La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, a Ladies European Tour event sponsored by La Reserva de Sotogrande and organized by Deporte & Business that will be played from 16 to 19 May, will mark the first of three visits to Spain for the LET in 2019. Cabell B. Robinson’s design in the Sotogrande resort will be the touchstone for the best LET golfers in a tournament that could be crucial in the qualifying for the European team that will try to regain the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland.
La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational will be the first of nine European stop on the 2019 Ladies European Tour international schedule and the best tour golfers will have another chance to shine in a privileged stage. Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the densely wooded Andalusian hills, La Reserva Club de Sotogrande offers stunning vistas and wide fairways, the best combination for an epic spectacle.
Sponsoring this event, La Reserva de Sotogrande writes a new chapter of its historic and well-documented relationship with sports and relies on women’s golf to communicate the values that best represent this unique community in the heart of Sotogrande. Marc Topiol, CEO of Sotogrande S.A., spoke about this at the media presentation that took place at the Centro Nacional de Golf.
“I’m glad we could reach an agreement to host an additional event in the LET annual calendar and participate in this adventure, a very nice complement of what is happening in Sotogrande on an ongoing basis. The idea was very simple: we try to be ourselves, as La Reserva de Sotogrande, which is a place for families. I think is very important for us to support women’s sport and women’s golf. Sotogrande, both the destination and the company I’m privileged to run, has been first in many things and we are very proud in creating the first LET event in Sotogrande. I hope it last for a long, long time”, stated Topiol.
Gonzaga Escauriaza, the Royal Spanish Golf Federation’s President, thanked the press and all the members of the presidential table and emphasized the importance of this event.
“Once again, we are delighted to offer the headquarters of the RFEG, the home of Spanish golf, to present this new Ladies European Tour tournament, La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational. Women’s golf is a top priority for us and we must thank Sotogrande for its involvement in this great tournament, the Ladies European Tour, with Mark Lichtenhein and Marta Figueras Dotti at the forefront, for making our country the mainstay of the LET schedule, and Deporte & Business for organizing this event. We are sure that it will be a great success and, at the same time, the best showcase for La Reserva, women’s golf and Spain.”
Mark Lichtenheim, Ladies European Tour’s CEO, highlighted the media impact of La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational and the weight Spain carries in the tour.
“We are thrilled to bring Europe’s best female golfers to La Reserva and I would like to thank Marc Topiol and Sotogrande S.A. for their vision in making this happen. La Reserva is a unique community and we look forward to showcasing the resort, its state-of-the-art facilities and its world class golf course through live television and digital coverage in more than 150 countries on all four tournament days.”
“Spain’s commitment to women’s golf is second to none in Europe and our players love coming to this very hospitable country, which is fast becoming a home from home for them.”
The last speaker in the press conference was Alicia Garrido, Executive Manager of Deporte & Business, the company organizing the three Spanish events on the 2019 Ladies European Tour international schedule (La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, Estrella Damm Mediterránean Ladies Open and Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino), and the Santander Golf Tour, the national women’s pro tour. Garrido made good use of her time to break down some of the technical aspects of this event.
“La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational will be a full-field event with 126 players (of which 10 spots will be for invitations), and a prize fund of €300,000. There will be three hours of live television coverage per day throughout the tournament. We’ve made a great effort to have that kind of coverage, but we think it is essential for women’s golf to reach a lot of homes where is not already well-known. This is a new tournament and it’s being held at La Reserva de Sotogrande; that’s why it needs to have the best players and we will do our best to get them. The tournament will rise to the challenge of a great venue. It’s going to be a very exclusive event that will help to make known the unique lifestyle of Sotogrande”, explained Alicia Garrido.