.jpg?itok=AKiDhOHV)
The Aramco Saudi Ladies International will now have an increased prize purse of $5 million in what has been described as "a landmark moment for women's sport."
Ladies European Tour CEO Alexandra Armas described this news as encouragement for all young women who want to take up golf. The prize purse for the event sanctioned by the LET and Golf Saudi had previously been just $1 million.
It has become the third-largest purse on the LET and the winner will bank $750,000. Emily Kristine Pedersen, Lydia Ko and Georgia Hall have all won the event in its short three-year existence.
The ladies will now play for the same prize fund as the men in the PIF Saudi International which is now sanctioned by the Asian Tour. Harold Varner III won this event back in February.
The ladies' event will take place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City on February 16-19, the same venue as the men's competition and this also played host to the LIV Golf Jeddah Invitational.
"The increased purse for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF is a landmark moment for our Tour, and for women’s sport globally," said Armas.
"It will allow the tournament to grow in every way, from its purpose and impact on social change to the delivery of exceptional experiences for fans and for players at the event and in the community. This is a message to all young women that golf is for them, and they can pursue the sport as a passion and as a career."
This news comes on the eve of the fifth and final event of the Aramco Team Series in Jeddah. 36 teams of four players, including one amateur per team, will battle it out for the lion's share of the $1 million prize purse.
So far, Manon de Roey, Bronte Law, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson have all respectively won events in Bangkok, London, Sotogrande and New York on the series.
