The Ladies’ European Tour had its most successful year in 2005 with the largest prize fund in its history. This has been exceeded in 2006 as a result of sponsors wanting to cash in on the ever-increasing popularity of the game and this year there are 19 events in 15 different countries.
Made-for TV events such as the All Star Cup, featuring world famous film stars and celebrities, have enabled golf to reach into the imagination of the viewing public, hence raising the profile of the sport. The fact that you can see ever-glamorous celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones, Jodi Kidd and Cameron Diaz teeing up on world-renowned courses has only increased interest.
In America, the LPGA Tour is also looking forward to a spectacular season with exciting new prospects such as Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato and teenage sensation Michelle Wie looking to do battle with the established stars; in particular, Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer, the World’s number one and two respectively.
Both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour will see Annika in action in the coming season and in Europe, she will even host her own tournament: The Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika.
“Annika’s 80th worldwide win was notched up in January’s World Cup and she has now been World no.1 for five years.”
There are guaranteed to be some epic and tense battles over the next few years. With that in mind, here are some of the personalities who are likely to hit
the headlines:
Annika Sorenstam: Golf’s first lady should need no introduction but an article about who is likely to feature in women’s golf in 2006 would not be complete without her.
Annika’s 80th worldwide win was notched up in January’s World Cup and she has now been World no.1 for five years. At 35, she remains incredibly driven and is intent on maintaining her premier position despite several young players looking to usurp her. Expect multiple victories, with the ultimate prize being the Season Slam: winning all four of the season’s major Championships.
The Season Slam is the holy grail of professional golf for both the men and Women and it seems less achievable than last season given the incredible rise in talent on both sides of the Atlantic, but that would make the accomplishment all the sweeter for Annika. The final major of the season is the Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club where, in 2003, Annika triumphed in front of massive crowds, completing the Career Grand Slam. As the event takes place at Lytham this year, she must surely be the favourite.
