UNIQA ladies open tees off: Lee-Anne Pace and Melissa Reid ready to shine in Austria
All eyes are on the UNIQA ladies open that is set to tee off at Golf club Hohenwald in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The tournament scheduled to start from September 3rd and end on September 5th, is highly anticipated event of the Women’s European tour. Eight of the players have won tournaments this year and seven of the players are from the Henderson Money List; the struggle is tough and tighter than ever before.
Having collected her third title of the season, Lee-Anne Pace is definitely one to follow. She obtained her maiden LET victory at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open that took place in June. In addition, she won two out of the three tournaments she participated in. She has won the Finnair Masters, the S4C Wales championship in Europe, and she tied for second at the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish open. Her winning streak has been known as the magic spell. Her good luck and amazing skills have secured her in such a tight first place that even if Melissa Reid wins this week- she will remain at the number two spot. Leading the Henderson Money List, the south African definitely knows her golf well.
Even though her success is unmatchable, Pace is determined to win. She wants to be victorious not only for the tremendous purse of the game but also to gain the dispensation to the ladies European tour.
UNIQA Ladies Golf open, now taking place for the sixth year, is also the platform for Melissa Reid to now obtain her second title. Melissa won the Turkish Ladies open that took place in May. Taking a break for two weeks, this English golf beauty is ready to do her best.
Standing fourth on Henderson’s money list is Laura Davies who was victorious in Germany and New Zealand this season. The third best-ranked player has won this event in 2007 and 2008; she feels that the golf course compliments her. Last year she would have achieved a triple win but was beat by the Swedish Linda Wessberg. Davies is considered the most accomplished golf player of modern times. She was the first non-American to win the LPGA title. Also, she has won at European tour seven times.
Linda Wessberg is focused to save her title this year, as she tees off at the open presented by Raiffeisen. Twelve months ago on the same course two great golfers teed off. As Davies and Wessberg competed in pouring rain, it was a close call as Wessberg beat Davies at the second playoff hole. Davies and Wessberg both took regulation pars on the 16th hole, which is when Linda benefitted from Laurie’s mistakes at the par-five 18th and won with a bogey six.
“Naturally I feel a little pressure. But I am in good form and have been in the top 10 six times this year already,” said Linda. “Since I know this course well and each year it’s prepared perfectly, it kind of feels like I have a good chance.”
Davies will be accompanied by the French Virginie Lagoutte-Clement who comes sixth on Henderson’s list subsequent to her triumph at the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish open two weeks ago. The German Anja Monke comes next, who won the Lale Maryem cup in Morocco. Also competing is Vikki Laing from Scotland and Floerentyna Parker, who is ranked tenth. Others in the tournament include Karen Lunn from Australia, Spaniard Tania Elosegui, and Trish Johnson. In the lead of Nicole Gergely, eight Austrians are competing. In addition to Gergely, Eva Steinberger, Natascha Grossschadel-Fink and Stefanie Michl are the other professionals taking part in the event.
The golf club Foehrenwald is hosting this tournament for the sixth time. It first hosted this event in 2005, when the Italian Federica Piovano took the title, followed by Sophie Gustafson in 2006. The gold club has seen many improvements over the years. This year there is beautiful new lake and a fountain next to the first tee. Being the third and last event in Europe, before the tour heads off to Asia, this tournament is surely one to follow.
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