First round leader, Amanda Blumenherst, birdied her final hole of the day to join the early second round leader Ji-Na Lim in the lead at the completion of 36 holes at the ANZ Ladies Masters at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.

That pair enjoys a two shot break over Australians Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull and Tamie Durdin and Koreans Seo Yeon Ryu and Hee-Kyung Seo.
In darkening and, at times, wet afternoon conditions, Blumenherst made a slow start today but was soon into stride, making the turn in one under 34 and adding further birdies at the 3rd and 4th (her 12th and 13th holes) to move to 9 under and into a share of the lead with Lim.
Lim had completed her second round of 66 five hours earlier and with the reachable par five 9th hole still to come it appeared that Blumenherst might just retain her outright opening round lead.

Blumenherst’s group of Sarah Oh, Tania Elosegui and the American were placed on the clock after losing contact with the field early in their back nine. Blumenherst appeared a little rushed when she arrived at the second to last hole of the round, the par four 8th. A bad tee shot there led to a bogey but she hit a superb drive at the last to set up a closing birdie and she had a share of the lead again.  

“I don’t like being put on the clock,” said Blumenherst. “We got behind on our 10th hole after having to wait for a ruling. We had been right on the tail of the group ahead up until then. I don’t feel like I am going overtime but you are still consciously thinking about being penalised.” 
“I am very proud of myself. I was nervous of course today as I have never had the lead in a professional tournament before. It is definitely a different experience but I felt I handled it well, played my game and stayed focused.”

Lim, who played in the morning group on day, is playing the ANZ Ladies Masters for the fourth consecutive year, her previous best finish coming in 2009 when 36th. A significant improvement in Lim’s short game has led to an elevation in her status on the Korean LPGA Tour, winning for the second occasion there in 2009 and finishing 8th on their money list.

“I did not really expect to play well this week but the damp course conditions made me focus even more this week,” said Lim through an interpreter. “In the past my ball striking has been my strength but my short game and putting has improved a lot and so my game has changed in that regard.”
Lim was out in two under 35 but then stormed home in the humid overcast conditions with a back nine of 31 to finish with 66 and when she faced the media at 12.30pm she led by two.

Highlighting the strength of the Korean LPGA Tour is that the number one and two on that tour’s 2009 money list were amongst those sharing third place behind Blumenherst and Lim.

Ryu and Seo were prolific winners on the Korean LPGA Tour in 2009, Seo winning on five occasions and Ryo four. Ryu also won the Ladies China Open and, very importantly in the context of this event, was runner up to Katherine Hull here last year.

South Australia’s Tamie Durdin was one of the talking points of day one, both good and bad. When she made the turn in her opening round she was at seven under and even at that early stage held a four shot lead. She would tumble badly over her closing nine holes to finish with a three under 69.

How would she handle that let down on day two? Well any questions in that regard were quickly answered when she played those same horror nine holes in 34 today and she had quickly moved within three of Lim. When Durdin finished with a round of 68 to be in the group at 7 under she had completed an impressive and gutsy comeback.

“I thought a lot about it (the demise of day one) last night,” said Durdin. “I spoke to my sports psychologist and today was all about hitting the shot that was in front of me.”

Six time champion, Karrie Webb, and defending champion Katherine Hull were also out late in the day and both stayed very much in touch.
“I’m happy with the position with I am in being just two shots back,” said Webb after her two birdies in her last three holes kept her in touch.
The cut fell at even par with exactly 65 players making it through to the weekend.

Due to continuing rain and the condition of the course, regretfully, the ANZ Ladies Masters Pro-Am Tournament has been cancelled. Officials are planning for a normal start to the event on Thursday morning, subject to the weather.

Queensland can boast a piece of golfing history following today’s confirmation that the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters has secured the strongest field ever assembled for a golf tournament in this country. The prestigious event, to be contested at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Queensland’s Gold Coast between the 4 and 7 March has confirmed the appearance of three of the four major champions from 2009.

This marks the first time in Australian golfing history that three current major champions will contest the same event on Australian soil. Kraft Nabisco Champion, American Brittany Lincicome, Women’s US Open Champion, South Korean Eun Hee Ji and McDonalds LPGA Championship winner and World No. 7, Swede Anna Nordqvist, will headline the star studded field.

