Queen Annika leads procession at HP Open

(Drottningholm, Stockholm, August 6 2003) World number one Annika Sörenstam leads one of the strongest fields of the season as she defends her title at this week’s £325,000 HP Open at Drottningholm GC, which nestles beautifully in the grounds adjacent to Queen Silvia’s palace gardens.

Morgan – unerring accuracy

Becky Morgan from Wales has also laid claim for a Solheim pick after a remarkably consistent season to date where she has recorded six top tens on the LPGA Tour and leads the driving accuracy statistics.

The 28-year-old from Abergavenny is ranked number one with 84 percent of fairways hit, ranked number two in sand saves and sixth in rounds under par. The shy Welsh player also set a record last week for playing 54 holes without dropping a shot. Morgan’s unerring accuracy is even more remarkable when you consider Royal Lytham and St Annes GC is littered with 198 deep pot bunkers.

“But the bogies all came on the last three holes last week, just when I didn’t want them,” said Morgan, who was described by one former Solheim player to be a perfect pairing for Sorenstam in Solheim foursomes.

Captain Nilsmark has already issued a stark warning that she will be the “iron fist in a velvet glove” and suggested to those players who harbour thoughts of making the team to play hard during the final three weeks of the countdown before the Wales WPGA Championship of Europe ends on August 25th.

“We still have three events to go, but I am very happy at this stage,” said Nilsmark, who took nine potential members of her team to play Barseback on Monday.

“I keep saying these last few weeks are very important and they are. It’s hard to have confidence going into The Solheim Cup if you’ve missed the last three cuts, it’s very difficult and I’m talking from experience”

Form is the key this week, much is at stake and who knows, Queen Silvia of Sweden might just pop her head out of the bedroom window to watch the Queen of women’s golf in action.