The LPGA returns to Mexico: because eight years of absence were not enough
Attention golf (and long-term contract) lovers! The LPGA Riviera Maya Open has decided that Mexico is so charming that it will stay until 2031. Yes, they have done the math and, apparently, six years was not enough, so they extended the stay as if they were tourists who discovered the hotel’s all-you-can-eat buffet. After almost a decade of missing us (or ignoring us, who knows), the women’s professional golf circuit returns to Aztec lands, this time at the El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba, because what better place for a sport that requires patience than a course named after a reptile that hides for hours.
The Mexican women who will carry the weight (and the sticks) of the country
Among the protagonists will be Gaby López, Clarisa Temelo, Isabella Fierro and Maria Fassi, because if there is something that Mexico knows how to do, in addition to tacos and narco series, it is produce high-level golfers. Gustavo Santoscoy García, tournament director, made it clear that this is not a summer romance, but a serious commitment: “Mexico deserves an LPGA tournament,” he declared, as if the country had been begging for a golf event while the rest of us hadn’t even realized it was missing.
And of course, the classic speech of “this is just the beginning” couldn’t be missing, because what would a sports advertisement be without a vague promise of future growth? Santoscoy assured that if everything goes well (read: if people go and not just resort employees), the tournament could become a classic. How exciting! Although, to be honest, with a purse of 2.5 million dollars, even I would learn to play golf if they paid me enough.
The three “keys” to success (or how to justify an expensive event)
According to the manager, there are three reasons why the LPGA returned to Mexico: 1) government support (because nothing says “sport” like state intervention), 2) Mayakoba (a resort so spectacular that even golf looks good there), and 3) Riviera Maya (because if you are going to organize a tournament, it better be in a place where the players can drink mojitos after losing). Santoscoy even dared to say that Mayakoba has “one of the best courses in the world”, which, coming from a tournament director, sounds less like an opinion and more like a contractual obligation.
In short: the LPGA is back, with more years ahead of it than many modern relationships, and with the hope that golf fans (or at least those who can afford to get into Mayakoba) will fill the stands. Will they get women’s golf in Mexico to take off? Who knows. But at least they already have the place secured until 2031, which means that, if everything fails, they can always blame the contract.
Are you excited about the return of the LPGA to Mexico? Share it with other sports lovers (or with those friends who only go for the free drinks)! And if you want more news that is just as “important”, do not hesitate to explore our content. #GolfForEveryone (or at least for those who can afford it).
