Original story posted by Åland Ladies Open
Krista Bakker has been a familiar name on the Ladies European Tour for several years now, and this week another Bakker graces the start list of the Åland 100 Ladies Open by Ålandsbanken, as Krista’s sister Katri is also in the competition.
Katri, 21, has caught the eye in her homeland over the past few seasons, with a playoff defeat in the Finnish Amateur Championship earlier this year to her name, as she looks to follow in her sister’s footsteps to make her name on the LET.
“It’s nice that I get to play with Katri in the same professional competition. We haven’t played together for a long time,” says Krista, who claimed success in the Team Event of the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok, earlier this year.
Katri currently leads the Finnish Tour ranking in the 2022 season, and looks set to be another bright light for Finnish golf in the future, following in the footsteps of sister Krista, as well as Sanna Nuutinen, 2021 Gant Ladies Open Champion Matilda Castren and 2022 Jabra Ladies Open winner Tiia Koivisto.
The chance to compete alongside her sister was one Katri has been looking forward to for a while and she has had her sights set on earning herself an invitation to the LET event from the start of the year.
“The goal was to enter the competition and now that it has come true, it’s amazing”, says Katri, who is part of the women’s national team.
To make it a full family affair Krista and Katri will have parents Riitta and Kari with them in Åland this week, with mother and father getting a view from inside the ropes as they caddy for their children.
Kari, who worked as a golf coach for a long time, also works as a coach for his daughters, and both Krista and Katri are looking forward to having their nearest and dearest by their side as they compete on home soil this week.
“It’s really nice that both parents are here. And having a coach here during the competition is really important. If I need to get any help this week he will be there if I need it, and that’s always useful,” said Krista.
The Åland 100 Ladies Open by Ålandsbanken gets underway on Thursday, with Krista hoping to put on a spectacle for the home crowd and give the locals something to cheer through the week.
After a T21 finish at the Gant Ladies Open last year – which proved to be one of her strongest finishes of the season – Bakker senior is looking forward to making her mark once again this year.
“I’m going to play a smart and safe game. I haven’t set myself any exact goals for the week, but I’m approaching it with a positive attitude and that’s how the result will come,” Krista said.
Sisters playing in the same professional competition at the Ladies European Tour level is really rare, but the Bakkers get to taste that this week, and who knows, maybe we could see them side by side on Tour in the future.
