Golf:A number of top Americans will tee it up with their European counterparts at next month's Ladies Irish Open at Killeen Castle where the game's leading lights will enjoy something of a dry run ahead of the Solheim Cup to be played at the Meath venue in September.
The countdown to the biggest event in the women’s game is very much on and the next couple of months will determine the final line-ups for the European and US teams.
In the meantime the €400,000 Irish Open, supported by Fáilte Ireland, has already attracted some stellar names from both sides of the pond and what will be the event’s strongest-ever field.
Stacey Lewis, Angela Stanford and Christina Kim are leading American Solheim Cup team candidates and the trio will tee it up in the Irish Open to take place from August 5th-7th.
Lewis is currently third in the US standings after capturing one of the season’s Majors, the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April. Stanford is a three-time Solheim Cup player and sixth in the rankings, while crowd favourite and larger than life character Kim holds the 10th and final automatic spot at present.
Added to this spectators will get the chance to see Lexi Thompson in action. She became the youngest golfer to compete in the Women’s US Open, aged just 12.
The European contingent will be headed-up by Ladies European Tour (LET) order of merit leader Laura Davies and her English compatriot Melissa Reid. Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson will also return to Killeen to defend her title from 12 months ago.
Other notables include; Sweden’s Maria Hjorth, who won this year’s Avnet LPGA Classic and Germany’s Sandra Gal, this year’s KIA Classic winner.
Home interest comes in the form of Rebecca Codd, who is 25th in the European standings and will be joined by the likes of fellow Irish professional Martina Gillen.
Ireland’s top amateurs will also be on show once more with Royal County Down’s Danielle McVeigh to tee it up with the renowned Maguire twins, Lisa and Leona, from Cavan.
“This is an extremely important year for both the players and ladies golf in Ireland as we prepare to stage The 2011 Solheim Cup, and I am delighted with the strength of this year’s Ladies Irish Open field, “ said Roddy Carr, Irish Open tournament director.
“The large crowd that attended the event at Killeen Castle last year witnessed an amazing tournament and with an even stronger field this year, spectators are in store for a feast of world class golf.”
The Solheim Cup takes place from September 23rd-25th and European captain Alison Nicholas will have four players from the LET points list and four off the world rankings plus four wildcard picks. American captain Rosie Jones will have 10 players from the US list plus two wildcard picks.