Supporting and challenging the current major champions will be a plethora of top 20 players from the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings. These include World No.3 Suzann Pettersen, World No. 6 Yani Tseng, South Korean Na Yeon Choi (No.12), our own World Golf Hall of Famer and six times Masters Champion Karrie Webb (No.13), South Korean Song-Hee Kim (No. 14), European No.1 and World No. 18 Sophie Gustafson.

The international players do not stop there, South Koreans Hee Young Park (36), Hee Kyung Seo (No. 42) and M.J Hur (No. 45), Americans Stacey Lewis (No. 47) and the flamboyant Christina Kim (No.48) are all heading to the magnificent RACV Royal Pines Resort, most for the first time.

A field comprising 8 of the top 20 and 15 of the top 50 world ranked players, is also unprecedented statistic for an Australian professional golf tour event.

Three Australians have previously won the ANZ Ladies Masters. Webb is a six times champion, Jane Crafter won twice in the 90’s and Katherine Hull is the defending champion. Hull, Webb and fellow compatriots including World No. 28 Lindsey Wright, Nikki Campbell and Tamie Durdin, both of whom won on the LPGA of Japan in 2009, three time LPGA tournament winner Wendy Doolan, LET multiple title winners Nikki Garrett, Joanne Mills and Karen Lunn will be fighting to keep the title in Australian hands.

The established players will however need to look over their shoulders, as the tournament has a reputation of uncovering a rookie star who upstages the stars. Young Australian rising stars including Kristie Smith, Rebecca Flood, Leanne Bowditch, Kate Combes and Sarah Oh will be keen to repeat the efforts of 2006 champion, 16 year old Amy Yang, as they relish in the strongest field on the biggest stage of their fledgling careers.

No one will discount former World No.1, winner of over 70 titles worldwide including three Ladies Masters titles, reigning Women’s Australian Open Champion and crowd favourite England’s Laura Davies, who will be as keen as ever to add another title to her unparalleled list of international victories.
ANZ Managing Director Strategy and Marketing David Lindberg said ANZ was looking forward to its tenth ANZ Ladies Masters and welcomed elite golfers from here and around the world. “With some of the world’s top ranking female golfers competing, the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters looks set to be one of the most thrilling tournaments yet. It’s not difficult to see why it is now firmly established as one of the key features of the international golf calendar,” Mr Lindberg said.
ANZ is proud to continue its support of the ANZ Ladies Masters which reflects not only our commitment to women’s golf, but also our commitment to Queensland and the Gold Coast, as a thriving global destination.
Queensland’s Acting Premier Andrew Fraser is pleased at the news. “This is a great result for a great Queensland based event. The ANZ Ladies Masters is synonymous with the Gold Coast and Queensland and I am impressed at the quality of the field that has been announced today,” said Mr  Fraser. “There is no better place to play a tournament of this nature and to have a field that is this strong is a testament to the event itself and its organisers. The Queensland government is pleased to be a major supporter of this event through our own Queensland Events.”

Tournament Director Ben Tuohy stated “This is definitely the one to watch. The 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will showcase the best field – in men’s or women’s golf - ever assembled in Australia. Sports fans should grab this opportunity with both hands, either come and watch the girls ‘live’ at RAVC Royal Pines Resort, or at home ‘live’ on Channel 10 and ONE HD.”

The tournament will be shown on ONE HD on the Friday, then on Channel 10 on Saturday and Sunday and broadcast internationally to a reach of over 160 million households.

Tickets now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets. ANZ Ladies Masters proudly supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

2009 European No.1 Sophie Gustafson has confirmed she will return to the ANZ Ladies Masters for the first time in six years when she tees it up at the RACV Royal Pines Resort between 4 and 7 March 2010.

The 36-year-old Swede, who enjoyed a very successful year on both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and US LPGA, will certainly be a crowd pleaser at the tournament due to her big hitting and aggressive style of play.

In just four appearances on the LET in 2009, Gustafson collected Euro 281,310.00 to edge out Scotland’s Catriona Matthew as the highest money earner on tour. By finishing on top of the Henderson Money List she was officially crowned the European No.1. It is the fourth time the Swede has finished on top in Europe.

