Open de España Femenino at La Quinta

La Quinta Golf & Country Club, in Benahavís (Málaga), has been awarded the Open de España Femenino 2011.

The tournament will be played September 15th -18th with the sponsorship of Turismo de la Costa del Sol, who have committed to the event until 2012 with the option to continue between 2013 and 2015.

The selection of La Quinta Golf & Country Club, an internationally recognised golf complex, comes with the announcement that the event will continue to be played on the Costa del Sol, one of the most important tourism destinations in Europe.

The Open de España Femenino will be the 20th event played on the 2011 Ladies European Tour calendar and will be the third of the year in Spain, following the European Nations Cup at La Sella and the Tenerife Ladies Match Play, taking place from June 10-12 at Golf Las Américas, highlighting the importance of Spain on the LET schedule.

La Quinta Golf & Country Club will host the Open de España Femenino for the first time in the event’s history, with the support of the Real Federación Española de Golf and the Real Federación Andaluza de Golf.

A total field of 126 players including 120 professionals and six amateurs will compete for the title over four rounds, with a cut to the leading 60 professionals and those tied at halfway.

The legendary Laura Davies added her name to the champions roster when she earned a two stroke victory at nearby Flamingos Golf in 2010.

Founded in 1989, La Quinta Golf & Country Club is internationally famed for it’s extremely high quality golf course. The golf complex is one of the busiest on the Costa del Sol and was designed by Manuel Piñero.

The complex of 27 holes, surrounding the prestigious Meliá hotel, features three nine-hole courses. 

Tinning Has Not Ruled Out 5th Solheim

Iben tinning Dubai 2010

Iben Tinning may have officially stepped away from competition after claiming her sixth career title at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters in December, but the 37-year-old Dane won’t rule out making a fifth Solheim Cup appearance.

A leg injury forced Tinning to quit full-time golf last year, but she is playing at the European Nations Cup at La Sella Golf in Spain this week, alongside 24-year-old third year Ladies European Tour professional Malene Jorgensen. 

She also plans to play at the Evian Masters in France in July, after her win entitled her to a place in the field.

“I know I’ve retired but I was always going to play this one and because I won, now I’m in the Evian Masters so I want to play that one as well. If my Rolex World Ranking holds up then I’ll play the British Open, but that’s it,” Tinning explained.

The four-time Solheim Cup player currently lies in fourth place on the European standings, just inside the cut-off point for automatic selection for the match at Killeen Castle in September and she said: “If I qualify then I will definitely play; that’s 100 per cent.

“I don’t think I’ve got a chance to be honest with you. It would be fun but the only problem is, why I’m not playing is more the leg; that is the big problem for me. Even when I played in Dubai, I was in so much pain, so I can’t really play a lot of weeks in a row but I can play here and there. That’s what I’m going to do. I can’t go back to a full time pro life, that’s impossible for me.

“It would be fun to play it again and then I think I could definitely raise my game to it, even though I’m not going to play a lot of tournaments, because I think it’s more in the head than having to play a lot. It would be alright though, wouldn’t it?

“It’s the best players in the world that plays The Solheim Cup and as I’m not a full-time player, then I’m not really thinking about it. It would be fun, but we’ll see how it goes.

“I will play now and again until I don’t have my card anymore. I can play a week once in a while but it’s only going to be two or three tournaments.”

Tinning has represented Denmark at the European Nations Cup every year since its inception in 2008, formerly with compatriot Lisa Holm Sorensen.

LET Members back to R&A School

A number of Ladies European Tour members are taking part in a pioneering R&A Rules School being run in conjunction with the LET at its headquarters at Buckinghamshire Golf Club this week.

It’s allowing the professional golfers to add another string to their bows and at the completion of the three-tier Rules education programme in October, they will have reached a standard where they will be able to officiate at elite and professional golf events.

Sally McPherson, Membership Manager of the Ladies European Tour, explained: “This course is not necessarily aimed at making the members referees, although they will be able to do this, but will also help them in any tournament administrative role and will open up many avenues for them. As professional golfers they have put a lot of time into golf and this will enable them to contribute further to the game.

“I see this as allowing LET members to work with their federations and to be able to use their skills in a wider sense, such as at corporate days and in golf clinics.”

Shona McRae, The R&A’s Manager – Rules of Golf, commented: “This is the first time that we have run anything like this, really working with the Tour and having a Rules programme specifically for the members. The first stage will cover the introductory and intermediate levels and they will take an exam on Friday morning. They will be able to referee once they have completed the advanced level of the programme, which is taking place from October 5-7.”

The Ladies European Tour members have been studying The Rules intensively for the past month and are looking forward to the challenge of both the classroom and practical elements.

The LET members participating include Zuzana Kamasova, who became the LET’s first winner from Slovakia with her two stroke victory at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco last week.

She commented: “I’m doing the course to help myself as a player, first of all, but also I’m involved with the national team in Slovakia and the kids need help and training in how to learn these things. I believe there are only two guys in Slovakia who have their qualification from The R&A.”

Welsh Tour professional Jo Pritchard said: “It’s been a while since I’ve done any studying, since I completed my PGA in 2008, but it will be good. I thought I knew a lot about The Rules until I started studying and this has opened my eyes. It’s nice to have another branch to add to my CV and this will allow me to give rules clinics at my club.”

Four-time tournament winner Rebecca Hudson of England is also taking part in the programme and she said: “I’m trying to learn more about the business of golf, the board and everything around the game.”

