THEY’LL be talking about it for years to come.
Queensland will lay claim to golfing history following the confirmation that the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters has secured the strongest field ever assembled for a golf tournament in this country, men or women.
The prestigious event, to be contested at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast between March 4-7, will welcome the appearance of three of the four major champions from 2009.
It will mark the first time in Australian golfing history that three current major champions will contest the same event on Australian soil.
Kraft Nabisco Champion, American Brittany Lincicome, Women’s US Open Champion, South Korean Eun Hee Ji and McDonalds LPGA Championship winner and World No. 7, Swede Anna Nordqvist, will headline the star-studded field.
Supporting and challenging the current major champions will be a plethora of top 20 players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings. These include World No.3 Suzann Pettersen, World No.6 Yani Tseng, South Korean Na Yeon Choi (No.12), our own World Golf Hall of Famer and six-times Masters Champion Karrie Webb (No.13), South Korean Song-Hee Kim (No. 14), European No.1 and World No. 18 Sophie Gustafson.
The international players do not stop there – South Koreans Hee Young Park (36), Hee Kyung Seo (No. 42) and M.J Hur (No. 45), Americans Stacey Lewis (No. 47) and the flamboyant Christina Kim (No.48) are all heading to the magnificent RACV Royal Pines Resort, most for the first time.
A field comprising eight of the top 20 and 15 of the top 50 world ranked players is also an unprecedented statistic for an Australian professional golf tour event.
Three Australians have previously won the ANZ Ladies Masters. Webb has lifted the trophy a staggering six times, Jane Crafter won twice in the 90s and Katherine Hull is the defending champion.
Hull, Webb and fellow compatriots including World No.28 Lindsey Wright, Nikki Campbell and Tamie Durdin, both of whom won on the LPGA of Japan in 2009, three-time LPGA tournament winner Wendy Doolan, LET multiple title winners Nikki Garrett, Joanne Mills and Karen Lunn will be fighting to keep the title in Australian hands.
The established players will, however, need to look over their shoulders, as the tournament has a reputation for uncovering a rookie who upstages the stars. Young Australian rising stars including Kristie Smith, Rebecca Flood, Leanne Bowditch, Kate Combes and Sarah Oh will be keen to repeat the efforts of 2006 champion, 16-year-old Amy Yang, as they relish in the strongest field on the biggest stage of their fledgling careers.
Nobody can discount former World No.1 and reigning Women’s Australian Open Champion Laura Davies either – winner of over 70 events worldwide including three Ladies Masters titles.
The traditional crowd favourite will be as keen as ever to add another title to her unparalleled list of international victories.
ANZ Managing Director of Strategy and Marketing, David Lindberg said ANZ was looking forward to its 10th ANZ Ladies Masters and welcomed elite golfers from here and around the world.
“With some of the world’s top ranking female golfers competing, the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters looks set to be one of the most thrilling tournaments yet,” Lindberg said.
“It’s not difficult to see why it is now firmly established as one of the key features of the international golf calendar.
“ANZ is proud to continue its support of the ANZ Ladies Masters which reflects not only our commitment to women’s golf, but also our commitment to Queensland and the Gold Coast, as a thriving global destination.”
Tournament Director Ben Tuohy said: “This is definitely the one to watch. The 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will showcase the best field – in men’s or women’s golf - ever assembled in Australia.
“Sports fans should grab this opportunity with both hands, either come and watch the girls live at RAVC Royal Pines Resort, or at home live on Channel 10 and ONE HD.”
The tournament will be shown on ONE HD on the Friday, then on Channel 10 on Saturday and Sunday and broadcast internationally to a reach of over 160 million households.
Tickets are now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets.
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