It’s nothing like a trilateral agreement. No peace deals have been struck. No territorial disputes resolved. But this week at the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort in Northern Ireland will mark a coming together of sorts. The first tri-sanctioned event in the Northern Hemisphere, the ISPS Handa World Invitational, will bring together men and women from the European Tour, the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour in a two-in-one event that begins on Thursday. It is a concept first executed at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Australia – two tournaments conducted on the same course at the same time for equal prize money. And, to steal another line from the locals, it’s banging up to be a whale of a time.
“It's great playing with the men here,” said Olivia Cowan, an LET player from Germany. “It's great to see them practice and just chat because we don't see them that often. I played the Vic Open a few times and it's basically the same format, so I think it's just cool to mix. I think it's great for fans, as well. Obviously, you can watch the men and you can watch the women at the same time. That's really good.”
By “really good,” Cowan means that the format gives fans an up-close-and-personal understanding of how the men’s and women’s professional games match up. It’s one thing to go to PGA Tour or European Tour events and then, later, go to an LPGA Tour or LET event. And, of course, a lot of fans watch the men on television for a couple of hours and then flip over to women’s coverage. But it’s quite another thing to stand on a tee and watch a group of European Tour players hit their drives and, ten minutes later, watch a mixture of LPGA Tour and LET players attack the same hole. Not only does the fan’s perspective change, the best women in the game invariably earn a new following.
“I think it's good for women's golf,” Cowan said. “Because I think, obviously, us playing alongside the men, it will push the women's golf. I think that's a great thing.”
Distance comparisons will be inevitable. They always are. But a lot of fans (and more than a few of the European Tour competitors) will be surprised when Angel Yin takes a rip with her driver. Always known as one of the longest hitters in the women’s game, Yin will no doubt make a point of showing off her length.
But she also appreciates what this event means.
“It's spectacular to see what they're doing for the game of golf and how they're growing it,” Yin said. “Having an event with the men and the women on the same venue, it's quite special. And the same purse, equal purse, it's like tennis. It's really cool to see and it's special to see because obviously we women have been fighting for something remotely close to similar pay, not equal pay, but trying to just even sniff what the men are making. I feel like we deserve that. And I feel like we deserve the same spotlight because we can offer a lot. We just haven't had the opportunity to show everyone. And when people get to see us finally in the same spotlight, I think they will really enjoy watching us and enjoy our game.”
“It's cool that women and men play together in the same course, and then with a great course here,” said Atthaya Thitikul, a three-time winner on the LET, including this season’s Tipsport Czech Ladies Open.
Thitikul arrived in Northern Ireland direct from a fifth-place finish in the Amundi Evian Championship and immediately made a joke about the weather. “It’s good for now,” she said with a laugh.
But everyone is excited about the event and the venue.
“I've never been to Northern Ireland,” Yin said. “I'm excited. I've heard lots of great things about Ireland, how beautiful it is. ‘Game of Thrones’ took a lot of scenes from here. It's very ‘with nature,’ a very, very special place and very pretty, so I'm excited to go experience that.”
Seconds later, Yin made one of the most Angel admissions of the year. “Yeah, I've never watched ‘Game of Thrones,’” she said. “I just wanted to throw it in there.”
)
)
)
)
