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| Laura Davies and Helen Alfredsson: life members of the Ladies European Tour |
Three life members of the Ladies European Tour (LET), as well as 17 of the current top 20 in the Order of Merit (as of 21 May) have confirmed their participation in the seventh Deutsche Bank Ladies’ Swiss Open (DBLSO) taking place at Golf Gerre Losone from June 11-17.
The field of participants for the third-largest ladies’ tournament in Europe is stronger than ever and teeming with big names. Female golfing legends and up-and-coming talents from European golf will start together in Ticino and fight it out for the €525,000 in prize money.
‘I am thrilled that the queen of European golf, Laura Davies, will be coming to Losone for the fourth time for the Deutsche Bank Ladies’ Swiss Open,’ says Professor Hanns Michael Hölz, DBLSO tournament director. The evergreen Englishwoman, whose presence in Ticino is sure to cause a furore, will be one of the favourites for the title at the seventh DBLSO. Davies will give her all to win the coveted title – at the first DBLSO in 2006 she came second, in 2008 she finished fifth and ended 12th last year despite being taken ill.
Davies, like her compatriot Trish Johnson and Swede Helen Alfredsson, is a lifetime member of the Ladies European Tour (LET).
‘It is always a pleasure for me when Helen Alfredsson comes to Losone; she is after all one of the most impressive lady golfers in recent history,’ said Hölz on the Swede, who holds a total of 21 professional tournament titles.
Johnson, also with 21 career victories, is another highly experienced competitor. “Trish Johnson has represented Europe eight times in the Solheim Cup. It is a great honour for any tournament organiser to have such worthy and successful pros at the start,” said Hölz.
Alongside the three LET lifetime members, four of the six previous DBLSO winners will attend, namely: Diana Luna (2011), Lee-Anne Pace (2010), Marianne Skarpnord (2009) and Gwladys Nocera (2006). They will battle for the €78,750 winner’s cheque, which is the third largest prize on the LET.
And it isn’t just the seven names already mentioned that make this year’s field stronger than ever before. There will be 17 of the current top-20 from the Order of Merit (as of 21 May), among them Scottish champion Carly Booth.
Swiss fans can also look forward to Anaïs Maggetti’s first appearance in the tournament since turning professional. The 21-year-old from Ticino ensured her full eligibility to play on the LET 2012 in January in Spain when she was still an amateur. She is now successfully on her way on the Ladies European Tour and has taken a cut of the prize money twice from two starts. Fabienne In-Albon will also be playing her first DBLSO as a pro this year. The player from central Switzerland switched to pro this season and appears at the start in Losone with a wild card, just like her compatriot Melanie Mätzler. Caroline Rominger, from Engadin, will again represent Switzerland in the field.
Alongside the Swiss PGA, the ASG awards wild cards to four players for the start of Losone: Cylia Damerau (GC Ennetsee), Fanny Vuignier (GC Sion), Nadine Grüter (GC Schinznach-Bad) and home-grown talent Valeria Martinoli (GC Patriziale Ascona). The amateur field is rounded off by German Nina Holleder (GC St. Leon-Rot), who has a remarkable handicap of +3.0.
The title sponsor is hoping for fine weather for the seventh DBLSO in order to ensure a wonderful finale after seven successful years of cooperation between the LET and Deutsche Bank. Following the completion of the seventh DBLSO, Deutsche Bank will return the rights to stage an LET event in Switzerland back to the LET. ‘The contracts between the LET and Deutsche Bank were always temporary,’ explains tournament director Professor Hanns Michael Hölz. ‘Deutsche Bank has achieved its goals through its commitment in Losone. Ladies’ golf in Europe has been strengthened and so, too, has the LET. At the same time, Swiss golf has been able to set new standards and also support the Swiss Golf Association in promoting female talent.’