Gustafson, who has won 13 times on the LET, finished runner-up twice in her four starts in 2009. She finished tied second in June at the AIB Ladies Irish Open and then lost in playoff Japan’s Ai Miyazato in the co-sanctioned Evian Masters in France.

On the LPGA, she secured her fifth LPGA title in September when she carded a final round 68 to hold off World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa to win the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge. Along with her win, she also posted another six top 10 finishes.

Gustafson finished the LPGA season 17th on the Money List with US$792,359.00 taking her LPGA career prizemoney to over $US5.3 million. She is currently ranked 18th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

The Swede will join the best field ever assembled at the Masters, including compatriot and World No. 7 Anna Nordqvist.

The international players will not have it their own way, with defending champion Queensland’s Katherine Hull leading the Australian contingent. She will be supported by former World No. 1 and six times ANZ Ladies Masters champion Karrie Webb (World No. 13), Wendy Doolan, Karen Lunn (leading Australian on the 2009 LET) Nikki Campbell and 2009 ANZ Ladies Masters runner-up, Tamie Durdin.

The 21st ANZ Ladies Masters will be played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland's Gold Coast from 4 to 7 March and will be broadcast by Network Ten and One HD on March 5 to 7. Tickets now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets. ANZ Ladies Masters proudly supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Further announcements regarding international player commitments will be made over the coming weeks.

2009 LPGA Major, Tour Championship and Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year winner Anna Nordqvist will make her first appearance in Australia as a professional when she competes at the ANZ Ladies Masters to be played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland in March.

The 22 year old Swede has enjoyed an amazing rookie year since turning professional last December. Nordqvist made headlines around the world in June when she won in just her fifth start as a professional. Not only did she secure her first victory on the LPGA Tour, but it just happened to be a major, the McDonalds LPGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola. She topped off her year with a win in the season ending LPGA Championship presented by Rolex, where she carded a final round seven-under par 65 to defeat world number 1, Lorena Ochoa, and a field which included the top 60 LPGA Tour players.

Nordqvist, who secured her 2009 LPGA Tour card through last year’s Qualifying tournament, recorded five top 10 finishes in 17 starts, finished the year 15th on the LPGA Money List with $US871,785 and is now ranked 7th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings.

Nordqvist joined Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, South Koreans Jiyai Shin and Na Yeon Choi as the only multiple winners on the LPGA Tour this year.

The Swede is also a member of the Ladies European Tour (LET) after she finished on top of the leader board at the Q-School at the start of 2009. In six appearances on the LET, she finished 13th on the Henderson Money List and secured the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year. She also made her debut appearance in the Solheim Cup played in September.

Anna Nordqvist said, “My first trip to Australia was last year and it was one I'll never forget. I was a member of the Swedish side in the World Amateur Team Championship and we were fortunate enough to win. Now I am delighted to be able to go back and compete as a professional in strong fields at both the ANZ Ladies Masters and the Women's Australian Open. I've always wanted to visit the Gold Coast, it sounds like a combination of Miami and Las Vegas in the States. I'm really forward to coming back to Australia next year and supporting the Ladies European Tour”

The Swede will join the best field ever assembled at the Masters.

Fellow Australians that are confirmed starters include former World No. 1 and six times ANZ Ladies Masters champion Karrie Webb (World No. 13), Nikki Campbell, who won in Japan this year and Sarah Kemp.

ANZ Ladies Masters Tournament Chairman Bob Tuohy, welcomed the news of Nordqvist inclusion in the field. “Anna has rocketed into prominence in her rookie year, and has become a truly world class player in a very short space of time. The 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will benefit greatly from her inclusion as we welcome yet another major winner to the tournament which has a history of attracting the big names."

The 21st ANZ Ladies Masters will be played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland's Gold Coast from 4 to 7 March and will be broadcast by Network Ten and One HD on March 5 to 7. Tickets now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets. ANZ Ladies Masters proudly supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Further announcements regarding international player commitments will be made over the coming weeks.

Warren Sevil, CEO of the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Inc announced today that in co-operation with Co-Sanction Partners, The Ladies European Tour, Tuohy Associates, promoters of the ANZ Ladies Masters, Golf Australia, organisers of the Women’s Australian Open and other key stake holders, the dates for the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters and the Women's Australian Open Championship have been rescheduled from the previously published dates.