The other Ladies European Tour members participating include Rachel Bell, Monia Bernardo, Charlotte Dalton, Diane Barnard, Federica Dassu, Tara Dayer-Smith, Kirsty Fisher, Barbara Hacket, Kerry Knowles and Tina Tetley. If the inaugural R&A Rules School in conjunction with the LET proves successful, then there may be similar opportunities for members in future years.

La Sella Event Offers Further LET Starts

Ana Larrañeta

The España Profesional Femenino takes place at La Sella Golf in Dénia, Alicante, from April 7th - 9th and the winner will earn a triple prize.

In addition to lifting the trophy, organisers have announced that the event champion will also earn a place in the Tenerife Ladies Match Play 2011 and the Open de España 2012 on the Ladies European Tour schedule.

Spain’s Ana Larrañeta won the 2010 prize after an intense duel with compatriot Maria Hernandez.

In 2000, Paula Martí secured the title and no event was played again until Marta Prieto prevailed in 2005 and again in 2006. Xonia Wünsch won in 2008, while Tania Elósegui triumphed in 2009.

La Sella Golf has become well known by Ladies European Tour players in recent times since it has hosted the European Nations Cup every year since the inaugural event won by Trish Johnson and Rebecca Hudson in 2008. The event takes place at the venue again from April 14-17, when Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson defend the title against a high quality international field.

Located next to the Montgó natural park, La Sella Golf opened in 1991 and is a par-72 designed by Jose Maria Olazábal. It is in parts, a hilly course winding through Mediterranean trees which now features a modern short game training zone.

Four Irish Ladies in Lalla Meryem

Anja Monke

Four Irish players are entered for the Lalla Meryem Cup at Golf du Soleil in Morocco this week as the Ladies European Tour campaign resumes after a one month break with Rebecca Coakley, Tara Delaney, Martina Gillen and Hazel Kavanagh all in action in Morocco, where Germany’s Anja Monke will defend her title.

It will Kavanagh's first event of the year as Gillen and Delaney played in the LET Access Series event in France last week and Coakley returns to action after playing two events in Australia and one in New Zealand last month

Monke will hope to become the first player since England’s Johanna Head eight years ago to successfully defend, after finishing one stroke ahead of Carin Koch at Royal Anfa Mohammedia last year. 

The Lalla Meryem Cup was inaugurated in 1993 but only joined the Ladies European Tour schedule for the first time in 2010, when The Trophée Hassan II was played during the same week at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

For the first time in European golf history, this year, the international resort of Agadir will host both the Ladies European Tour and men’s European Tour events in the same city in the same week.

The Trophée Hassan II, which retains its original ‘Alliance’ (Pro-Am) format for the first two rounds, will be played over two outstanding venues nearby, the unique Golf du Palais Royal and the superb new course at Golf de L’Ocean.

Monke will be hoping to repeat the success she enjoyed last year at Royal Anfa Mohammedia and said: “My memories of my last win in Morocco are still great. That win was so unexpected; it was my first event I played in last year.

“My preparation took place in the snow in Germany and it felt strange to hit from real grass in Morocco again. I really liked the golf course we played on last year. It was in amazing shape and I enjoyed it a lot. Of course, I remember the 16th hole of my final round very well. It was a par five, reachable in two. I hit a hybrid into the green and it was a kind of blind shot and I felt I hit it pretty good. When I reached the green I saw my ball about three feet by the hole. I made eagle and this hole secured my victory.”

The Association Trophée Hassan II, organiser of both the Trophée Hassan II and the Lalla Meryem Cup, is a non-profit sport association established on 2002. Its main purpose is to organise, in addition to the two major events, other competitions integrating international satellite Tours such as the EPD Tour and eGolf Tour.

Chaired by His Royal Highness the Prince Moulay Rachid, the Association contributes to the development of national golf and aims the promotion of the Kingdom of Morocco as a premium golf destination.

“To receive the trophy from the Royal Family was a very special experience, to walk up the stage over the red carpet and then facing the Prince and his sister. I was not sure whether to drop a curtsy and I never practised one before, but I gave it a try,” Monke continued. “I did meet the Prince the night before for a dinner already and we had a very nice conversation. The hospitality in Morocco was very friendly, open minded and very welcoming. I really enjoyed my time last year and I did try many Moroccan flavours and dishes. The spices are different and very tasty in my opinion.”

Monke will have to contend with the LET’s most recent new champion, 22-year-old Australian Kristie Smith, who has made the journey over to Morocco from her training base in Florida. Smith claimed her maiden LET victory, at the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open, a month ago and is ranked second behind Melissa Reid on the 2011 Henderson Money List.

With Reid at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Smith will be looking to overhaul her at the top of the rankings this week and with a first prize of €48,750, Sweden’s Linda Wessberg and a host of other players will also be in the hunt for the top spot.

Five of last year’s event champions, Trish Johnson, Becky Brewerton, Florentyna Parker, Karen Lunn and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, who was third at the 2010 event, will all be looking to ignite their 2011 seasons after warming up in Australia and New Zealand.

Ladies European Tour Season Preview

Tournament action resumes on the LET next week, after a one month break, when the Lalla Meryem Cup gets underway at Golf du Soleil in Agadir, Morocco. Germany’s Anja Monke is defending the title she earned last year at Mohammédia and the event is featuring on the Ladies European Tour schedule for the second successive year. 

West Australian Kristie Smith, who captured the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open, hosted by Christchurch, will lead the star-studded field as she looks to make it two in a row and with England’s Melissa Reid playing at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Smith has a chance to seize pole position on the 2011 Henderson Money List, the official ranking on Tour.

