Beth Allen
Former LET order of merit winner Beth Allen will be among the leading names in the inaugural Skaftö Open on the LET Access Series this week.
The tournament runs from 13-15 June at Skaftö Golfklubb on Skaftö, a popular holiday island on the west coast of Sweden, 90 minutes north of Gothenburg.
American Allen forms part of a strong field which includes Marianne Skarpnord, Esther Henseleit, Felicity Johnson and local favourite Linda Wessberg.
“I’m really excited to be playing on the LET Access Series for the first time. I always love playing in Europe and have heard wonderful things about Skaftö Golfklubb,” said three-time LET tournament winner Allen, who caddied at the European Tour’s innovative GolfSixes event in Portugal last week. She added: “I didn’t play much last week because I was caddying for Florentyna Parker at the GolfSixes. We’ve had a bit of a break and this is a great opportunity to get some tournament rounds under my belt ahead of the Ladies European Thailand Championship next week. Thailand will be a big week for me, because I’m not where I want to be on the order of merit, so it will give me a chance to get into the AIG Women’s British Open. Doing well this week would be big for my confidence and its important for me to play competitive golf.”
Allen is joined by her best friend on tour, Johnson, as well as Wessberg, a gold medal winner at last year’s European Team Championships.
Wessberg is looking forward to playing on home soil and she said: “My family owns a holiday home near the venue and it will be a great experience to play at a course where I have great memories from junior golf.”
Skarpnord is ranked second on the LET order of merit following a win earlier this year in the Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville and German rookie Henseleit, ranked third on the LET OOM after eight top 10 finishes so far this season, is another player to watch.
The field also includes recent LETAS tournament winners Johanna Gustavsson, Elia Folch, Rachael Goodall, as well as Hayley Davis, Sanna Nuutinen, Anais Meyssonnier and Chloe Williams, who are all ranked in the top seven on the LETAS Road to La Largue Ranking.
Frida Kinhult, currently ranked number two on the world amateur golf rankings, will lead a strong contingent of Swedish elite amateurs in the field. The 19-year-old, who is attending Florida State University, comes from a talented golfing family. Her brother Markus plays on the European Tour and her father, Mikael, is her swing coach. Kinhult has also performed well on the professional stage, finishing in a tie for 7th at the LET’s Open de Espana in 2017.
The organisers have focused on ensuring a strong attendance at the tournament, with grandstands and food and beverage areas on the course for supporters. There is also a Ford car on offer as a hole-in-one prize at the 15th, adding another level of excitement for fans and players alike.
