Horan’s innovative mixed event elevated to European Tour status
The European Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour will join forces for another innovative mixed tournament this year.
The ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management in Northern Ireland will be hosted by Galgorm from 28 July-1 August.
The agreement heralds an exciting new chapter for the event, which has been elevated to European Tour status following a successful inaugural edition on the European Challenge Tour in 2019.
The 2021 event will continue to be played over two courses - Galgorm Castle and Massereene - and will form part of the European Tour’s 2021 UK Swing, taking in tournaments in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England across July and August.
It will be the first time an event of this format is tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour in the northern hemisphere – following in the footsteps of the ISPS HANDA Vic Open in Australia which has the same format.
The ISPS HANDA World Invitational will attract a field of 288 players, 144 men and 144 women. The women’s field will be split equally between the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour.
The $2.35 million purse will be split evenly, with men and women competing for two equal prize funds.
The tournament will count
towards the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and carry Team Europe Ryder Cup points, while the women’s tournament will count towards the Race to the CME Globe for women on the LPGA Tour, the Race to Costa del Sol on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Solheim Cup points for both Team Europe and Team USA.
Niall Horan, owner of Modest! Golf Management, said: “This is a key moment for professional
golf in this part of the world.
“With the help of ISPS HANDA along with both the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and European Tour, we have been able to take the ISPS HANDA World Invitational to a new level, which will without doubt reach new audiences around the world.”
Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by Scottish Golf has seen the governing body given less than six out of 10 for
its current support and service to member clubs.
Independent research experts Sports Marketing Surveys Inc conducted the survey, which was commissioned following Scottish Golf ’s agm last year.
The findings have now been revealed in a newsletter to member clubs, which help raise the bulk of the governing body’s revenue through a £14.50 affiliation fee per golfer.
Of the 4,388 golfers who
completed the survey, 55 per cent were “somewhat aware” of what the affiliation fee contributes towards but 21 per cent “didn’t know”.
Golf clubs, meanwhile, rated the current support and service provided by Scottish Golf as just 5.8 out of 10
The clubs involved also said the area they would like most assistance was membership recruitment and retention, closely followed by junior development.