A fortnight later the action continues at the European Nations Cup at La Sella Golf in Dénia, Alicante, Spain, from April 14-17. This year’s first LET event on European soil features a glittering line-up with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Sophie Gustafson defending the title they won last year in a play-off. The 18-nation event has attracted Catriona Matthew, Laura Davies, Katherine Hull, Brittany Lincicome and Christina Kim.

The next event is the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, at National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya, from May 5-8, which will begin a seven week stretch of tournaments taking in Portugal, Germany, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Tenerife and Switzerland.

Henderson Money List leader Melissa Reid will defend in Turkey and will be looking to improve on her solid results of second, 15th and fourth at the ISPS Women’s Australian Open, ANZ RACV Ladies Masters and Pegasus Women’s New Zealand Open respectively.

Moving on to Portugal and Campo Real near Lisbon is preparing for a double dose of excitement as it hosts the Ladies’ Open for the second straight year, from May 13-15. Australian Karen Lunn will be targeting more of the same after earning her ninth LET title at the venue last June.

England’s most decorated player Laura Davies is likely to be in the mix again when she defends at the UniCredit Ladies Open presented by Audi, at Golfpark Gut Häusern near Munich from May 19-22. Spain’s Maria Hernandez will look to make it two in a row at the Ladies Slovak Open at Gray Bear Golf Club in Talé, from May 26-29.

On to the Netherlands and Florentyna Parker returns to Golfclub Broekpolder in Rotterdam for another tilt at the title she won last year. With a new title sponsor, the event has been renamed the Deloitte Ladies Open and will take place from June 3-5.

Although not an official event on the calendar, the Tenerife Ladies Open will be played at Golf de Las Americas from June 10-12 with an exciting new match play format. A total of 32 players, comprising the top 30 LET competitors and two invited players will contest round one on 10th June. The 16 players to win their matches will play round two on 11thJune and the eight winning players will qualify for the final round of stroke play on 12thJune. The winner will take home a first prize of €40,000 from a purse of €120,000.

Back on the mainland, Europe’s finest competitors will gather at the foothills of the Swiss Alps for the sixth edition of the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open: a player favourite on the schedule for several reasons.

Golf Gerre Losone, a premier golf facility, is much loved by the LET players and this is the third largest tournament on the schedule with a purse of €525,000. The title sponsor, Deutsche Bank, prides itself on corporate responsibility. The company is committed to protecting the environment and sees this as one of the greatest challenges of our time.

Last year, Lee-Anne Pace captured the first of her five titles at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open, starting a wonderful season which culminated with her winning the Henderson Money List. This event will attract fierce international competition and it will be intriguing to watch which players leapfrog each other throughout the season to earn one of the four automatic spots on The European Solheim Cup Team.

There promises to be an intriguing sub-plot as a big week for a player might be enough to nudge European Captain Alison Nicholas to ink their name on the Killeen Castle team sheet or lift them into one of the top four qualifying spots from the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

After a week’s breather, the action will continue at the Finnair Masters, being staged at Helsinki Golf for the seventh year, from June 30 – July 2. Lee-Anne Pace will plan to keep her grip on the title, but there has been a different winner each year which suggests that a new name may be etched onto the trophy. We then move on to the two biggest prize money events of the year.

The Evian Masters presented by Société Générale, featuring a prize fund of €2,437,500, has won several awards for its quality. An array of talent from all corners of the globe will gather at Evian Masters Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, hoping to dethrone ‘Final Round Queen’ Jiyai Shin, who became a member of the Ladies European Tour after her victory in 2010.

There are more Solheim Cup points available both here and at the Ricoh Women’s British Open as both are designated Major Championships on the LET schedule. Rolex Rankings No.1 Yani Tseng of Chinese Taipei will hit the headlines when she defends the Ricoh Women’s British Open, being played for the first time at Carnoustie, from July 28-31. Tseng has already had a remarkable year, winning four tournaments worldwide at the start of the season, including two in Australia on the Ladies European Tour.

The Solheim Cup will be at the forefront of everyone’s minds when the Ladies Irish Open supported by Fáilte Ireland is played at Killeen Castle, The 2011 Solheim Cup venue, on August 5-7. Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson will be determined to retain the title following her six titles earned on Irish soil.

Competition on the domestic front will be high at the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open presented by EventScotland from August 18-20, with the news that the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion Catriona Matthew will participate, joining up and coming stars such as Vikki Laing, Krystle Caithness, Kylie Walker and Carly Booth among other international talents.

The following week’s UNIQA Ladies Golf Open presented by Raiffeisen at Golfclub Förenwald in Wiener Neustadt from September 2-4 will see Laura Davies have another run at the title she has won three times already on a course that suits her well.

After a one week break, action resumes with the inaugural Prague Golf Masters at Prague City Golf Club from September 8-11. This is the first event in a four-week stretch taking in the Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland and France.

The Open de España Femenino will take place at a venue yet to be decided ahead of The Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland, from September 23-25, when it will be time for the battle between the best 12 players from the United States and Europe.

The excitement will hop across to Paris International Golf Club for the Open de France Féminin, from September 29-October 2. England’s Trish Johnson will be hoping to make it two in a row and the odds look good as she also won at the venue in 1999.

After a fortnight’s break, the Tour heads to China for the Sanya Ladies Open at Yalong Bay Golf Club in Hainan from October 21-23 and the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club near Shanghai from October 28-30. Lee-Anne Pace will defend both titles after back-to-back victories last season.

