The Saint-Malo Golf Mixed Open – A game-changing event in European golf to unfurl in France

The 4th edition of the Saint Malo Open heralds a new era in professional golf by hosting a mixed field of 72 male players from the Alps Tour and 72 female players from the Ladies European Tour Access Series. The playing field has been truly levelled with all the players competing for not only the same trophy but also the same 45,000€ prize money.

This first in European professional golf, the Saint Malo Golf Mixed Open, will take place from July 4th to 7th 2019 at the Hubert Chesneau designed Saint-Malo Golf Resort in Le Tronchet, Brittany, France.

Thursday and Friday will see men and women players teeing off alternately in flights of three in individual stroke-play format for the first 36 holes. After which, the cut will leave the top 45 players and ties from the entire field for the final 36 holes on Saturday and Sunday. Players tee times for the last two rounds will be based on score results.

To create the fairest possible playing field for all the competitors, the course set-up takes into consideration the carry yardages off the tee and stroke distances of the different categories of players as well as the course architecture regarding the positioning of bunkers and hazards. The length of the course will be approximately 13% longer for the men than for the women.

The Saint Malo Golf Mixed Open follows on from the first, official mixed gender professional golf tournament, the Jordan Mixed Open held in April 2019 which witnessed an unprecedented back-nine battle for the first prize between a male and female golfer.

The Alps Tour is a developmental third-tier professional European golf tour for men to get a better experience of professional tournaments to play the Challenge Tour and the European Tour whilst the LET Access Series is the official developmental circuit of the Ladies European Tour.

Estelle Richard, Alps Tour Chief Executive and Operations Director, said: “We are excited by this new format for the 4th edition of the Saint-Malo Golf Open and the first-time cooperation with the LET Access Series. After three years as an Alps Tour event, the tournament rises to a new challenge and becomes a unique opportunity for our players to compete with the Ladies on the same course with a special set up for the occasion to ensure the best show possible. We would like to thank Mr Serge Raulic, the Saint Malo Golf Resort and all the sponsors who agreed to accompany us in this new adventure.”

Di Barnard, LETAS Tour Director, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Alps Tour for the Saint-Malo Golf Mixed Open. Providing an opportunity for the players from both tours to compete against each other on the same golf course will be an exciting prospect. The course set up will be very much taken into consideration to make the competition balanced and a thrilling test for these talented competitors. We have seen over the last few months the interest in mixed events and with tough competition for sports sponsorship, this unique format delivers to the highest expectations. I would like to thank Mr Serge Raulic for his support and foresight in hosting this event at the beautiful Saint-Malo Golf Resort.”

Serge Raulic, Saint Malo Golf Resort Owner & Chairman, said: “We welcome with great pleasure this 4th edition of a tournament of the European professional Alps Tour and the originality of the event this year, with the participation of women players of the circuit LETAS, promises a magnificent sporting spectacle! There are few sports that allow this mixed confrontation in the same event and for the same ranking and I look forward to seeing the male power confront the finesse of the women’s game … The course will be superb and selective thanks to the work of our team and the atmosphere always so warm. Let the best wins!”