A talented group of nine female golfers from seven different countries will represent the Ladies European Tour when The Queens presented by Kowa is played for the second time at Miyoshi Golf Club in Nagoya, Japan, on December 2-4.
The team match play event will once again be contested between four of the world’s leading women’s golf tours: the LPGA of Japan, Korean LPGA, the Ladies European Tour (LET) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).
The three-day event features 32 matches, with eight foursomes matches on day one, eight four ball matches on day two and 16 singles matches on day three. For the first two days, all four teams will play each other. After the first two days, the top two teams will play each other in eight singles matches for first and second position while the third and fourth placed teams will play each other to determine third position overall in the event.
The LET Team is comprised of the playing Captain, Trish Johnson, of England, along with eight players from the LET Order of Merit as follows:
- Isabelle Boineau, of France
- Georgia Hall, of England
- Nuria Iturrios, of Spain
- Trish Johnson, of England (Captain)
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen, of Denmark
- Catriona Matthew, of Scotland
- Becky Morgan, of Wales
- Florentyna Parker, of England
- Linda Wessberg, of Sweden
Isabelle Boineau is ranked fourth on the LET Order of Merit. The 27-year-old from Marseille has two top 10 finishes and became a first-time winner at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open in July.
Georgia Hall has five top 10 finishes on the LET in 2016 including three top 5s. The 20-year-old from Bournemouth is currently 10th on the LET and recorded her second hole-in-one on Tour during the Tipsport Golf Masters.
Nuria Iturrios ranks 12th on the OOM and is the leading Rookie professional on the LET in 2016. The 20-year-old from Mallorca won the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco on only her second start as a professional.
Trish Johnson is a Life Member of the LET and one of the most successful and respected female golfers in history. The 50-year-old, who lives in Wiltshire, has 23 career titles, including 19 on the LET and is an eight-time European Solheim Cup player. She has posted three top 15 finishes this year and a win at The Legends Championship in the United States.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen will make her second appearance in The Queens presented by Kowa. The 22-year-old from Smoerum ranks sixth on the LET after three top 10 finishes and a maiden win at the Tipsport Golf Masters in the Czech Republic.
Catriona Matthew is also making her second appearance in The Queens presented by Kowa and is the highest ranked player in the team at third on the LET Order of Merit. A 10-time tournament winner who won the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2009 at Royal Lytham, the 47-year-old from North Berwick is also an eight-time European Solheim Cup team member.
Becky Morgan has three top 10 finishes on the LET in 2016, including a tie for 3rd at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Open and is 17th on the OOM. The 42-year-old from Abergavenny recorded her best finish of second in 2001, which was her rookie year as a professional.
Florentyna Parker is having a superb 2016 season and is ranked 5th on the LET Order of Merit after five top 10 finishes. The 27-year-old, who lives in Hamburg, Germany, posted a second place at the Lalla Meryem Cup and tied for second at the recent Lacoste Ladies Open de France, almost earning her third LET victory.
Linda Wessberg is a three-time winner on the LET. She has posted two top 5 finishes in 2016, including second at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open and ranks 16th on the Order of Merit. The 36-year-old from Gothenburg was also a member of the 2007 European Solheim Cup team.
Ladies European Tour CEO Ivan Peter Khodabakhsh commented: “The LET is proud to present a strong and talented team for The Queens presented by Kowa, with a combined total of 41 tournament victories and 17 Solheim Cup appearances between our nine Members. There is nothing more exciting or compelling than match play, especially when countries and continents compete against each other as teams and we are delighted to work with our fellow tours to grow this exciting and innovative event in its second year. After an historic summer when golf returned to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, it is fitting that we reconvene in Japan – host to the next Olympic golf contest in four years – in a spirit of competition and friendship. We would like to thank Mainichi Broadcasting Systems Inc. and the Kowa Company Ltd for their continued support and commitment to growing women’s golf.”
