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Australian golfer Karen Lunn, winner of the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco last month, will be one of the main challengers to Melissa Reid, Laura Davies and the defending champion Christel Boeljon in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya, from May 10th- 13th.
Karen is no stranger to the winner’s circle and her win in Morocco was her tenth on the LET. She has 35 top 10 finishes and has won over €1 million in prize money on the LET. Outside of Europe she has also taken titles in Australia, Thailand and Malaysia. Karen tied for 36th in Turkey last year and shared 19th place in 2010.
Among the other players who finished in the top 10 places at the Lalla Meryem Cup and will be joining Karen in Turkey are Tandi Cuningham (South Africa), Marianne Skarpnord (Norway), Holly Aitchison (England), Jade Schaeffer (France), Valentine Derry (France), Sophie Giquel-Bettan (France), Carin Koch (Sweden), Bree Arthur (South Africa) and Carlota Ciganda (Spain).
The three previous winners of the Turkish title are among the list of entries which will feature 126 players from 22 different countries.
Last year’s´ champion, Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands, is already a winner on the LET this year as she beat a world class field to take the Gold Coast RACV Ladies Masters in Queensland, Australia, with scores of 66,65,68 and 68 for an incredible 21 under par. She had an amazing 2011 season representing Europe as a member of the triumphant Solheim Cup team.
The 2010 champion, Melissa Reid of England, who claimed her first professional title in Turkey, had a fabulous 2011 season, also playing on the winning European Cup team and taking two national titles in Holland and Spain. Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin won the first Turkish Ladies Open title in 2008 by a tournament record margin of 12 shots and will receive a hearty welcome back to Turkey having suffered with health problems in 2009.
There is just one event to play before the competitors travel to Turkey: the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open from the 3rd – 5th May at Archerfield Links Golf Club in East Lothian, which will be the first event of the year on European soil.
