080 Caroline Hedwall Caroline Hedwall Suzann Pettersen 69.362010 Lee-Anne Pace €339,518 Lee-Anne Pace I.K. Kim Suzann Pettersen 69.752009 Sophie Gustafson €281,315 Catriona Matthew Anna Nordqvist Catriona Matthew 70.832008 Gwladys Nocera €391,840 Gwladys Nocera Melissa Reid Suzann Pettersen 68.602007 Sophie Gustafson €222,081 Bettina Hauert Louise Stahle Sophie Gustafson 70.962006 Laura Davies €471,727 Gwladys Nocera Nikki Garrett Annika Sörenstam 68.332005 Iben Tinning €204,672 Iben Tinning Elisa Serramià Laura Davies 70.352004 Laura Davies 777.26 pts Stéphanie Arricau Minea Blomqvist Laura Davies 70.312003 Sophie Gustafson 917.95 pts Sophie Gustafson Rebecca Stevenson Sophie Gustafson 69.932002 Paula Martí 6,589 pts Annika Sörenstam Kirsty S. Taylor Sophie Gustafson 70.592001 Raquel Carriedo 10,661 pts Raquel Carriedo Suzann Pettersen Catriona Matthew 70.082000 Sophie Gustafson 8,777 pts Sophie Gustafson Giulia Sergas Sophie Gustafson 71.211999 Laura Davies £204,522 Laura Davies Elaine Ratcliffe Laura Davies 70.501998 Helen Alfredsson £125,975 Sophie Gustafson Laura Philo Laura Davies 71.961997 Alison Nicholas £94,590 Alison Nicholas Anna Berg Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 72.201996 Laura Davies £110,880 Laura Davies Anne-Marie Knight Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 71.391995 Annika Sörenstam £130,324 Annika Sörenstam Karrie Webb Annika Sörenstam 69.751994 Liselotte Neumann £102,750 n/a Tracy Hanson Liselotte Neumann 69.561993 Karen Lunn £81,266 Annika Sörenstam Laura Davies 71.631992 Laura Davies £66,333 Sandrine Mendiburu Laura Davies 70.351991 Corinne Dibnah £89,058 Helen Wadsworth Alison Nicholas 71.711990 Trish Johnson £83,043 Pearl Sinn Trish Johnson 70.641989 Marie-Laure de Lorenzi £77,534 Helen Alfredsson Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 70.841988 Marie-Laure de Lorenzi £109,360 Laurette Maritz Marie-Laure de Lorenzi 72.301987 Dale Reid £53,815 Trish Johnson Dale Reid 72.701986 Laura Davies £37,500 Patricia González Laura Davies 72.091985 Laura Davies £21,735 Laura Davies 1984 Dale Reid £28,239 Kitrina Douglas Dale Reid 73.011983 Muriel Thomson £9,225 n/a Beverly Huke 74.981982 Jenny Lee Smith £12,551 n/a 1981 Jenny Lee Smith £13,5181980 Muriel Thomson £8,0081979 Catherine Panton £4,965
Notes
References
See also Women's sports List of golfers with most Ladies European Tour wins Ladies European Tour records Women's World Golf Rankings
External links Official site of the Ladies European Tour