(Helsinki, Finland – 12th December 2007) — The Ladies European Tour is delighted to announce that the Finnair Masters will remain on its 2008 schedule.
The popular tournament has enjoyed three successful years at Helsinki Golf Club in Finland, also known as “Tali”, where it will return next season. The full field, 54-hole strokeplay event will feature minimum prize money of €200,000.
Mika Perho from Finnair, the title sponsor of the event, said: “Finnair Masters is recognized as a high quality golf tournament both in Finland as well as in many other countries in Europe and Asia. We are thrilled to support this event.” Volvo has also been one of the main sponsors of the Finnair Masters from the very beginning and will continue to support the tournament at the same level for the next event.
Leif Ekström, the President of Helsinki Golf Club, added: “We are extremely pleased to be able to welcome the Ladies European Tour’s players back to Helsinki for the fourth occasion and the 2008 tournament promises to be the best yet. Women’s professional golf continues to enjoy huge popularity and we look forward to welcoming all players, caddies, officials, media and spectators, who all help to make the event such a great success.”
Alexandra Armas, executive director of the Ladies European Tour, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer Tour members the opportunity to again compete in the Finnair Masters. I would like to thank the event promoter, Infront Finland, as well as Finnair and Helsinki Golf Club, for their continued vision and support of this high quality event.
“It is important for the LET to help inspire golfers at grass roots level and having the opportunity to observe elite international golfers compete can only enhance the already high calibre of Finnish women’s professional golf.”
Over the last three years, the Finnair Masters has produced three different champions in Bettina Hauert of Germany, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement from France and Lisa Holm Sorensen from Denmark.
Hauert, who currently leads the LET’s New Star Money List, won her second event of 2007 in September before making her debut in The Solheim Cup in Sweden. Meanwhile, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement from France collected her second career title at the event in 2006 and Sorensen became a first-time winner at the inaugural event in 2005.