Women's golf in Australia is getting ready to host the kind of year men's golf in Australia had last year when a good many of the World's best players made the trip 'Down Under'.
This to play Callaway Lady's X-22 Irons in the Biennial Presidents Cup in Melbourne and in two key Australasian Tour events either side it.
The big attraction for some 80 of the world's finest female golfers is clearly going to be the Women's Australian Open in the first half of February - this because Golf Australia has found the finance and managed to persuaded the beleaguered LPGA Tour to co-sanction the Tournament and for the highly respected Royal Melbourne Golf Club to host the event.
Royal Melbourne is where the President's Cup was played and it is understood that almost ever women golfer of class would give their eye-teeth to play in a competitive event on this storied sand belt course.
Co-sanctioning with the LPGA does come at a cost, though.
Prize money has been set at of $US1.1 million ($1.07 million) and Golf Australia has undertaken to provide airfares and accommodation for all of the 80 LPGA player who wishes to enter at add an estimated additional cost of $800,000 to the tournament budget.( Callaway Lady's X-22 Irons)
The Ladies Australian Masters was not able to obtain the LPGA Tour as a co-sponsor and is only offering a total purse of $500,000, but because of it is being held a week ahead of the Open, it is also expected to attract some world class players.
The Australian Masters and Open were also among her victories, but she is doubtful for the Masters because of injury though she expects to be fit enough to defend her Open title
Karrie Webb, an eight-time Masters champion, is not playing Callaway Lady's X-22 Irons in this event, but she will be teeing off at Royal Melbourne.
Fiercely loyal to Australian golf for nigh on two decades. she found it a tough decision to miss the Masters, but she believes she should focus on LPGA events only this year.
The US Women's Open champion, So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, and American Stacy Lewis, winner of the Nabisco Championship, which is the first women's major of the year, are both playing Callaway Lady's X-22 Irons in the Masters as well as in the Open - and so is brilliant young American teenager Lexi Thompson, who will turn 17 during Open week.
Last year, she won on the LPGA Tour and then closed the year with a victory in the Ladies European Tour finale in Dubai.
Also at Royal Pines for the Masters will be another outstanding young Korean, Hee Young Park, who won on the LPGA Tour last year and who is in Australia practicing under Wollongong coach Steve McRae, who is also in charge of Katherine Hull's swing.
Park's caddie will be Australian Dean Herden, who carried the bag of Ryu in her US Women's Open triumph and who has also caddied for former World No 1 Jiyai Shin, who will be playing Callaway Lady's X-22 Irons in the Open but not the Masters.
Tseng will head the bill at the Open with World No.2, Suzann Petterson of Norway.
Also playing at Royal Melbourne is top American and World No.4 Cristie Kerr, who has 14 LPGA wins, including two majors.
Ryu, Lewis and Park will make it five of the top 10 women players in the world at the Open - and show the men of Australia that they too can attract the game's top guns - and that includes Laura Davies.
The English veteran will be playing here for the 21st consecutive year.
Outside of the Masters and the Open Davies, who has never received a cent of appearance money in Australia, will play the Royal Canberra Ladies Classic and Women's NSW Open at Oatlands later this month.
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