The move is a result of a late scheduling change on the US LPGA Tour, and is necessary to avoid a clash with the opening of their season in South East Asia early next year.

Accordingly, the new dates are as follows:

4-7 March: ANZ Ladies Masters. RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast
11-14 March: Women's Australian Open. Commonwealth Golf Club, Melbourne

Mr Sevil said "In the best interests of our players and the ongoing success of our two major events in Australia, our decision will certainly provide the opportunity for our Tour and our Promoters to meet sponsor criteria through the securing of a world class field of local and international players next summer. The change will also guarantee delivery of the required exposure to domestic and international television audiences.

"Despite the enormous task of rescheduling, we have been very fortunate to have received such wonderful support and cooperation from our sponsors, host venues and the Ten Network. The new dates are likely to work in our favour in terms of strength of field and we look forward to welcoming many of the world's best players to our major events early next year"

For further information:
Warren Sevil, Chief Executive Officer, ALPG – Ph: 07 5592 9343
Bob Tuohy, Chairman & Managing Director, Tuohy Associates – Ph: 08 8373 2021
Trevor Herden, Director – Championships, Golf Australia – Ph: 03 9626 5048

Sunshine Coast girl Katherine Hull will return home to defend her ANZ Ladies Masters title at the RACV Royal Pines Resort early next year.

Hull, 27, was in superb form when she beat a star-studded field that included six-time winner Karrie Webb, reigning US LPGA champion Yani Tseng and reigning British Open champion Jiyai Shin in March.

She clinched the title with a closing 68 that included three birdies in a row from the 12th hole to finish at 16 under par and five shots clear of fellow Aussie Tamie Durdin and Korea's So Yeon Ryu.

“I dreamt about this as a kid," Hull said when accepting the trophy for Australia's richest and most prestigious women's golf championship. "It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. There are so many great names on the trophy and when you walk past the framed pictures of the winners, you wish you had your picture up there. Now I’m going to be up there so I’m just stoked. I couldn’t have written the story any better this week.”

The fairytale result followed her maiden US Tour win at the Canadian Open in August '08 and a month after her big win at home she was runner-up to Shin of Korea in the HBSC Women's Champions title in Singapore.

The 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters gives Hull, ranked No. 14 in Rolex World Rankings, the opportunity to join an elite band of multiple winners – Karrie Webb (6), Annika Sorenstam (3), Laura Davies (3) and Jane Geddes (2) who are all ‘major champions, and Jane Crafter (2) who is now retired but maintains her ties with the tournament as a TV commentator.

ALPG Tour Chief Executive Officer Warren Sevil, welcomed the news of Hull’s title defence. “Katherine has become a world class player, and as has been the case with many current stars, the ANZ Ladies Masters has played a significant role early in her career. Katherine has all the qualities that define her as the ultimate professional. She, as with Karrie Webb, has supported all the major tournaments on the ALPG Tour, not yet missing one single event since turning professional. I know I speak on behalf of both ALPG and our co-sanction partner, Ladies European Tour, in saying that the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will again attract a world class field and we look forward to working with all associated partners to showcase this most prestigious event to the world audience.”

The 21st ANZ Ladies Masters will be played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland's Gold Coast from 4 - 7th of March. A further announcement about international players in the field will be made in late August.

For the first time since the introduction of the Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings three Australians figure in the Top-15 players in the world. Following last week’s runner-up finish at the year’s second major, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, Lindsey Wright has jumped 17 places to be ranked No.12. 6 Time ANZ Ladies Masters Champion Karrie Webb remains the highest ranked Australian at No.10 with fellow Queenslander and current ANZ Ladies Masters Champion Katherine Hull the third Australian at No. 13.

Wright began the year ranked No.52 and has climbed up the rankings with some consistent performances in the first half of 2009. She has recorded six Top-20 finishes in her eleven starts this year, including three Top-10’s. This includes an outright 4th at the first major in April, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, tied 3rd at the Michelob ULTRA Open in May and her runner-up finish on the weekend.

Australia now has the second highest representation of players inside the Top-15 on the Rolex Rankings with three (equal to the USA). Korea leads the way with five.

Australian Katherine Hull cruised to a five stroke victory at the ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines Resort in Australia on Sunday and confirmed her status as one of her country’s fastest rising sporting stars. Hull, who began the final round with a three stroke lead over compatriot Tamie Durdin, recorded a winning total of 16-under-par 272.

