Alison Root is Golf Monthly’s women’s golf editor. You can find her on Instagram @rootalison
OPINION
We know women golfers at every level often lack the same opportunities as their male equivalents, so it’s encouraging to see the launch of not one, but two new professional golf tours with the potential to drive a shift in the women’s golf landscape.
One is the Ladies Pro Series masterminded by Adam and Sarah Walker. They’re not diving into this blindly. Adam, a pro golfer and coach, co-founded the 2020 Tour, the first gender-equal tour, and he and his wife sensed it was the perfect time to kickstart a UK women’s tour. Six one-day events across the country from April to August will see a pro paired with an amateur and each event boasting a £10,000 prize pot.
The ONE.Golf league is then the brainchild of former pro, Philip Seed. Again, it’s a one-day format for male and female pros to compete as equals for a prize pot of £24,000 and a winner’s cheque of £10,000. Most of the seven events will be at The Astbury Golf & Lodge Resort in Shropshire, and for good reason.
Adam and Philip are singing from the same hymn sheet. They’ve been there and done it, and understand the financial struggles pro golfers face, especially women, as they try to make an impact in the world of golf and progress from one tour to the next. An overriding aim of both tours is to create affordable playing opportunities as many pros have no sponsorship. Playing at the same course throughout in the ONE.Golf league means no need to fork out for extra practice rounds and, with late-morning shotgun start, no unnecessary overnight expenses.
When I first heard about the Ladies Pro Series, I was excited to see women’s golf getting attention, but I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is there room for another women’s tour?” After all, we already have the Rose Ladies Series, which emerged during Covid to provide pros with playing opportunities. Now in its fifth year, the dates align with the Ladies European Tour schedule.
But after chatting with Adam and hearing his enthusiasm and commitment to create a pathway for future female professionals to thrive, while it is only year one and will have its challenges, I believe that there is a space in the industry for this tour to prosper.
