LADIES BRITISH OPEN AMATEUR
FOURSOMES CHAMPIONSHIP

Foursomes golf today received a boost with the announcement by the Ladies Golf Union of a new Championship, the Ladies' British Open Amateur Foursomes, to be played at Formby Golf Club from 2nd - 4th May 2001.

This is the first new British Championship since the Senior Ladies' was inaugurated in 1981 and as Julie Hall, the LGU Secretary said: "The Ladies Golf Union are continually looking at ways of attracting top players from the Home Counties and Europe to compete in the UK and we are convinced that this new foursomes championship will have a high quality entry. We are delighted to have the support of such a prestigious club as Formby in launching the inaugural championship."

"Foursomes golf is played at international level in the Curtis Cup and the Vagliano Trophy and yet many players, particularly on the Continent, rarely have the chance of playing this type of golf. We therefore feel that players aiming to play at representative level and the top club golfers throughout the UK will welcome the opportunity of competing in this new championship."

Formby has been a regular host of Championship golf and earlier this year was announced as the venue for the 2004 Curtis Cup. As recently as 1997 the Merseyside Links staged the European Ladies' Amateur Championship and it has also been the venue for three Amateur Championships, the most recent coming in 1984 when Jose Maria Olazabal beat Colin Montgomerie 5 and 4 in the final.

It was also one of the Final Qualifying course for the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes and will continue its association with the R&A when it stages the British Mid-Amateur Championship in 2002.

The Ladies British Open Amateur Foursomes will be a scratch stroke play tournament played over 72 holes with the pairings who survive the 36 hole cut playing the final two rounds on the third day.