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.