Ladies Open attracts strong field

THE AIB Ladies Irish Open gets underway on Friday at Killeen Castle, Co Meath, having attracted its strongest field ever.

The tournament will feature 17 of last year’s Solheim Cup players, as well as Katherine Hull, runner-up at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at the weekend after finishing a stroke behind Yani Tseng at Royal Birkdale.

The full European team that competed last year at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois, has travelled to the Dunsany, Co Meath course for the first women’s professional tournament at The 2011 Solheim Cup venue.

There are also five 2009 Solheim Cup players from the United States, including Brittany Lincicome and Christina Kim, who both tied for ninth last week at Royal Birkdale, as well as Angela Stanford, Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lang.

Extrovert Kim yesterday revealed how she “had a few bevvies and partied it up a bit,” in Dublin’s Temple Bar upon her arrival on Sunday, and also praised the “breathtaking” setting for the course.

She added: “I’m feeling very good about my game, and the fact that I felt like I had a bad week and managed to squeeze out a top 10 in a major. Hopefully I’ll be able to come in and provide a little entertainment while being able to play well too.”

The European Solheim Cup line-up at Dunsany includes the 2009 champion at Portmarnock, Diana Luna, who gave birth to her first child three months ago.

Also featuring are world number four Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, who is ninth on the Rolex Rankings and Laura Davies, who leads the Ladies European Tour’s Henderson Money List.

Catriona Matthew, Sophie Gustafson, a three-time winner of the Irish Open, Maria Hjorth, Helen Alfredsson, Gwladys Nocera, Tania Elosegui, Becky Brewerton and Janice Moodie will also compete.

Ireland will be represented by professionals Hazel Kavanagh, Rebecca Coakley, Tara Delaney, Martina Gillen and Claire Coughlan-Ryan, who has been given an invitation to play after the birth of her first child.

Top Irish amateurs Danielle McVeigh, 22, from Royal Co. Down and the 15-year-old prodigies Lisa and Leona Maguire from Slieve Russell, are also set to tee up.

The Jack Nicklaus-designed Killeen Castle course, which opened in 2009, will play at 6,311 yards and is a par 72.