Mireia Prat
The Nordic flavour continues on the LET Access Series this week as 106 players from 22 different countries tee up in the Norrporten Ladies Open starting Friday at Sundsvalls Golfklubb, Kvissleby, Sweden.
With top ranked Patricia Sanz Barrio skipping the tournament to play in LPGA Tour School in California, the field of competitors is wide open.
This week’s tournament provides the opportunity for the other players to make inroads into the all-important top five on the LETAS Order of Merit, who in December will be rewarded with full cards to play on the LET in 2014.
There are six of the current top 10 players on the Order of Merit with second ranked Mireia Prat of Spain, third placed Caroline Martens from Norway, fourth ranked Pamela Feggans of Scotland, sixth positioned Chrisje de Vries of the Netherlands, ninth placed Elisabetta Bertini and 10th placed Steffi Kirchmayr of Germany. There are also six LET Access Series tournament winners taking part.
English amateur Lauren Taylor will be playing with her aim to qualify for the Ladies European Tour next season. She has decided not to continue her college scholarship in the United States. She will be joined by Marita Engzelius from Norway, a regular Symetra Tour player, who has made four appearances on the LPGA Tour this year.
“It is fun and exciting that so many foreign players are in the competition,” said Frank Carrick, President of Sundsvall GK, through translation. “It has inspired us to work extra to get the course in good condition. And we think that we have managed, in spite of a tough winter and spring. We hope that the players agree.”
The Norrporten Ladies Open represents the last opportunity for players to earn a wild card to the LET’s Helsinborg Open being played next week at Vasatorp Golf Club, on 5-8 September. Sweden’s Lina Boqvist currently leads the Nordea Tour Ranking.
“It would be massive to get the chance to play a European Tour event on home soil. But there is fierce competition for the only place, so I don’t feel safe,” she told http://sundsvallsgolfklubb.se.