The 26-year old LPGA Tour regular fired rounds of 69, 67, 68 and 68 and became only the third Australian to win the tournament in its 20-year history, after Jane Crafter and Karrie Webb. “If anyone would have said to me that I would shoot four rounds in the 60s I would have been absolutely ecstatic,” said Hull, who collected a winner’s cheque for $90,000.

“I dreamt about this as a kid. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. There are so many great names on the trophy and you walk past the framed pictures of the winners and you wish you had your picture up there. Now I’m going to be up there so I’m just stoked. I couldn’t have written the story any better this week.”

Durdin, who faded in the final round of last year’s tournament at Royal Pines, held her nerve and closed with a 70 to tie for second with promising young Korean So Yeon Ryu, who shot 66. “For me it was a win. I did not crumble. I was disappointed to make bogey up the last,” said Durdin, who plays on the Japanese tour. “Considering how she played, I could not really ask for much more.”

Last year’s European No.1 Gwladys Nocera (67) tied for fourth with Australian Sarah Kemp (68), American Mollie Fankhauser (70) and world No.2 Yani Tseng (66). Nocera also took the early lead on the Ladies European Tour’s 2009 New Star Money List.

Hull claimed her breakthrough win at the Canadian Women’s Open in Ottawa in August, which was her first win in five years on the US LPGA Tour. She had been close to victory over the last two weeks as a runner-up at the LG Bing NSW Ladies Open a fortnight ago and was joint second at last week’s New Zealand Women’s Open. With over US$1 million on the US LPGA Tour last year, she finished 13th on the money list and is now challenging Karrie Webb for the Australian No.1 spot.

“To follow in Karrie’s footsteps would be awesome because she’s done so much and at such a young age. She has raised the bar for us Aussies. To be held in the same sentence as her is an honour. I’d love to go out there and win next week and get into the same category,” Hull said.

Her final round began in perfect fashion when she birdied the first hole establishing a four stroke lead but Durdin edged within two when she birdied the sixth hole. Hull turned in two-under 35 with a three stroke advantage and effectively sealed the win with three consecutive birdies from the 12th. She led by six shots before taking her sole bogey at the final hole.

Six-time Masters winner Karrie Webb had an unhappy 73 to finish in joint 30th on three-under-par. She blamed poor putting and a double bogey at the start of her round but was looking forward to defending her Women’s Australian Open crown this week at Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne.

(RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast)

Cherie Byrnes, Katherine Hull, Nikki Campbell and amateur Rebecca Flood lead the Australian charge after the first round of the ANZ Ladies Masters. They all fired rounds of 3-under par 69 to be two off the pace heading into Friday.

Welsh golfer Becky Brewerton grabbed a share of a four-way first round lead at the ANZ Ladies Masters on the RACV Royal Pines Resort. Along with South Africa's Lee-Ann Pace, Norway's Marianne Skarpnord and Korea's Il Hee Lee opened with five-under-par 67s, upstaging the likes of world No.2 Yani Tseng, who shot 71, world No.5, Ji-Yai Shin who had 69 and the six-time Masters champion Karrie Webb, who fired a 2-under par 70.

Brewerton, a Solheim Cup player shared pole position after reeling off five birdies over the back nine of which she started on. She recovered from a double bogey six at the second hole with back-to-back birdies for an inward total of 37, even par. The 2007 Ladies English Open champion is making her fourth appearance at RACV Royal Pines Resort where she shot an opening round of 66 in 2007 before finishing tied for eighth behind Webb.

“This is one of my favourite courses and I’ve done quite well here. I’ve got good memories and it suits my game well. If you can drive it long and straight you’ve got a real advantage,” Brewerton said.

Brewerton recorded eight top ten finishes last season and was 15th on the New Star Money List for the third time running. She has been working hard over the winter in an attempt to bring her game up to the next level and has been put through her paces by her new fitness trainer Steve Bond. She cited a stronger mental approach as the key to overcoming the double bogey she took after snap hooking her ball into the root of a tree.

“I think before if I had made a mistake like that I would have given myself too hard a time and ended up on one or two under when I should have been at least five under. In situations like that the work I have been doing has definitely helped,” she said.