Any battles for the Henderson Money List will be fought at the Hero Honda Women’s Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi from December 9-11. Then, the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters will be played at Emirates Golf Club in the U.A.E. for the sixth straight year from December 14-17. With Iben Tinning stepping away from competitive play after her 2010 victory, the door is open for a new champion to be crowned in the desert sunshine.

With superb venues and star-studded tournaments taking place in 19 different countries globally, 2011 promises to be quite a year.

Melissa Reid Sets Goals for 2011

England’s Melissa Reid has revealed that she is eyeing the 2011 Henderson Money List title this year and also hoping to tee up in Ireland as part of Europe’s Solheim Cup team. 

The 23-year-old Derbyshire player leads the Ladies European Tour’s official ranking at present after a fast start to the season in Australasia. She finished second, 15th and fourth in the three tournaments she played in Melbourne, on the Australian Gold Coast and in Christchurch, New Zealand, respectively. However she admitted that its early days with 24 events still to be played on the Ladies European Tour schedule. 

“I’m certainly not feeling complacent, but it’s a nice position in which to go into the main part of the season,” Reid said. “Before resuming play on the LET, I travel to Palm Springs for the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which I’m really excited about. I love playing against as strong a field as possible. I love to test myself against the best and having played well in strong fields in Australia I can’t wait to take them on again.”

Reid finished third on the 2010 Henderson Money List after claiming her maiden professional victory at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya. She has improved on the LET rankings each season, from 12th, to seventh, to third, since being named the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year in 2008.

“My aim this year is to keep improving as a player. I want to put myself in a position to win as many tournaments as I can and therefore have a good chance at winning the Henderson Money List,” she said. “I also want to be a member of The Solheim Cup team which is something I’ve always wanted to be part of since I first picked up a club.”

Aside from the golf, Reid has been relaxing with her chocolate Labrador retriever puppy. “Away from the course I’ve been spending as much time as possible with Freddie (my dog) when I’m at home as I miss him so much when I’m away (and I think he misses me). He goes and stays with my Mum and Dad which is his second home really, but I make sure that when he's back at my house I treat him to a nice fillet steak or something just so he knows who his mum is.

“I really missed not skiing this winter and I definitely missed the buzz. That was part of the reason that I decided to do a sky-dive in Australia. It was an amazing experience; I nearly bottled it at the last minute but the guy pushed me out before I could argue and once I was down I wanted to go up and do it again. I tried to do it early in the week but it kept being put off by the weather, so I did it after the first round which didn’t go down to well with my family, coach or manager! Luckily none of them were there to stop me.”

Reid is currently in Dubai on holiday as well as for some practice thanks to her main sponsor, the Rotana Hotel group. She then travels to Abu Dhabi ahead of the first major championship of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which gets underway at Mission Hills Country Club in California from March 31-April 3.

Wahlin Launches Turkish Airlines Open

Melissa Reid 2010 Winner

Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin and Russian No 1. Maria Verchenova attended a press launch at National Golf Club ahead of this year’s Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, which takes place May 5-8 in Belek, Antalya.

Lotta’s victory at the National Golf Club in 2008 was remarkable in many ways. She took the lead in round one with a two-under 71 extending that lead after every round and finishing with a three-under 70 to finish on seven-under, leaving the rest of the field trailing in her wake. In joint second place at five-over par were Paula Marti (Spain) Stacy Lee Bregman (South Africa) and Johanna Westerberg (Sweden). Lotta’s 12 shot winning margin was the second highest in the 30-year history of the LET. 

Lotta stated that she intends to play an almost full season in 2011 after playing a limited number of events in 2009 and 2010 because of a health issue. She is looking in great shape, back into a full training schedule; hitting the ball with the authority she was when she won the first Turkish Ladies event in 2008. She is really looking forward to returning to National Golf Club and feeling confident.

Lotta was very impressed with the condition of the golf course and the many design improvements that have been implemented since that first Turkish Ladies event. Three greens have been reshaped, many bunkers have had major surgery; 12 tees have been rebuilt and enlarged. More importantly, the turf grass conditions of the golf course have improved considerably, especially the greens, making this very challenging layout a very fair, if difficult test.

Maria Verchenova, a long-time friend of the National, where as a young teenager she did much of her winter training, still visits several times a year. Lotta and Maria played an entertaining exhibition match with Dr Bulent Goktuna, President of The National Golf Club and the promoter of the tournament, at the press launch. Several of the National girls junior squad each joined in playing a few holes each.

They then gave a fun and instructive clinic to the 70-strong junior squad, and answered an almost never ending number of questions from an inquisitive, eager for knowledge group of budding golf professionals.

Melissa Reid, the current Henderson Money List leader, won the second Turkish Airlines Ladies Open when it was staged again at National last year. 

Monke Relishing Morrocan Defence

Anja Monke will bid to become only the second player to successfully defend the Lalla Meryem Cup when she tackles Golf du Soleil, in Agadir, from 31 March- 3 April.

The event was first staged in 1993 but the only player to have successfully defended the title was Johanna Head in 2003. Monke captured her third LET title by a one stroke margin over Carin Koch when the tournament became officially sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour for the first time in 2010 at Royal Anfa Mohammedia, coming from one shot behind going into the final day.

Reflecting on her victory in Mohammedia, she said: “My memories of my last win in Morocco are still great. That win was so unexpected; it was my first event I played in last year. My preparation took place in the snow in Germany and it felt strange to hit from real grass in Morocco again.

