Evian Masters to become a Major on the LPGA schedule from 2013
Evian Masters is now officially the fifth major on the LPGA 2013 calendar. While many purists would frown on this, the players and fans are excited about the decision.
Talking at a news conference, the Commissioner Mike Whan said, “In 2013 you will return to the fifth and final major on the LPGA Tour”.
The event was attended by noted personalities from the LPGA circuit. In addition to the Evian Masters Tournament Director, Jacques Bungert, well known LPGA tour members like Yani Tseng, Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen and Karrie Webb were also present during
the announcement.
This move means that one of the most respected tournaments has now received official sanction from Ladies Professional Golf Association.
This is a win-win situation for both the parties, as the golf world prepares for its last Evian Masters presented by Société Générale.
The tournament will be renamed as Evian and will receive the status of a major championship.
The course will also be redesigned to make it more suitable for international events and will also benefit from improved media coverage.
The redesign project is likely to affect the entire course. Commissioner Whan was at hand to explain the changes.
He elaborated that the entire field will be changed to a certain extent. To really make the course and the tournament interesting, holes 5, 15, 16, 17 and 18 will be completely re-modelled.
Commenting on the huge development, Cristie Kerr said, “Players on the LPGA have always considered the Evian Masters on par with the best tour events in all of golf. As an LPGA major, Evian will continue, as it has always done, to reach new heights year
after year”.
The move is not without its critics. Many naysayers are of the opinion that the move is motivated out of fear. It is speculated that the event has been given its status out of fear that LPGA’s largest sponsor would pull out.
The move has been under consideration for some time. It has been rumoured that Commissioner Whan has been campaigning for the status, along with the players for the last four months.
He received mixed views but apparently he was very sure of the players’ reaction and went ahead with the decision.
The decision means that the renovation of the course will be carried out in winter. The aim is to make the course more environment friendly with organic fertilizer and soil from the lake.
This work schedule will not interfere with the upcoming tournament and the members’ privileges.
The management wishes to preserve the atmosphere of the event. Even in 2013, the management plans to keep it a family friendly event.
The move would also be beneficial for the associated resort. The hotel and resort is expecting a large number of customers in the coming LPGA event.
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