The ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open is ready to roll.
Australian golf’s richest purse will be sought by its best field this summer when the Patricia Bridges Bowl goes up for grabs from 7.10am (Central Daylight Time) on Thursday morning.
Headed by world No.1 and defending champion Lydia Ko, four top-20 players and 31 in the top 100 of the Rolex Rankings will tackle the superbly prepared West Course of The Grange Golf Club in suburban Adelaide.
The marquee groups begin early and keep rolling throughout a jam-packed first round.
Ko, world No.9 Ha Na Jang and top-ranked Australian Minjee Lee (world No.18) begin at 7.55am off the 10th tee. They will be followed out by the power trio of Charley Hull, Mika Miyazato and 2014 British Women’s Open champion Mo Martin at 8.05am, then Australian No.3 Rebecca Artis, outstanding Korean Chella Choi and former US Open champion Eun-hee Ji at 8.15am.
In the afternoon phase, five-time champion Karrie Webb will play alongside Canadian and world No.12 Brooke Henderson and former champ Dame Laura Davies from 12.50pm off the first tee.
They are out immediately after a group of crowd favourites – Cheyenne Woods, Katherine Kirk and Stacey Keating – at 12.40pm, with the last group away, including Perth’s Jayde Panos, off the 10th tee at 2.15pm.
Ko, Webb and Henderson each faced the press today before their title tilts.
A full wrap of stories and videos from the conferences and a taste of all the colour from a fun-filled pro-am day are available at www.womensausopen.com and www.youtube.com/GolfAust, Golf Australia’s YouTube channel.
