Sisters of Swing head for ANZ Ladies Masters
IN: News | ALPG | ANZ Ladies Masters (2006) | General | 20 Jan 2006
The Sisters of Swing will strut their stuff against the established stars at the ANZ Ladies Masters being played at the Royal Pines Resort on Queensland's Gold Coast from February 2-5.
For five-times winner Karrie Webb, the prospect of defending the title she won last year by a shot from Japanese sensation Ai Miyazato must be daunting. Miyazato, 20, is likely to start favourite in Australia's premier women's tournament but she is just part of a contingent of awesome talent from the American, European, Japanese and Asian tours.
Miyazato, who signs her autograph "Ai 54" because she thinks a round of 18 under par is not beyond her, will be looking to build on her stunning successes of 2005 which included six wins at home in Japan, victory in the World Cup in South Africa and winning the US LPGA Tour School by a record 12 shots. As well as Miyazato, fans on the Gold Coast will get the chance to see compatriot Shinobu Moromizato, Louise Stahle of Sweden and American Brittany Lang who have also earned full playing rights on the US Tour this year.
All bring more than just raw talent to the ANZ Ladies Masters. Lang is unlucky not to have a major championship under her belt at the age of 21. She was clubhouse leader in the US Open at Cherry Hills last year and was beaten by Korea's Birdie Kim who holed out from a bunker at the 72nd to win by a shot. Stahle, 20, turned pro last August after successfully defending her British Amateur title. The word from Japan is that Moromizato, 19, could well match or even eclipse the feats of Miyazato who in her Royal Pines debut last year attracted a 40-strong Japanese media contingent that shadowed her every move.
At the US Tour School the two were followed by 78 reporters, photographers and TV cameramen. While this has potential to cause headaches for organisers and volunteer gallery marshals, it will showcase the Gold Coast around the world and contribute to the estimated $16 million the tournament injects to the local economy each year. When the two Ms play in Japan, the television ratings of the tournament double those of the current men's event. This year the ANZ Ladies Masters will be seen in an estimated 168 million households with live coverage to Japan, the US Golf Channel, Korea and New Zealand while highlights will be shown on Sky UK, and ESPN Star in Asia.
The tournament, being played for the 17th consecutive year is co-sanctioned by Australian Ladies Professional Golf and the Ladies European Tour. In addition to Stahle, a strong European challenge can be expected from three-times winner and former World No. 1 Laura Davies; former Australian Open champion Mhairi McKay of Scotland; and Minea Blomqvist of Finland who in the 2004 British Open at Sunningdale became the only player, male or female, to shoot 10 under par in a major championship.
Webb's achievements in the game, including six majors and four ANZ Ladies Masters in a row from 1998, were recognised last year by her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame, alongside fellow Australians Peter Thomson and Greg Norman. She is again likely to head of the local charge because she knows the the par 72, 5892-metre Royal Pines layout like the back of her hand and always seems to find something special for her home crowd. Rachel Hetherington is in the same category and can be expected to rebound after calling a penalty on herself when she was in with a chance in the final round last year and slipping down to 13th place. Before that she had five straight top 10 finishes.
The babies in the field are amateurs Sarah Oh, 17, from New South Wales, Amy Yang, 17, from Queensland and Misun Cho, 18, from Victoria. Whether they can bother the big girls remains to be seen but the competition amongst themselves is bound to be intense. Oh, the 2005 Australian Amateur champion, started the year stylishly by winning the Australian Junior Championship at Southern Golf Club in Melbourne by a shot from Yang while Yang won the New Zealand Amateur in December, narrowly beating Cho, in the final. As well as getting a chance to measure themselves against the professionals, they can see how their games stack up against Tawaiins 16-year-old Ruby Tseng who appears to have the game and the confidence to go all the way.
After beating Michelle Wie in the 2004 US Public Links Amateur she said: "I am just as good as Michelle. There is no difference in ability. I hit the ball just as far. There is nothing in it."
Galleries will also get their first look at 19-year-old Korean Bo Bae Song who won her national title as an amateur in 2003, as a pro in 2004 and took out the 2005 Samsung Ladies Masters in Singapore. Like the ANZ Ladies Masters, the Singapore event is co-sanctioned with the LET and "BB" is only the second Korean in history to win a European Tour event, following in the footsteps of Se Ri Pak who won the 2001 British Open.
Source - ANZ Ladies Masters
