Justin Rose and his wife, Kate, will sponsor a series of women’s golf tournaments for British professionals, beginning this month, according to The Telegraph.
The Justin Rose Ladies Series will feature seven tournaments, with the first scheduled for June 18 at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club. The series will include a stop at Royal St. George’s, which was scheduled to host the 2020 Open Championship before it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Telegraph is reporting that Rose is contributing 35,000 pounds ($44,000 in U.S. dollars) to the prize money in the series and that Sky Sports will broadcast the series. The series is planned to be played without spectators.
“I am keenly aware that I now have the opportunity to go back to work and compete on the PGA Tour, but this is not the same for the ladies and some junior tours as well,” Rose was quoted saying in The Telegraph. “I am sad that the Ladies European Tour has been suffering so badly and doesn’t really have a start date yet from what I know. To me this seems somewhat unfair.
“My wife Kate and I felt there was an opportunity to step up and help. The prize money is modest because it is me throwing in some money and then the ladies are paying an entry fee and being able to play for a pot. We wanted to give them the opportunity to play and to be ready for when the opportunities arise later in the summer.”
Rose is scheduled to play the Charles Schwab Challenge this coming week in the PGA Tour’s restart after a long pause amid the pandemic.