The Volvo Cross Country Challenge was a women's professional golf series on the Ladies European Tour. It was a separate dedicated yearly order of merit for events in the Nordic region and held each year from 2005 to 2007.
The winner of the challenge received a Volvo car and prize money. The 18-year-old Kiran Matharu from Leeds, England, had yet to learn to drive when she won the Challenge and a brand new Volvo XC70 in 2007.
Participation To qualify, players had to participate in at least three out of four of the LET tournaments hosted in Nordic countries:
Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika (Sweden) SAS Masters (Norway) Finnair Masters (Finland) Nykredit Masters (Denmark)
Prize money collected in these tournaments were added up in a "Volvo XC Challenge Order-of-Merit". The top ten players on this Order-of-Merit shared a prize fund of $120,000.
In addition, players could get $1,000,000 bonus by winning all four of the above tournaments in one season.
Winners Year Winner Points Ref. 2007 Kiran Matharu 280 2006 Laura Davies 577.5 2005 Cecilia Ekelundh 307
Order of Merit The winners were determined by an Order of Merit based on results in the four tournaments, calculated using a points-based system.
2005 Player Tournaments TotalMoneyPoints 1 Cecilia EkelundhT25– NOTHELD T2157 3150334,508307 2 Iben TinningT18– T164 1st300339,310304 3 Lisa Holm SorensenT49– 1st300 T61–433,020300 4 Suzann Pettersen670 T2177 •332,533247 5 Lora FaircloughT38–T1227.5 2275327,398227.5
2006 Player Tournaments TotalMoneyPoints 1 Laura DaviesT580 1st300 T1122.5 T2175469,855577.5 2 Virginie LagoutteT34– T3135 1st300 T1217.5449,550452.5 3 Karen Margrethe JuulT23– T1111 T648 1st300444,195359 4 Gwladys Nocera4120 T1111 T3135 T840446,942306 5 Annika Sörenstam1st300 • • •175,000300
2007 Player Tournaments TotalMoneyPoints 1 Kiran MatharuT28– • T4105 T2175332,145280 2 Lotta WahlinT60– T34– 3150 4120428,090270 3 Johanna WesterbergT58– T660 2200 T19–431,263260 4 Kirsty TaylorT39– • T33– 2200322,738175 5 Diana LunaT97– T3135 • T1025315,884160
References