The Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open has been declared an event of special importance by the City of Sitges. The declaration is “in recognition of the important media and tourism impact generated by the celebration of the tournament, which has made Sitges the epicentre of European women’s golf over the last two editions”.
The Ladies European Tour event is being held for a third consecutive year at Terramar Golf Club, from September 26 to 29, just two weeks after Europe’s riveting victory against the U.S. in the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles (Scotland).
Solheim Cup star Carlota Ciganda (Pamplona, Spain) and victorious 2019 captain Catriona Matthew (Scotland) will be teeing up in the event which, as the third last of the 2019 season, is set to attract a strong field of top European Tour players keen to consolidate and improve their positions on the final European order of merit. Ciganda (currently ranked 12th in the world) finished second in the 2017 Mediterranean Ladies Open and eighth last year.
Other top players confirmed for the event are three-times U.S. LPGA winner Beatriz Recari (also from Pamplona), 2017 Mediterranean Ladies Open winner Florentyna Parker (England), Ladies European Tour life member Trish Johnson (England), 2016 order of merit number one Beth Allen (United States) and 2015 rookie of the year (and 2017 Solheim Cup team member) Emily Kristine Pedersen (Denmark), as well as several other Tour champions.
Anne van Dam, the Dutch defending champion, who is also playing on the U.S. LPGA Tour this year, has not entered the tournament, although several invitee and other qualifying places remain open for last-minute entries.
According to Sitges mayor Aurora Carbonell y Abella, “The Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open is a professional international women’s golf tournament that generates a direct economic impact for the municipality of more than €300,000. In this sporting event, the players, their families, caddies, the staff of the organisation and the press gather together, which means that more than 300 people travel to our municipality and this has a positive impact on our population with more than 2,000 overnight stays. In addition, this tournament is held at the end of September, after the highest tourist season.”
A series of initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability is planned in conjunction with the 2019 event. These include: encouraging the use of bikes and providing electric vehicles for transport; enabling players to opt to stay in private homes; recycling all types of materials used at Terramar; replacing plastic cups and other catering utensils with biodegradable products; and reducing paper consumption through the use of technology, with information covered by electronic devices.
Notes tournament promoter Iñigo Aramburu, “There cannot be a more appropriate place for an ecological initiative than Terramar Golf Club, which faces the Mediterranean Sea, in a town hugely committed to sustainability and the environment, highlighted by its Clean Beaches 2030 project and Biosphere sustainable tourism certification, which is recognised internationally. All these aspects make Sitges one of the most beautiful and impressive stops on the Ladies European Tour calendar. In fact, last year it was listed by the players as one of the best locations on the circuit.”
For more information about Sitges’ many other attractions, in addition to golf, check out our Area Guides section.