The RACV Ladies Masters 2015

The RACV Ladies Masters 2015, the first co-sanctioned event with the Ladies European Tour (LET) is off and running. The warm up Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) events gave players confidence and rhythm to head into the much sought after prize. Held at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, the changes made to the course will bring challenges and will display itself for a new champion. Who will stand up and dominate the course this year? Defending champion Cheyenne Woods comes into the event oozing confidence as she carved her way through the LPGA qualifying tournaments last year.

With day one throwing up some surprises to the players who in previous years have burned up the course saw the changes to the first 9 take their prisoners. Adding to the challenges, the weather conditions have chopped and changed giving players a taste of ‘four seasons in one day’.

Su-Hyun Oh (Aust) who made her debut as a professional at the Renault Ladies ProAm at the end of January and captured her LPGA ticket last year made no surprises when she managed her way through the course with aplomb. She ended her day at -4 and a share of lead with Eun Woo Choi of Korea.

Although the course has changed, previous winners may feel they have the upper hand. There are 3 of them in the field this week. Dame Laura Davies (ENG), Katherine Kirk (Aust) and Cheyenne Woods (USA) may be planning on having their name engraved on the trophy again but it won’t be easy.

The strength of the top LET players who have once again ventured to our shores will battle against the most determined line up on Australians I have seen for some time. Watching the Aussies compete against each other will be a joy on its own. Winning in your own back yard is something each Aussie will be determined to do. If you have the home support coming down the stretch, it has certainly got to make a difference. Countless times I have walked down the fairway or stood at the 18th green channelling all my energy to support Karrie Webb to get that ball into the hole so she can hold up the winner’s trophy yet again.

Although I’m disappointed I won’t see Webb lift the trophy again this year, I know she has owned this competition for so long, no one will break that record. It opens the door for another Australian to stand up and have the honour. Cheered on by the home crowd yesterday saw Kirk in borrowed clubs and golf attire stand tall and calm. I saw a mature disposition which Kirk has developed strongly over the years. She carried herself nobly up the fairways and was rewarded with a -3 and a tie for 2^nd on day 1.

Rebecca Artis – Credit: Tristan Jones – LET

Whilst following Rebecca Artis (AUST) for the pro-am and again on day one, the way she dominated her clubs, the focus of her goal stood evident. Artis hit the ball crisply and delivered many more opportunities for birdie than her end of day one score of -2. When Artis gets her putter running hot over the next few days her name will stand tall on the leaderboard.

Knowing what it feels like to win on home turf is South African Lee-Anne Pace. Pace won in rainy conditions when she took the South African Open. She took the bad weather with her when she went to China and won the inaugural Blue Bay LPGA Classic in October 2014. Day 2 has delivered those conditions. Will it work in Pace’s favour?

Pace has played the Royal Pines course well previously and with the new layout she made headway early to pick up 3 strokes but let the back 9 take the shots back. She will start even for round 2, and might inspire the confident Pace into the winning position. Pace plays golf like a chess match. Always searching for an opening, always reminding herself she can do it. I wouldn’t want to be 2 strokes up with 3 to go with Pace chasing me down on the last day.