“I really liked the golf course we played on last year. It was in amazing shape and I enjoyed it a lot. Of course, I remember the 16th hole of my final round very well. It was a par five, reachable in two. I hit a hybrid into the green; it was a kind of blind shot and I felt I hit it pretty good. When I reached the green I saw my ball about three feet from the hole. I made eagle and this hole secured my victory.

“To receive the trophy from the Royal family was a very special experience, to walk up the stage over the red carpet and then facing the prince and princess. I was not sure whether to drop a curtsy and I never practised one before, but I gave it a try. I did meet the prince the night before for a dinner already and we had a very nice conversation. The hospitality in Morocco was very friendly, open minded and very welcoming. I really enjoyed my time last year and I did try many Moroccan flavours and dishes. The spices are different and very tasty in my opinion.”

Ahead of this year’s tournament, Monke will have fine tuned her game in the warmer climes of Australia and New Zealand, where she competed in the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, ANZ RACV Ladies Masters and the Pegasus New Zealand Women's Open, with a season-best tie for 37th. She has since been warming up in temperatures of around 27 degrees Celsius in Arizona, a far cry from the snowy conditions in her native Germany.

“I am in the US at the moment and practise in Scottsdale, Arizona,” she explained. “The weather and the practise facilities are awesome. Maybe I should have stayed in Germany, get some snow and practise with five layers on, how I did the year before my win in Morocco. I will try to play well and then see how I end up.”

The 72-hole stroke play event will field 126 players including 110 professionals and 16 invited players. There will be a cut to the leading 60 professionals and ties after two rounds.

Lee-Anne Pace Plans LET Schedule

Lee-Anne Pace in New Zealand

Spurred on by five victories in 2010, in Switzerland, Wales, Finland and two in China, Ladies European Tour Henderson Money List leader Lee-Anne Pace is now reaching out for Major glory.

The title of choice is the Ricoh Women’s British Open, taking place for the first time at Carnoustie in Scotland, from July 28-31.

It has always been her favourite tournament and she hopes to secure a South African double by following fellow Mossel Bay golfer Louis Oosthuizen’s triumph at The Open Championship at St Andrews last year with a victory at the women’s equivalent.

“The British Open is probably my favourite tournament of the year. I am very excited and can't wait to see Carnoustie. I have never played there before,” she said. If it blows, Lee-Anne will be in her element coming from the windy sea-side Mossel Bay club in South Africa, but her first Major challenge will be the Kraft Nabisco Championship, taking place March 31-April 3 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. She has also secured a spot at the U.S. Women’s Open, taking place July 7-10, at The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs for capturing the Henderson Money List last year.

Pace is changing her playing schedule this year in order to fit in her new playing opportunities at the US Majors. 

“I would like to focus on the majors and defending my titles. I am not going to play as many tournaments as last year as I was left rather tired by the end of the season. I will be traveling a little bit more to the US this year, but my main focus is still in Europe,” she explained.

She is looking forward to defending her first title at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open at Golf Gerre Losone from June 16-19, followed by the Finnair Masters at Helsinki Golf Club from July 1-3.

“I love going to Switzerland,” she says. “After last year I was mentally quite tired and decided to take four weeks off completely. I am realistic and know it will take a bit of time to get back into it. It is nice to feel refreshed and I am excited about the upcoming season.

“I am very confident after the wins, but my expectations are the same. I have small goals and always try to take baby steps before I leap. In order to win there are a lot of other things you have to do well first to get you into that position. I try to focus on those things. 

“My mental ability is better and so is my ball striking. I have been working for two years on getting more distance and it seems to have worked. My putting has always been fairly good, but because I am hitting the ball further and closer to the hole, I am making a lot more birdies which puts me closer to the top.”

Given her meteoric rise up the Rolex World Rankings last year, from 230th at the end of 2009 to 55th position at the end of 2010 and now 51st, it is little wonder that Lee-Anne feels she will be able to mix it with the best, such as the likes of World No.1 Yani Tseng, given time.

She tied for 30th at the season-opening ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, tied for fifth at the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters and was joint 53rd at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

“I definitely think I can compete against the top players. I think if I stick to reaching my goals the result will speak for itself. I have played one LPGA event this year and it is very much different from Europe. The course was longer and the greens very fast and slopey. The vibe is also very different from that in Europe. Of course it will take time to adapt so a little patience will be required.

“I would to become one of the best players in the world and I realise that I have to work hard to get there. I think the hard work only starts now. I have put some ideals in place and have started working on them. Hopefully if I reach my goals the end result will take care of itself.”

Her next appearance on the Ladies European Tour is likely to be at the Turkish Ladies Open, taking place at National Golf Club in Antalya, from May 5th -8th.

Lalla Meryem Cup Moves to Agadir

Anja Monke 2010 Winner

A new chapter in the history of the Lalla Meryem Cup will be written in 2011, when the event is played in the Moroccan city of Agadir from March 31 to April 3.

For the first time in European golf history, this international resort will host both the Ladies European Tour and European Tour events in the same city in the same week.

With a purse of €325,000, the Lalla Meryem Cup is ranked tenth in terms of prize money on the LET, and will be played in 2011 at Golf du Soleil in Agadir with Germany’s Anja Monke defending the title she won last March.

This is the second year that the Lalla Meryem Cup has featured on the Ladies European Tour schedule, although played since 1993. Anja Monke won the title last year when part of the Ladies European Tour schedule for the first time, coming from one shot behind going into the final round at Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia, firing a closing 69 to capture her third LET victory by a one stroke margin over Carin Koch. 

