The Daily Telegraph - 01.08.2019

turn down golfing date with Trump

the Solheim Cup contender

describes herself as an introvert

and there is something about her

reflective and creative nature that

is not dissimilar to the up-and-

coming Greek tennis star Stefanos

Tsitsipas, who uses photography

and film-making as an outlet.

It would seem writing became

her release valve from a sport with

which she happily admits to

almost feeling she has an all-

consuming love affair.

“Golf is like that [a relationship]

for me, as much as you want to

walk away at times, you still have

that love there. How I think so

much about everything, there

were a lot of things that were

always going around my head and

at some point I think I must have

realised, writing them down

helped.”

As time as has gone by, she has

often adopted the voice of an

activist. Yet she ponders if she had

made the cut at the LPGA

qualifying school, would she be

taking the stand that she is?

“The LPGA has done amazing

stuff. If things had fallen

differently for me, I probably

wouldn’t be saying a lot of the

things I am saying, which is hard to

accept as a person because you

would want to believe you would

always stand up for certain things.”

The other area on which

MacLaren, whose father

David has held several

executive positions in

the men’s game

including as deputy

chief operating officer of

the European Tour, is

particularly illuminating is

how the majority of female

golfers on the LET will pay for

their clubs. Forget about

lucrative endorsement deals

where players are paid to play with

a certain brand.

“Guys will get thrown

equipment and money left, right

and centre. The girls will struggle

to find somebody who will give

them 10 per cent off.

“Some players in Europe will get

equipment provided to them, you

will get one or two who will get

you, all things that are going to

effect you in the long run; the

standard isn’t going to go up.”

She also believes that many

manufacturers would be more

keen to use a social media

influencer than a LET player to

promote clubs.

“As Tour players in Europe we

can’t give them that exposure.

“I think the LET needs a massive

influx of money, we can’t do what

we do as a Tour because of the

budget.

“If you look at women’s football

and they are in a different place

than women’s golf, but it needs a

company like Barclays to come

along and say ‘we are going to

invest in this and help you do

things, you can’t on your own’.”

MacLaren seems to have the golf

business sussed. Would she

consider a career in helping to run

the game? She takes time to ponder

her answer and responds,

“Anybody who wants ideas, I am

happy to share.”

Hopefully an invitation those in

high places in golf will take up.

Gender gap:

Meghan

MacLaren argues

that more needs

to be done to

enable women to

make a profitable

career out of

playing full-time

on the Ladies

European Tour

paid to use equipment but that is

it. Everybody else will have to

scrounge; if you are lucky you

might get some free

equipment.

“I would say less than

one per cent of girls in

Europe get paid to use

equipment. The numbers

on the men’s tour who get

paid to use equipment is

going to be 70 per cent

plus. That is pretty scary. I

know if you are an equipment

company you are going to throw

your product where it can be seen

and if we don’t get TV coverage,

they don’t have reason to give us

products, so the argument goes

back.

“So, if people want to make the

argument that the level of

women’s golf isn’t as good as

men’s golf, I don’t think they

understand that if you have

to pay for your golf clubs

that is money that could go

to getting a better coach or

getting your coach to come

out to a tournament with

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The Daily Telegraph Thursday 1 August 2019 *** 13

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