The 22-year-old Skarpnord equalled Brewerton’s 67 with three birdies on the front nine and two on the back. Her best finish was runner-up to world No.4 Suzann Pettersen at the AIB Ladies Irish Open in July last year.

Pace, who will turn 28 later this month, was the only leader to have played in the breezier, but warm, afternoon conditions. Her best finish on tour was a tie for fourth at the SAS Ladies Masters in Norway last year.

Lee, another talented player from the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA), was runner-up to Shin in the Woori Ladies Tournament early last year. She started her round at the 10th and turned in 32 before picking up two more birdies coming home. She is known as one of the dragon ladies having been born in the year of the dragon. Like many of her generation her idol is Se Ri Pak.

The incredibly strong field of the ANZ Ladies Masters has been further boosted by the inclusion of Japanese sensation Ai Miyazato.

Runner-up to Karrie Webb in 2005, Miyazato, 23, joins a line-up that includes three current major winners - In-Bee Park (US Open), Yani Tseng (LPGA Championship) and Ji-Yai Shin (British Open).

The ANZ Ladies Masters, the longest running and richest event on the ALPG calendar, is celebrating its 20th anniversary and will be played at RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast from 5 - 8 February.

Miyazato, from Okinawa, made herself known to golf lovers around the world in 2005 when she finished 12 shots clear of the pack at the US Tour school and was LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2006. Not lacking in confidence, she signs her autograph ‘Ai-54’ which she explains is the score in the perfect round of golf made up entirely of birdies.

On debut at Royal Pines in 2005 she equaled Webb’s course record of 63 on the first day and led the Australian by four going into the final round before losing by a shot. For Webb, it was the fifth of her six wins since making her debut as an amateur in 1993.

Last year at Royal Pines Miyazato tied for 14th place with Australia’s Katherine Hull, seven shots behind winner Lisa Hall of England. A shot in front of her was Gwladys Nocera of France who has just been named the 2008 Players’ Player of the Year after five victories on the Ladies European Tour.

A men’s field with the reigning major champions would include Tiger Woods, Trevor Immelman and Padraig Harrington. While the male champions make rare and fleeting visits to Australia, the top women have been supporting the tournament since its inception and given it credibility and respect around the world.

Tseng, ranked No. 2 in the world, finished a shot behind teenage winner Amy Yang in 2006 and Shin, ranked No. 6, tied for sixth with Karin Sjodin in 2008. Webb, who was looking for her seventh win, was fifth. Webb and Shin also battled at out at the 2008 Women’s Australian Open where they both shot closing rounds of 67 before Webb won on the second hold of sudden death.

Webb made up three strokes on Shin in the closing five holes, prompting five-times British Open champion Peter Thomson to write in the Age that “Karrie Webb’s astonishing win of the Women’s Australian Open at Kingston Heath on Sunday was the best performance of a golfer - man or woman - in the past 50 years”.

Expect more of the same at Royal Pines in February.

US Open winner for Masters
US Open Champion In-Bee Park will join the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast next February.

Park joins LPGA Champion and US LPGA Rookie of the Year, Yani Tseng (world #2) and RICOH British Open Champion Ji-Yai Shin (world #6), in undoubtedly the strongest lineup ever assembled in Australian golf.

Tournament Promoter Bob Tuohy said “to secure three of the four Major Champions in our field at a time when we are celebrating such a significant milestone for the event, is a great thrill and most gratifying”. In her second season on the LPGA Tour in 2008, Park made her first victory a Major, when she defeated Helen Alfredsson to win the most coveted title in women’s golf in Minnesota last July.

Not only have each one of these players won a Major Championship, but Tseng confirmed her enormous potential by securing the Rookie of the Year title on the LPGA Tour and Shin finished off her season by winning the coveted ADT Championship, where she landed the biggest winner’s cheque in women’s professional golf of US$1 million.

Along with six time Champion Karrie Webb, defending champion Lisa Hall and the great improver in Australian golf this season Katherine Hull, these three Champions will ensure not only local interest but a massive audience nationally and internationally.

One of the ANZ Ladies Masters’ favourite sisters of swing Laura Davies is again part of the field and so too will four time LPGA winner Canadian Lorie Kane, two time Major winner Brandie Burton and the standout player on the Ladies’ European Tour in 2008 Gwladys Nocera.