Her victory provided the springboard for a superb 2010 season in which she posted three additional top ten finishes went on to finish 11th on the Henderson Money List with season’s earnings of €125,393.

Other players in the field include recent Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open champion Kristie Smith of Australia, Trish Johnson, Becky Brewerton, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, Karen Lunn, Florentyna Parker, Tania Elosegui and Marianne Skarpnord.

A number of rookies will make their Ladies European Tour professional debut at the event. They include the 16-year-old Czech player Klara Spilkova, the LET’s youngest ever member, who qualified at Tour School in December and is still studying at high school in Prague.

“My goal is to play as good as I can, to make cuts and finally to win at least one tournament,” said Spilkova, who started to play golf aged four with her brother Lukas at at Golf Club Erpet Praha, before earning an exemplary amateur record, which includes victories at the 2010 Austrian and Czech women’s amateur championships.

“I am very excited. Being a professional has always been my dream. I am looking forward to a completely new experience. It is my first tournament of this season and I would like to play in a new environment. I will try to play my best golf and I am very much looking forward to the season.”

She is joined by fellow LET rookies Jaclyn Sweeney of the United States, Australian Stacey Keating, Sweden’s Louise Larsson and Lucie André of France, among others.

On the men’s European Tour, The Trophée Hassan II, which retains its original ‘Alliance’ (Pro-Am) format for the first two rounds, will be played over two outstanding venues, the unique Golf du Palais Royal, designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr and considered by many to be one of the finest courses in the world, and the superb new course at Golf de L’Ocean.

Amateurs and professionals will be privileged to play on these stunning facilities, thanks to the patronage of the Moroccan Royal Family, which has been such a generous supporter of golf, since the original event was hosted by HM late King Hassan II in 1971.

The 2011 prize fund has also been increased to €1,500,000, with players and VIP guests being hosted at the superb ocean-facing Sofitel Hotel. A Royal Air Maroc charter has been arranged on Monday March 28 to take players direct from Malaga to Agadir, returning to London Gatwick following the conclusion of the event on the Sunday.

The defending champion is Rhys Davies, whose phenomenal season last year was launched with his victory in the 2010 Trophée Hassan II in Rabat, where he held off the challenge of Louis Oosthuizen, who went to achieve Major Championship success by winning The Open at St Andrews last July.

The Association Trophée Hassan II, organiser of both the Trophée Hassan II and the Lalla Meryem Cup, is a non-profit sport association established on 2002. Its main purpose is to organise, in addition to the two major events, other competitions integrating international satellite Tours such as the EPD Tour and eGolf Tour.

Chaired by His Royal Highness the Prince Moulay Rachid, the Association contributes to the development of national golf and aims the promotion of the Kingdom of Morocco as a premium golf destination.

Belen Mozo Comes with Big Reputation

Belen Mozo from Spain

Spanish professional Belen Mozo has yet to win in her short time in the paid ranks, but the 22-year-old graduate from the University of Southern California comes to Pegasus for the New Zealand Women’s Open this week with the backing of Greg Norman and plenty of confidence after a stellar amateur career.

She is endorsing Norman’s clothing brand and the Australian `Shark’ is confident she will be the perfect role model both on and off the course.

Mozo last year qualified for the two main tours, the LPGA in the United States and the LET (European Tour), finishing eighth in America and third at the LET final Q-School. After having surgery on her shoulder, she turned professional and qualified for last year’s United States Open and had a handful of starts in Europe.

Mozo, a former British Ladies Open amateur champion and winner of the European equivalent, had her best professional finish, tied 13th at 15-under par, in the ANZ Masters in Queensland last Sunday, a third round 64 hinting at her true ability.

She said that being in the infancy of her professional career led to a lot of enthusiasm. “At the beginning you get more excited about it and work super hard. You have really big hopes and big dreams – you’re always positive and think big things are going to happen. I don’t know when, maybe soon or maybe later, but I’m pretty sure they will come.”

Mozo said she had met Greg Norman once – at a pro-am at Mission Hills in China – and they had played a practice round together. He told her it was important to have something or someone which gave her confidence to be strong.

“I’m very blessed to be in the Greg Norman team and working with them. We share the same agency and it’s great to work with super nice and respectful people.”

She said that having the backing of Norman did not add to her expectations but made her push herself harder. However, she added that she tried to keep things simple, not to get stressed, and to think objectively.

Away from the course she takes her mind off golf by walking or reading books.

Mozo liked what she saw of the Pegasus course, saying the greens were in excellent order and the fact that wind was predicted for the week was not of a concern. "I like to play in tough conditions and in wind."

Tseng claims Ladies Masters and No. 1

Tseng Wins ANZ RCAV Ladies Masters

Taiwan's Yani Tseng shot a closing 68 to win the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines resort and claimed the world No. 1 ranking from Korean Jiyai Shin.

Tseng, 22, who has played the Ladies Masters on Queensland's Gold Coast since she was a 16-year-old amateur, produced rounds f 67, 66, 63 and 68 against par of 72 to finish at 24 under par, four shots clear of Australia's Nikki Campbell and American Stacy Lewis.

Another American, Ryann O'Toole, took third place at 18 under while 16-year-old New Zealand Amateur Cecilia Cho tied for fifth with Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, Amanda Blumenhurst of the US and Aussie Sarah-Jane Smith.

