LET season starts in style down under

This week, the most exciting season in LET history is about to begin with the RACV Ladies Masters in Queensland, Australia, starting on Thursday. The field of 144 players is well prepared and ready to start the season at the beautiful at RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast. The high calibre field features 10 Ladies European Tour winners from 2014, including the defending champion Cheyenne Woods from the United States, England’s Charley Hull and Florentyna Parker, Frenchwomen Gwladys Nocera, Valentine Derrey and Julie Greciet, Scotland’s Kylie Walker, South Africans Lee-Anne Pace and Connie Chen, Ssu-Chia Cheng of Chinese Taipei and Camilla Lennarth of Sweden.

They are joined by fellow luminaries such as Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, who won the Oates Victorian Open on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) Tour on Sunday, Sophie Gustafson from Sweden, England’s Dame Laura Davies, Queensland’s Katherine Kirk, Canadian Lorie Kane and Australian great Rachel Hetherington.

Hetherington is making a return to the ALPG tour after retiring from the LPGA in late 2010.  She has been busy as the 2001 Evian Masters champion and her husband, Greg Ritchie, added to their family with the birth of Annie several years ago.  Hetherington also has her own Golf Range and teaches at Sanctuary Cove.

The eight time winner on the LPGA has finished in the top 10 at Royal Pines six times in her career with her best finish being runner-up to Karrie Webb in 2001.  Hetherington will certainly be a crowd favourite along with Woods and three time winner Davies.

Tournament Chairman Bob Tuohy said: “I’m thrilled with the composure of the new look field this year, and in particular the strong mix of players, and for the first time from the China and Taiwan LPGA Tours.  The participation and calibre of the Asian players will generate extensive media interest in Asia which all goes well for destination Gold Coast and the RACV Royal Pines Resort course.”

Tickets for the RACV Ladies Masters are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.au with children under 16 free if accompanied by an adult.

Full list of entries