This week, the LET Access Series is in Finland for the Viaplay Ladies Finnish Open. Played at the Messila Golf Club, about an hour outside of Helsinki and with a purse on offer of €40,000, the field will be headlined by defending champion, Ursusla Wikstrom.
The Finn is in good form coming into this week, after finishing in a tie for fifth place at last week’s Jabra Ladies Open at the Evian Resort in France. Wikstrom has five runner-up finishes on the Ladies European Tour, including two in Finland and her breakthrough win on the LET Access Series makes her a firm favourite to take the title again this year.
Wikstrom will be up against some tough competition. The winner of the Jabra Ladies Open, France’s Astrid Vayson de Pradenne comes into this week full of confidence. Not only did the Frenchwoman win the title, she earned her LET card for the remainder of this season and for 2019, and a place in both The Evian Championship and the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Vayson de Pradenne also feels at home in Finland, having opened with a 67 in last year’s event for a share of the lead, eventually finishing in a tie for 16th place.
Another firm favourite will be England’s Felicity Johnson, who also comes into this week in good form. The 31-year-old from Birmingham is a two time winner on the LET and finished in fourth place last week in France.
The field of 132 players is represented by 29 different countries, with a total of 33 Finns, including 20 elite amateurs.
Play gets underway at 8.00 from both the 1st and 10th tees. Good weather conditions are expected, with a high of 16 degrees.