The win comes on the heels of the Women's Australian Open at Commonwealth GC in Melbourne last week, a double achieved only by Karrie Webb in 2000 and 2007. Webb was looking to win the title for the eighth time this year but after sharing the lead with an opening 66, shot subsequent rounds of 71, 68 and 67 to drop back to a share of ninth place.

Tseng's elevation to the top spot in the rankings is almost routine for to the Ladies Masters. Others to use the tournament as a springboard to No. 1 are Webb, Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa.

The winner of three majors - the 2009 LPGA Championship and the Kraft Nabisco and British Open in 2010 - said her goal at the start of the year was to be ranked the best player in the world. She advanced from No. 5 to No. 2 with the Australian Open win and completed the journey at Royal Pines.

The trick now, she says, is staying there. 

Since Ochoa retired on top in May last year, Shin, Ai Miyazato of Japan and American Christie Kerr have assumed and lost the mantle. "It is so soon," said Tseng. "I wasn't expecting it as quickly as this. I still have another 10 months to go. I just need to be very patient and keep working hard."

She described the win as a dream come true. "I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to play in this tournament since I was an amateur," she said. "I have learnt a lot here, coming to play with the best golfers in the world. The first time I came here I told all my friends that one day I want my picture on Champion Drive with all the other winners."

The circuit now moves to Christchurch in for the Pegasus Women's New Zealand Open, the third event in as many weeks co-sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the Ladies European Tour.

ANZ RCAV Ladies Masters Final Scores

Yani Tseng Leads in Queensland

Yani Tseng

Taiwan's Yani Tseng surged to a commanding 3-shot lead after firing a superb bogey-free 9-under par 63 during the third round of the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters being played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast.

On another fine day, the Rolex World No.2 posted 9 birdies in her flawless round to sit at 20-under par. The three-time Major winner got off to a flying start posting birdies on the first three holes, before posting another on the 9th to go out in 33. Another five birdies on the way in saw her come home in 30.

She was very happy with her performance, saying, "It's really exciting because my putting is much better than yesterday and I just figured out something before I went out to play. I figured I was standing too far away yesterday and today I tried to get closer and it worked really well."

When asked about how she will approach tomorrow she replied "I will just enjoy myself and enjoy the crowd and shoot lots of birdies too."

The ISPS Women's Australian Open champion's closest challenger is American Stacy Lewis. Lewis, who started the day as co-leader with young Australian Kristie Smith birdied three of her last four holes to stay in contention. She posted a 5-under par 67 to be at 17-under par.

Outright third at 15-under par is young American Ryann O'Toole, the 22-year old posting a 5-under par 67 including back-to back birdies on 17 and 18. South African Ashleigh Simon (68) sits in fourth position a further shot back.

At 13-under par and tied for fifth is Spain's Belen Mozo, who carded a stunning 8-under par 64 and American Jennifer Song (67). Eight players share seventh position at 12-under par including flamboyant American Christina Kim (66) and Australian Nikki Campbell (69).

Defending champion Karrie Webb will have to produce something special to lift the trophy for an eighth time. She had a better day today posting a 4-under par 68 to be at 11-under par and tied for 15th. She was buoyed by the fact it was a better day, "I guess a little better than yesterday, still very up and down, inconsistent. A perfect example, I hit it to two feet on 16, great iron shot and a good drive. Hit it to two feet on 17 and then snap hooked it off the tee at 18."

If Tseng wins she will be the only the second player to win the Women's Australian Open and Ladies Masters titles in the same year. Webb won both tournaments in 2000 and again in 2007. The tournament record of 26-under par from 2010, which is currently held by Webb is also under threat in the final round.

ANZ RACV Ladies Masters leader board

High Scoring at ANZ Ladies Masters

Kristie Smith

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland opened the second round at the ANZA RCAV Ladies Masters in Australia with a birdie reaching the turn one over par - after bogeys on the 15th and 17th – then added three birdies on the homeward stretch to finish two under par. 

At the top of the leader board two rounds of 65 by Kristie Smith of Australia and Stacey Lewis of the USA stretched the pace to 12 under – and the cut moved up to 4 under for the top 72 players - making it bad news for the Carlow professional in her second outing of the season at the Royal Pines resort on Queensland's Gold Coast. 

The leading pair of Lewis and Smith are one shot clear of world No. 2 Yani Tseng who left the course frustrated despite shooting a bogey-free 66 against par of 72. 

On a day of low scoring in near perfect conditions, a further six players - Ashleigh Simon of South Africa, Sandra Gal of Germany, Shin-Ae Ahn of Korea, Melissa Reid of England, Ryann O'Toole of the United States and Maria Hernandez of Spain - moved to 10 under par and shared fourth place. 

Lewis, who finished in eighth place when she played here for the first time in 2010, got her morning round going with a a birdie at the first hole and an eagle at the third and held the lead until caught by Smith late in the day. 

An indication of the hot scoring was defending champion Karrie Webb starting the day tied in the lead at six under. By the time she had dropped a shot on the eighth hole, she was languishing in 41st position. She rallied with a couple of late birdies in a round of 71 but found herself five shots off the pace in 25th place. 

Further evidence of the hot scoring was that he cut was made at four under par 140, the lowest in the tournament's 22-year history. 

Tseng, who will take the world No. 1 spot from Jiyai Shin of Korea if she wins this week, was angry at what she saw as missed chances. "It was a long day for me," she said. "I was pretty stressed out on the course because I could not make any putts. I made most of my birdies on the par fives. 

"However, I hung in there. I feel I could have shot 10 under. I was proud of myself for finishing at six under." 

