Women to compete in men’s event

Five women golfers will compete in a men’s European Tour event in May as part of more innovations to the GolfSixes tournament.

Suzann Pettersen and Mel Reid will form a European women’s team and Georgia Hall and Charley Hull will combine for an England women’s team in the six-hole match-play tournament at Centurion Club, England, on May 5-6.

In another team, Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn will join forces with Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew. ‘‘It is hugely important to try to break down the barriers that have existed in golf between the men’s and women’s games,’’ Bjorn said.

The women players will play off forward tees.

It is not the first time women have been included in a European Tour field. American Michelle Wie played in the European Masters in 2006, missing the cut at 15-over. From 1988-91, the Benson and Hedges Trophy was a mixed strokeplay event on the tour.

It was announced last year that Laura Davies will play in The Shipco Masters on the European Seniors Tour in Denmark in June.

The move to include women in GolfSixes has the full backing of the European Tour’s all-male tournament committee, said Keith Pelley, the tour chief executive.

There will be a fourth ‘‘wildcard’’ team, which will be revealed next month, to play alongside the 11 men’s national teams who will qualify automatically from the European Tour ranking list. Denmark pair Lucas Bjerregaard and Thorbjorn Olesen are the defending champions.

Teams will be split into four groups of four, with the top two in each advancing to the knockout stage. Both players tee off before choosing the better of the two drives and completing each hole with one ball, hitting alternately.

There will be a 40-second shot clock in play.