One again, it’s time for the woman to strut their stuff. After a very successful Samsung Ladies Master in Singapore, The Thailand Ladies Open is set to take women’s golf in Asia to the next level.

       The Thailand Ladies Open, being hosted at Alpine golf club, has the biggest prize money ever put up for a ladies’ professional golf tournament in the country. The purse amounts to US$330,000 and will be keenly contested by a field of the top 60 players selected from the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and 60 players from the Ladies European Tour (Rode di Kappa Ladies European Tour : LET), plus a few sponsor invites and amateurs of top caliber. The Ladies Golf Tour has the full support from 14 member associations of the Asia-Pacific Ladies Asian Invitational Golf Team Championship for the Queen Sirikit Cup.

       In addition to being world-class golf event to be participated by golfers from Europe and Asia, this event includes showcases of nice swings by Asian lady golf players. This tournament is also included in Solheim Cup scoring system and prize ranking table.

       It will serve as a career path for the national team players who later decide to turn professional. For this inaugural tournament in Thailand, the top amateur from the Queen Sirikit Cup, Japan’s Shinobu Moromizato, has been invited to take part and to benefit from the experience of playing professional golf. This will no doubt serve as a good incentive to inspire more ladies to the game. It is worthy to note that many well-known players were formerly national players who participated in the annual Queen Sirikit Cup Golf Team Championship. They include, for example, Karrie Webb, Karen Lunn, Mardi Lunn, all from Australia , Han Hee Won, Kim Mi Hyun, Jeong Jang and Song Bo Bae from Korea, Lim Ai Lian from Malaysia, Simi Mehra from India, Jennifer Rosales from Philippines, Hiromi Kobayashi and Miki Oda from Japan, Lynnette Brooky from New Zealand and Wei Yun Jye from Taiwan.

       In the not-too-distant future we anticipate more ladies taking up the game of golf more seriously once they know that they can look forward to play the game they love and also make golf their career. At the same time continued support from many corners are needed for the Ladies Asian Golf Tour to achieve its goal to build up the Asian players to the world level.

       Bangkok, Thailand – April 3 2005) Shani Waugh from Australia claimed victory at the US$330, 000 Thailand Ladies Open after a sudden death play-off against Gwladys Nocera from France.

       Waugh kept the lead that she had maintained throughout every day of the tournament at the Alpine Golf Club to take the US$49, 500 prize winnings.

       In a round that had more twists and turns than a roller coaster Waugh eventually carded a one-over-par final round 73 to finish on a total of six-under-par, alongside Nocera, who had a level par 72.

       But experience won out and Waugh, who has played on the Robe di kappa Ladies European Tour for fourteen years, made par on the sudden-death 18th hole where a nervous Nocera could only muster a double bogey six

       “When I first came here I was determined to play well so I could get into the Evian Masters and the British Open,” said Waugh.

       “I didn’t really expect to win it but this is my third tournament victory in 15 years and for me it doesn’t come along that much, so I’m going to cherish it as much as the other two because this is the first time that I’ve played so well in a tournament and I’m pretty proud of it.

       “I’ve had two other play-offs and lost both of them. When I played against se Ri Pak in America she’s won something like 30 tournaments and I thought well, she’s got all the experience. But when I saw I was competing against Gwladys Nocera from France I thought well this girl is only in her third year on Tour and I have all the experience so it’s my turn to win!”

       Waugh was defeated by Pak after a four whole play-off at the 2003 Chick Filet Charity Championship in Atlanta and also lost out in the 1991 Victorian Open in Australia, but this time her relaxed attitude paid off.

       “Right now I’m just feeling very relieved because I’m very lucky to be sitting here. The other girls gave me a chance to get back into the tournament and so I got in the back door really and that’s why I’m relieved. I think Gwladys got a little bit nervous during the play off and it was lucky for me.

       Waugh gained a three shot lead after her eagle at the fifth hole took her to a ten-under-par total, but almost fell apart after a double bogey at the eighth and a triple at the par-four 11th hole where she went into the water with her second shot.

       “I got to ten under at one point and I was pretty excited and then out of the blue made a double bogey on the eighth with two chips and two putts from just off the front of the green which shook me up a little bit but I managed to get back on track for the next two holes and then I took a seven on the 11th.

       “I think if that hole isn’t there tomorrow you can probably blame me for blowing it up. It’s a great golf hole and I think if we come back here next year I’ll have to consider my game plan on that hole,” Waugh said.