In what is believed to be a first for Australian golf, three current Major Champions will line up head to head in the same event.

The Sisters of Swing tee off at the RACV Royal Pines Resort between February 5 & 8, 2009.

The ANZ Ladies Masters, co-sanctioned by the Ladies’ European Tour and the ALPG Tour, will be broadcast by Network Ten on February 7 & 8 and will reach an international audience in excess of 160 million households. Tickets now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tseng and Shin confirmed for ANZ Ladies Masters
the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast provided even greater cause for celebration of its 20th anniversary when the tournament’s promoters Tuohy Associates today announced that two of the most outstanding young talents in female golf are now confirmed for the event.

19 year old Taiwanese golfer, Yani Tseng, and 20 year old Korean, Ji Yai Shin, have both confirmed their entry to play and while both have played the ANZ Ladies Masters previously, their stunning seasons in 2008 now place them at another level in world golf. Given their rapid rise in world golf, they are sure to be huge attractions at the event to be staged from February 5 - 8 and will add further lustre to a field which will again include the six time ANZ Ladies Masters champion, Karrie Webb and Australian golf’s big mover in 2008, Katherine Hull.

Tseng, who won this year’s McDonald’s LPGA Championship, has risen rapidly to the number two position in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings behind only Lorena Ochoa, while Shin finished runner up to Karrie Webb at this year’s Women’s Australian Open and went on to win the 2008 Ricoh Women’s British Open and is currently ranked number eight (8) in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

In her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, Tseng won the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, making her first LPGA Tour victory a major championship. Tseng, who turns 20 in January, further enhanced her growing reputation by finishing runner up to Shin at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.  With ten top 10 finishes in 2008, Tseng is assured of LPGA Tour ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors and with more than US$1.7 million in her first season in the US, it has been a brilliant debut in the big-time.

On the Korean LPGA Tour, Shin won seven times in 2008, including all major championship, becoming the first player in KLPGA history to complete the season Grand Slam – winning all major championships in the same year.  Shin recorded her second LPGA victory for 2008 at last week’s Mizuno Classic in Japan. 

Tseng has played the ANZ Ladies Masters on three previous occasions including finishing 3rd in 2006 and 5th in 2007, while Shin was runner up to Karrie Webb in 2007 and finished 6th in this year’s event.

Tournament Director Ben Tuohy was quick to point out the significance of securing the talented pair for Royal Pines. “There is little doubt that Yani and Ji Yai are amongst the most exciting talents in the game. While most locals will be keen for an Australian victory, the quality of players that both Shin and Tseng have become this season will be of great interest to golf fans generally. Most pundits believe that either could potentially challenge Ochoa for the title of world number one in 2009 and the opportunity to see them here at the ‘Sisters of Swing’ ANZ Ladies Masters early in the season is a juicy prospect for all and a great coupe for the tournament.”

Tuohy also announced that he is currently in discussions with yet another major achiever in world golf in 2008 and expects to be able to announce further good news in that regard in the next few weeks.
The ANZ Ladies Masters, co-sanctioned by the Ladies’ European Tour and the ALPG Tour, will be broadcast by Network Ten on Feb 7 & 8 and will reach an international audience in excess of 160 million households.  Tickets are on sale Monday November 3 at all Ticketmaster outlets.
ANZ Ladies Masters proudly supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The ANZ Ladies Masters reaches a significant milestone in 2009 when the event celebrates 20 years as one of Australia’s leading golf tournaments. A close look at the history of the event highlights the tournament’s importance to not only Australian golf but to world golf generally and in 2009 it promises to again showcase many of the game’s established and emerging stars.

RACV Royal Pines Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast, as it has done since 1992, will play host to the event from February 5th - 8th. The outstanding tournament venue has itself proven to be a winner, in terms of its all round suitability to stage a tournament of this significance. The ANZ Ladies Masters has provided the launching pad for several of the female game’s greatest players of the modern era.

Not only is that likely to be the case again in 2009, but several of the game’s great achievers over the past 12 months are also are in the sights of tournament organisers. Details of just who those players are will be announced in mid November but according to the event’s promoter, Bob Tuohy, a world class line-up can be expected.

