The road to the Solheim Cup continues in Portmarnock, this weekend, at the Ladies Irish Open and the competition is hotter than hot. Not alone are the best golfers in Ireland going to be there, but the top 40 lady golfers on the European Pro tour will be in attendance too.

According to Yvonne Cassidy, the tournament director, “It is a very rare occurrence  for every one of Europe’s top 40 ranked professionals to enter for a tournament”.

So if you’re a fan of ladies golf, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the best of the best.

Laura Davies -  Davies is simply the best English female golfer ever. The woman is a legend. She was the first non-American to finish at the top of the LPGA money list and was on the Order of Merit a record seven times: in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2006.

She currently has 70 professional wins worldwide and needs only one major victory or two regular tour wins to enter the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Sophie Gustafson – Swedish golf sensation, Sophie Gustafson is famous for as a long-hitter and has an excellent history at the Irish Open.

She has been a member of the Solheim Cup team every year since she went pro and has lit up the European tour since 1998. She has four LPGA and 22 international wins in her career. Gustafson is the real deal, ridiculously talented and very popular with her peers.

Gwladys Nocera - Nocera turned professional at the relatively late age  of 27. After a modest start she improved dramatically in 2005, when she finished fourth on the Order of Merit and made her Solheim Cup debut and, in 2006, represented France in the World Cup. She finished second on the New Star Money list (being beaten only by Laura Davies)and was voted Players’ Player of the Year by her fellow players. She’s never won in Ireland, could this be the year?

Maria Hjorth – Mimmi is another Swedish golfer who has made the big time. She turned professional in 1996 and, since 1998, when she moved to the US,  she has played mainly on the US- LPGA Tour, while continuing to play in Europe several times each year. She has won two individual titles on the LET and three on the LPGA, and has finished sole or tied second in the prestigious Evian Masters three times. She was a member of the Solheim Cup team in 2002, 2005 and 2007 and played on three winning teams in the Praia d’El Rey European Cup, a team competition sanctioned by the LET. Oddly enough, she has also played top division curling in Sweden.

Rebecca Coakley – Carlow native, Rebecca is a new-comer to the LET, having just gone pro in 2002. In 2007, her total on-course earnings were EUR54,008.98, equating to 47th on the New Star Money List. This event is a huge one for Rebecca as it’s a large step on her dream to represent Ireland in the Solheim Cup in 2011.
As if all of that weren’t enough, Rebecca also has a black be in Tae Kwon Do.

Martina Gillen – Sport is in Martina’s blood; her dad was an inter-country GAA player, and her encouraged her to concentrate on her huge golfing talent. In 2000 Dublin’s Martina was accepted by Kent State University on a golfing scholarship and, over the course of the next few years, represented the college in inter-State competitions winning 6 college tournaments and was a two-time All-American Honourable Mention. Recently, though Martina has been having a bad run of form since the sudden death of her mother in March. Here’s hoping Portmarnock proves a turning point.

Stephanie Meadow – Stephenie, from Jordanstown, is one to watch. Still taking part in the Junior circuit, she has won pretty much everything there is to win. In a few years, you’ll be telling everyone you saw her here first.

The AIB Ladies Irish Golf Open takes place at The Portmarnock Golf Links from the 26th to the 28th June. To register for tickets which are just a tenner for one day or €25 for the whole weekend, click here.

For more information, log on to their site.

with thanks to wikipedia

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