The low round of the day was a scorching 63 from American Mollie Fankhauser who made nine birdies in the morning without dropping a shot. After an opening 74 it left here at seven under and five shots from the lead. 

The quality of her golf - a shot outside Webb's course record of 62 - was not the only thing that caught the attention of the local media who had not seen a heavily tattooed golfer, male or female, in the professional ranks. She was happy to talk about it, saying that they started about five years ago when her aunt and uncle bought her one on her neck as a birthday present. 

"It was encouraged by all my family members so I just went with it," she said. "I'm the only tattooed person in my family. I think they are beautiful if they are done by the right person. They can be horrendous and ugly but I have taken great care and researched the right artist." The tattoos are evident on her arms and she says she has more on her chest and elsewhere. 

Webb's quest to win the title for the eighth time received a severe set-back but few who have seen her previous seven victories here would write her off completely. Five shots is not a lot to make up in two days, especially in light of her closing 61 last year to win by six shots. 

Compatriot Katherine Hull, who won in 2009 and was runner-up last year, is also nicely placed if the leaders falter. Rounds of 69 and 66 leave her three shots from the lead in a tie for 10th place with fellow Aussies Karen Lunn and Nikki Campbell, American Hanna Jun, Becky Brewerton of Wales and Italian Diana Luna. 

The cut reduced the field to 140 players including amateurs Cecelia Cho of New Zealand and Minjee Lee, 14, the current Western Australian Amateur champion. 

They are four shots from the lead in a tie for 16th place. 

ANZ Ladies Masters Leader board

Coakley Out After ANZ Cuts at 4 under

Rebecca Coakley

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland opened the second round at the ANZA RCAV Ladies Masters in Australia with a birdie reaching the turn in one over par - after bogeys on the 15th and 17th – then added three birdies on the homeward stretch to finish two under par for the day. 

At the top of the leader board two rounds of 65 by Kristie Smith of Australia and Stacey Lewis of the USA stretched the pace to 12 under – and the cut moved up to 4 under - making it bad news for the Carlow professional in her second outing of the season on the Gold Coast.

ANZ RCAV Ladies Masters Leader board

Coakley Chasing Joint ANZ Leaders

Cassandra Kirkland

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland made a good start at the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters in Australia carding four birdies through the first four nine holes to make the turn in 33 shots at the Royal Pines Resort on Queensland's Gold Coast. However dropped shots

However dropped shots on holes 11, 13, 16 and 17 resulted a level par finish for a share of some six shots off the pace where a crowded leader board includes Australians Karen Lunn and Karrie Webb, Spain’s Maria Hernandez, Korea's Eun-Hee Ji, Frenchwoman Cassandra Kirkland and Diana Luna of Italy all on six-under-par 66 after the opening round of the ANZ-RACV Ladies Masters.

Rolex World No.2 Yani Tseng is leading the chasing pack of seven players just one shot back at five-under par 67. Tseng, shares seventh position with Australians Kristie Smith and Sarah-Jane Smith, Korean Shin-Ae Ahn, England's Melissa Reid, American Stacy Lewis and Italy's Giulia Sergas.

Another 14 players, including the 2010 European No. 1 Lee-Anne Pace share 14th position at 4-under par 68. A total of 82 players shot under par in the opening round.

This week Webb has a chance to extend a record in women's golf that she already owns, that may never been broken. With seven Ladies Masters titles to her name, she is one ahead of fellow Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam who took out her national title six times between 1997 and 2006.

Webb, 36, accumulated her seven wins between 1998 and last year when she produced a closing round of 61 to win by six shots. What is ominous for the strong field this week is her fast start in the benign morning conditions. She commented: "It is nice not to have to make up ground after the first round.There are still three rounds to go but it's a good start."

If Webb does secure her eighth title this week, she will edge closer to the men's record with five-times British Open champion Peter Thomson, winning the New Zealand Open nine times between 1950 and 1971.

Australia's Karen Lunn was very happy with her opening round, particularly after a disappointing week last week. She said, "Yeah, I am. I played really well today. Last week in Melbourne was a real disappointment, I went in there thinking I might play well and I didn't. I made the decision this week to just relax and try and enjoy it a bit more. Last week, I think I was just pushing it a bit too hard and trying a little bit hard. Obviously six under after 10, I had some really good chances coming in, didn't make a lot more. But still I'll take that as a good sign. You know the first nine this morning were perfect scoring conditions. Generally, I'm really pleased."

When asked by the media about her resurgence, she responded "The last couple of years have been pretty steady. You know obviously last year, I made that break through, and won in Portugal, which was huge for me. The last couple of years have been pretty consistent. I've finished the top Aussie on the European Tour, for two years, so you know I give the young girls a bit of a stick about that.

I've worked really hard on my game, on my short game, my attitude, so yeah, it’s all coming together, it’s just nice to get off to a good start this week."

Luna nearly ran them down late in the day, getting to 6-under by the 15th without dropping a shot but missed the last three greens. She was able to get up and down each time and should have the easier morning conditions in round two.

After missing the cut at the Australian Open last week, American prodigy Alexis Thompson celebrated her 16th birthday with a round of 69 to be three shots from the lead. The highlights of her round were an eagle at the par five third hole and a birthday cake she shared with tournament officials after the round.

Austrian Stefani Michl and Swede Linda Wessberg recorded hole-in-ones at the par three 11th and 5th holes respectively. Michl was left to rue the fact that there is a $60,000 Peugeot on offer for an ace at the 11th on the weekend.

ANZ RACV Ladies Masters Leaderboard