RL360 tees up sponsorship with pro golfer Ana Dawson

Ana becomes part of a talented trio of Manx athletes, alongside pro golfer Tom Gandy and sailor Peter Cope, under RL360's athlete sponsorship programme. 

Marketing Director Simon Barwell deemed the sponsorship with Ana a ‘natural fit’ and added:

“Before our athlete sponsorship programme was officially set up, we were already focussed on supporting local talented athletes like Ana. RL360 sponsored Tim Kneale back in 2016, who went on to win medals in 2 Commonwealth Games and compete in the Rio Olympics. We’re very pleased to be able to help Ana as she starts her professional career and we’re excited to follow her progress.”

Born into a family of keen golfers, Ana spent much of her teenage years perfecting her swing and rising through the junior ranks at Peel Golf Club.

By the age of 14, she had already represented England's under 16's North West team at various junior tournaments across the UK. 

Ana's potential was recognised further afield and she was offered the opportunity to play golf in the US on a sports scholarship. She went on to spend 4 years playing for the University of Memphis whilst studying Sport and Hospitality Management.

After graduating in 2022, Ana returned to the UK to pursue her dream of turning professional in what would be her final season as an amateur golfer. 

One of the biggest highlights of last year for Ana was winning an event in the prestigious Faldo Series, the only global event where high-level amateur male and female players compete against each other, and earning a place in the grand finale in the UAE.

Overall, Ana finished the competition as the highest ranking female player in 7th place in the mixed gender standings which put her in good stead for Qualifying School in La Manga, Spain.

Playing against a field of 140 of Europe's best amateur players, Ana put in a strong performance during the first stage of Qualifying School. However, disappointing rounds in the second and third stages placed doubt as to whether Ana would make it to the final qualifiers.

Her hard work and determination paid off when she produced a 4 under par final round, lifting her up the leaderboard and cementing her place on the Ladies European Tour.

Ana is only the second female golfer from the Island to turn professional, after Jackie Pickavance.

The partnership will see RL360 take on the role of Ana's headline sponsor for 2023 as she embarks on her first season playing on the Ladies European Tour.