When the grueling "Q-School grind" (as it's known across tours and around the world) finally came to an end today on the pastoral fairways of La Manga Golf Club, thirty golfers from 15 countries had won full playing rights on the Ladies European Tour for the 2012 season.
England’s Jodi Ewart, who earned her LPGA card in December, claimed a two stroke victory, with Swiss amateur Anais Maggetti and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda taking second and third, but the real nail-biter... with so much is at stake... was the six-player playoff for the last two cards.
As it turns out, final card was won... with a six-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole... by Sharmila Nicolette, the talented Bangalore beauty we wrote about earlier this week. The LET website has all the dramatic details.
Just 16 at the time, the talented Bangalore beauty impressed Davies who told reporters, "I played with this 16-year-old girl and I can say from my experience she has the potential to become a really good player".
Four years later Nicollet is 20, and she'll have "the whole of India" behind her as she enters the third round of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School tomorrow in a three-way tie for second... just one shot behind leader, Jodi Ewart (England).
The 90-hole Q-School Final is being played on the two world-class courses at La Manga Club, in Murcia, Spain.
Golf is now the fastest growing sport in India... a country where cricket is revered... and to have this charismatic young golfer playing in global competitions at the highest level will surely be an inspiration for other Indian women who aspire to play the game... either recreationally or professionally.
Oh, and FYI, if you're into following professional golfers on Twitter, @MissNicollet 's tweets are often remarkably drôleperceptive awesome.
On a sunny Spanish island several hundred miles off the coast of North Africa the stage is set for Tenerife Ladies Matchplay.
A new format for the Ladies European Tour, the event will be played at the Golf Las Américas course in Tenerife and it'll allow players get some matchplay practice in before the upcoming Solheim Cup. The competition will take place Friday through Sunday and I expect we'll getting some great coverage online, as several of Spain's best golf bloggers will in attendance... as will various social media standouts from the business side of golf.
The ProAm will take place tomorrow, and that brings me to a funny story from the awesome Ovidiov, a writer/editor at stellar Spanish golf blog Fuera de Límites, who'll actually be playing in the ProAm this year. Originally his foursome was scheduled to play with Marianne Skarpnord, but the Norwegian was obliged to withdraw due a a back issue, and another LET player Danielle Montgomery, was assigned to the group.
The Spanish golf scribe... whose coverage is more focused on the men's game... admitted he wasn't exactly sure who Danielle was, so naturally he referred to Google. Well, the first result that came up was the photo at left. You see Danielle, an LET rookie, posed for the Women Of Professional Golf Calendar a couple of years ago, recreating the famous Jan Stephenson golf-balls-in-the-bathtub pose... and naturally, that's the kind of image that always floats to the top of search results. Meanwhile, the beautiful Danielle Montgomery just had her best result ever... a 12th... at the Deloitte Dutch Ladies Open and I have no doubt the team will do well.
In any case well soon find out. For news of the event on Twitter there's the hashtag #LMTEN ... you'll also want to follow some of the engaging "tweeps" attending the event, including: @ovidiov @mikebelindo @Angelrosaleda @martasegura @poodlegolf @GolfAmericas @TenerifeMag @SirOldGolfer @fueradelimites @RealTenerife @mattcoopergolf and @Daniellesgolf
The incident took place at a recent LET event, and it all started when Anja Monke's ball landed on the cart path at the Turkish Airlines Turkish Ladies Open. What follows is... to say the least... unexpected. Poodle, the stylish golf apparel company and women's golf sponsor, brought the clip to my attention via their facebook page.
The event took place during the first week of May so you may already know the "surprise ending". But if you don't, hold onto your golf cap because you're in for a bumpy ride.
2010 has turned out to be quite the year for Laura Davies.
In early September we saw her win the UNIQUA Open in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, becoming the oldest female player to win a professional tournament. On any tour, ever... then a couple of weeks later she broke her own record at the Open de España, her 76th career win... and this week, at theDLF Golf and Country Club, she proved what many golf fans suspected: that those September wins would by no means be her last. .
An electrifying eagle on the final hole put Ms. Davies into a four-way playoff at the HERO HONDA Women's Indian Open yesterday, which she won at the first hole. The duel involved Thailand's Nontaya Srisawang, South Africa's Tandi Cuningham and Sweden's Louise Friberg and was described succinctly in India's Deccan Herald:
Davies was two-on on the par-five 18th and two-putted for a birdie that gave her the title. Incidentally it was the same hole that resurrected her title hopes during regulation play when she eagled to keep herself afloat.
Nontaya was three-on and two putted for a par while the two other players Cuningham and Friberg hit their ball into the water.
The win came aftera roller coaster week that toyed with the English champion in a number of ways. From clubs that went AWOL en route to an ensuing customs conundrum and subsequent mad dash to make her opening tee time. It an unsettling series of events and Davies' - 7 on Friday followed by a + 6 on Saturday seemingly reflected that. The fact that she was able to pull together the goods to get into Sunday's playoff what makes her Laura Davies... and an inspiration to fans and aspiring golfers everywhere.
This is particularly true in India, where Davies played for the first time almost three years ago in the EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters. Prior that the tournament she teamed up with one of India's rising stars Sharmila Nicollet... only 16 at the time... for a challenge match, which they won. Back then the young Indian player spoke about how inspiring it was to play with the iconic English champion.
Yesterday in New Delhi, a more mature Nicollet returned a three-under 69, the best score of the day, to emerge as the best Indian player with a tied-23 finish.
Photo: via gulfnews.com - Laura Davies and Sharmilla Nicollet at the EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters in December 2007
There's no shortage of sizzle in Tenerife this weekend.
The ruggedly beautiful Spanish Island... which lies off the coast of Africa... has long been a popular tourist destination for Northern Europeans in search of sunshine, and for the past several days it's played host to the LET's Tenerife Ladies Open. Buenavista golf course where the tournament is taking place designed by Seve Ballesteros and features amazing Atlantic ocean vistas backed by the dramatic peaks of the Tenos mountains.
The final round is set to begin in just a few hours, with eight-time Solheim Cup player, Trish Johnson leading by three. The thing that I always find amazing when I look at an LET leaderboard is how many different nationalities are represented and this tournament is no exception. I counted 19 different flags on today's board.
Unique golf apparel designer Poodle, is a sponsor at this year's Tenerife Ladies Open and has outfitted several of the players in awesomely eye catching outfits. Frédérique Seeholzer, Nathalie David-Mila and Anastasia Kostina are wearing Poodle's sexy, athletic chic styles.
Poodle, I found out, is as "global" as the Ladies European Tour. Based in Amsterdam, they partner with exciting golf events and initiatives all over Europe, their designs reflect global influences as well. ... and I was amazed to find out that founder Wendy Byrne grew up in New Milford (about 10 minutes from where I live) and often caddied for her dad in tournaments at Candlewood Valley Country Club, where I play all the time.
Below is a short clip featuring Frédérique, Nathalie and Anastasia wearing Poodle in Tenerife. It'll give you an glimpse of how uniquely stylish the Poodle line is. I also put in a photo of American player (and BigBreak Ka'annapali winner) Kim Welsh, who's also playing in the tournament. To find out more about Poodle and see additional styles check out their Website, Facebook and Flickr pages. And... you can follow them on Twitter.
If you like unique globally influenced golf fashion you'll definitely want to keep up with Poodle.