“We are in the process of finalising a field that will ensure such an important milestone as the event’s 20th birthday will be celebrated in a manner befitting the history and status of tournament. To say the least we are excited by those players who are indicating they will play.”

The tournament has played a significant role in launching the professional careers of Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and more recently Lorena Ochoa, Ai Miyazato and Yani Tseng to name but a few. While we are confident that we will again witness the emergence of several exciting young players in 2009, it is the quality of the leading players we are assembling for the tournament that leads us to believe that the 2010 ANZ Ladies Masters will be one of the best in the event’s 20 years.

The ANZ Ladies Masters, co-sanctioned by the Ladies’ European Tour and the ALPG Tour, will be broadcast by Network Ten on Feb 7th and 8th and will reach an international audience in excess of 160 million households. Tickets are on sale Monday November 3rd at all Ticketmaster outlets.

ANZ Ladies Masters proudly supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

England’s Lisa Hall fired a six-under-par 66 to take a one stroke victory at the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia on Sunday.

Hall came from one stroke behind the three overnight leaders Hyun Ju Shin, Tamie Durdin and the defending champion Karrie Webb to post a three round winning total of 13-under-par 203.

Hall, playing in the penultimate three-ball, had posted her score as Shin stood on the 18th tee tied for the lead on 13 under. Hoping for a play-off, Hall watched from the back of the 18th green as Shin, from South Korea, putted.

Shin had a 25 foot birdie chance for the title, but left it four feet short, and then missed the second putt, effectively handing Hall the title.

“It was shocking,” said the 40-year-old Hall, who is originally from Stoke-on-Trent. “It wasn’t shocking in that she didn’t make it because in golf anything can happen but at that point it was the realisation that I had won.

“I certainly thought I’d be in a play-off. In golf all sorts of things can happen so I was on the lucky end of it today I think. I wouldn’t wish badly on her (Shin) but I was quite relieved that it didn’t go in.”

Shin was tied for the lead with Webb after five holes in the final round and was the outright leader until Hall rolled in a 12 foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th hole to tie for the lead.

The 27-year-old Shin, a two time winner on the LPGA of Japan, dropped into second place after three putting the 18th, which was only her third bogey all week. She signed for a third successive 68 and finished on 12-under-par in total.

Speaking through an interpreter a tearful Shin said: “Over the three days I never missed a short putt. There was so much pressure, but it was a bad stroke.”

She added: “The first time I played when I was 13 years old was when I came to Australia. I really wanted a victory but I’m happy to be second.”

England’s Felicity Johnson fired a tournament best of seven-under-par 65 in the final round to share third with Sweden’s Louise Stahle, who had a 67.

Johnson said: “I didn’t make any bogeys, which was key today. It was a lot more windy this afternoon than it was yesterday. It was playing a bit tougher. I was trying to keep the ball in play, hit the right spots on the greens and just try and avoid three putts.”

Defending champion Webb was aiming to make history as the only player to have won a Ladies European Tour event seven times, but it was not to be.

The MFS Women’s Australian Open champion took a one-stroke lead after an eagle at the par three third-hole but eventually signed for a 70 to finish in fifth place on ten-under-par.

“Obviously I’m very disappointed not to have given myself a better chance today,” said Webb. “I really struggled with my driver all week and struggled again up until the last couple of holes. I put some drives on it but it was just too late. I think I worked it out with two holes to go.”

Hall, who resides in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband, golf coach Martin Hall, admitted that she felt lucky all week.

She said: “We went to the casino earlier this week on Tuesday and 11 is my number. We walked in and went to the roulette table and 11 was the first one in. I said to (my caddie) Mardi: “We’re going to win the tournament.” We knew the result before the week started.”

Hall won twice on the Ladies European Tour last year, in Northern Ireland and in Denmark, but she admitted that claiming her fourth LET victory was a huge achievement.

“To shoot six under in the last round and beat Karrie Webb in Australia, it’s got to be high up there. I had two wins last year, both in play-offs and both very different. One was an eight-hole play-off and one was just one hole. I think with how I played the whole day and how the end result happened I don’t think it could get much better than that,” she said.

By virtue of her victory, Hall has now qualified to play in this month’s HSBC Champions’ event in Singapore. But first, she may re-visit the casino.

Story - LET