Mel Reid on ladies golf: "There's not going to be a Tour to play on soon"

Ladies European Tour professional Melissa Reid says players need part-time jobs to make a living with just 14 counting events on the circuit this season.

Reid, 30, admitted to feeling the "most gutted" she has ever felt in a tournament when being defeated by the boys in the quarter-finals of the European Tour's GolfSixes event at Centurion Club on Saturday, an event she believed she could have won alongside playing partner Carlotta Ciganda and helped put ladies golf on the map.

"We could have done something special, we were playing well enough," said Reid, who admits some LET players are struggling to make a living in 2018.

It was not just the European Women team of Reid and Ciganda who performed admirably against the men last week in St Albans, but also the England Women's team of Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, who also reached the quarters.

The Ladies European Tour has 14 scheduled events this year - a situation Reid, who joined the Tour in 2008, calls "heartbreaking".

"The LET needs help and quickly," said Reid. 

"I've encouraged players to support offers we get in because it's all good fighting a cause but there's not going to be a Tour to play on soon."

The LPGA Tour in the United States was reported to be keen to help the LET but the offer was not accepted and that avenue is now closed.

Speaking on the BBC's golf podcast, The Cut, Solheim Cup player Reid added: "A lot of my friends, who have been on Tour for 12 years, have had to get part-time jobs. Golf is supposed to be the second highest paid women's sport."

According to last year's LET rankings, England's Georgia Hall won the most money with around £325,000 from 10 events. Spain's Ciganda, who played with Reid in last weekend's Golf Sixes, was second on that list with £140,000. Reid was eighth with £80,000.

Only the top 50 in the rankings earned more than the average UK salary of £25,000 for a woman.

Comparing the LET up against the LPGA Tour in the United States, and Jin Young So has already earned as much money by May 2018 than Hall did on the LET in the whole of 2017. Jin is seventh on the rankings, led by Inbee Park with £530,000.

An LET statement said: "There are 14 events listed on the 2018 schedule, in addition to the GolfSixes, but there are still more to be announced for this year in the near future.

"The LET is in discussions with a number of leads for new tournaments next year and expects to make some exciting announcements this summer, with a view to publishing a full schedule for next year."