LET Player Highlights Gender Pay Gap In Golf

MacLaren posted on Twitter regarding the $6.5m+ difference in the prize money between the men's and ladies Abu Dhabi events

LET Player Highlights Gender Pay Gap In Golf

English Ladies European Tour player Meghan MacLaren highlighted the disparaging gender pay gap in golf with a Tweet that gained plenty of traction.

MacLaren is fresh off of a T41st finish at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi which was the first event of the Ladies European Tour in 2019.

That took place at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, not too far away from Abu Dhabi Golf Club where this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is being held.

The European Tour event has a purse of $7,000,000 this year after being promoted to a Rolex Series event, whilst last week's Ladies European Tour event down the road had a purse of just $293,000 - that's a difference of more than $6.7m.

MacLaren wrote on Twitter: "two main tour events in the same country, one week after each other...

"one prize fund $293,000.

"one prize fund $7,000,000 #spotthedifference"

After dozens of replies, MacLaren post a longer statement later, titled 'For some clarity', it read:

"I'm not ignoring the way the world works.

Golf is a business, and the amount of money that's in it is dependent on how well its product is marketed and sold.

I'm not assuming that things should be on an equal footing, or ever will be.

But just strip that all back for a second and look at what each product is... people playing the same sport, at the highest level.

Try telling a young girl getting into golf that she's worth 6 million dollars less than her brother.

(But I suppose all of us women could just try and get our PGA tour cards instead)."

The 24-year-old won her first LET title last year at the Women’s New South Wales Open.

Related: Mel Reid says LET players have had to get part-time jobs

She received a number of replies to her initial Tweet - we'd love to know your views on how the Ladies European Tour can attract more prize money.

Whilst the financial gap between the Ladies and Men's European Tours is huge, the LPGA Tour in the US is significantly more lucrative than its European cousin.

The season-ending CME Tour Championship will have a first prize of $1.5m this year, which is higher than 33 of the 47 PGA Tour events.

Let us know where you stand on this topic on our social media channels

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