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Ladies Tours

How Much Does It Cost to Play Ladies European Tour?

Hannah Gregg has calculated the expenses of her first tournament on the Ladies European Tour on X (formerly Twitter). A thought-provoking example.

Hannah Gregg about the costs of playing the Ladies European Tour. (Image: Getty)
Hannah Gregg about the costs of playing the Ladies European Tour. (Image: Getty)

US golfer Hannah Gregg gave her followers an insight into the financing of a tournament weekend on the Ladies European Tour on X (formerly Twitter). It should be mentioned upfront that this is an example of a single athlete and in no way reflects the (financial) situation of every female athlete. Nevertheless, this example is thought-provoking.

How Much Playing LET Really Costs

In her calculation example, Gregg first mentions her costs. She had to pay 3,672 dollars for flights, work visa, food, fuel for the car, participation fee and the lounge pass for her caddie. In this case, the hotel and hire car cost her nothing. There were also no costs for the caddie, as this role was filled by her fiancé. Hannah Gregg made the cut at the tournament and finished the weekend in 54th place, which earned her prize money of 1,244 dollars. This prize money is subject to 35 per cent tax, which means that Gregg would have had to finish 21st to make a profit, she calculates. Achieving a place in the top 25 is not easy in golf, and if your financial situation also depends on it to some extent, it certainly doesn’t make things any easier. But here, too, it has to be said that this is a special example because Gregg has higher travelling costs as an American.

Ladies European Tour versus LPGA Tour: the comparison

Comparing the two biggest tours for women, the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, to their male counterparts is a bottomless pit. Last weekend, the Amundi German Masters on the Ladies European Tour and the Mizuho Americas Open on the LPGA Tour were two normal regular-season tournaments. While Alexandra Försterling received 45,000 euros for her home win, Nelly Korda received the equivalent of almost 414,500 euros for her victory at the Mizuho Americas Open. Sophia Popov received almost as much as Alexandra Försterling for her tied 14th place on the LPGA Tour with around 37,000 euros. The last-placed players of those who made the cut on the Ladies European Tour received €810. By comparison, the last-placed golfers from the weekend on the LPGA Tour received €7,600. This example shows that there is a huge gap even within women’s golf and not to begin the comparison between men and women in golf.