3 SA Players in ISPS HANDA Women�s Australian Open

SA&aposs highest ranked women&aposs professional golfer – Stephanie Na 3 South Australian Women will compete for this week s ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open which will feature a star studded field including world top ten players Suzann Pettersen, Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko, Karrie Webb and Lexi Thompson. Other marquee players include former world number one Yani Tseng, 2012 Champion Jessica Korda and last week s Ladies Masters winner Cheyenne Woods. Kicking off this Thursday at the Victoria Golf Club, the events inaugural venue, on Melbourne s Sandbelt, Sarah King, Stephanie Na and Tamie Durdin will look to join Jane Crafter as a South Australian winner, after Crafter claimed the title in 1997 at Yarra Yarra Golf Club. In fact, there have only been three Australian winners of the National title; Crafter, Karrie Webb a four-time winner and Jan Stephenson. The Women’s Open sponsored by W D & H O Wills was first played in 1974, with Japan s Chako Higuchi the inaugural winner. The prize fund was $15,000. Qantas joined Wills as tournament sponsors for the following years, but the 1978 Championship at Manly Golf Club would be last Australian Open for 16 years. The event was resurrected in 1994, with a new name and sponsor. The Holden Women’s Australian Open Championship was played at Royal Adelaide Golf Club in December with prize money of $200,000. The 72-hole championship was won by Sweden s Annika Sorenstam, her first tournament win as a professional, which heralded the beginning of a stellar career. The event also was notable for Karrie Webb who made her debut as a professional. ______ www.WomensAusOpen.com is the official website for the 2014 tournament and features live scores, tee times, news, ticket and transport information, player profiles and more. For the first time, the www.WomensAusOpen.com online video channel, headed by Andy Maher, will give you a free passport to behind-the-scenes interviews and action from the event. The official championship hashtag is #WomensAusOpen . Make sure you re following on Twitter @WomensAusOpen and via Facebook www.facebook.com/WomensAusOpen TV Coverage: 15hrs of live coverage on free to air across all 4 days on ABC ______ PROFILES: 2014 Women’s Australian Open SA Players: Stephanie Na Rolex Ranking: 294 Age: 26 Turned Professional: 2009 ALPG Career Prize Money: $85,151.84 Major Results: T3 2014 NSW Open 4th 2012 NZ Open 3rd 2011 NSW Open 3rd 2009 SAS Masters Norway 2008 SA Amateur Championship, 2008 joint medalist in the U.S Amateur , 2008 Australian strokeplay at Glenelg GC 2006 Rene Erichen Salver Winner Na was the top-ranked amateur in Australia in 2007 & 2008 and a member of the Australian National Team representing Australian in the World Amateur Team Championship in 2008 (The Espirito Santo Trophy). Na turned pro in 2009 and made 16 starts on the Ladies European Tour in 2012 with a season-best T4 at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open. She finished 67th on the year ending money list. At the end of the year she attended LPGA Q-School and achieved limited status for the 2013 season by finishing 39th. Na played 17 events in 2013 with a best T6 finish at the Ladies Scottish Open ______
Sarah King Rolex World Ranking: 755 Age: 26 Turned Professional: 2011 ALPG Career Prize Money: $5,421.00 Major Results: 2011 SA Amateur Championship 2008 Dunes Medal 2008 Tasmanian Strokeplay Born and bred in Mt Gambier, King was introduced to the game by her parents at age 12. In 2005 King moved to Adelaide to pursue her golf career joining Royal Adelaide Golf Club. King was a student of the Elite Golf College from 2007 & 2008 and rose to be an elite Amateur player gaining a high National ranking position of 6th. King was SA State Women’s Captain in 2011. Quick 18 questions with Sarah King courtesy of the European Ladies Tour Website. ______
Tamie Durdin Rolex World Ranking: 355 Age: 36 Turned Professional: 2000 ALPG Career Prize Money: $177,711.91 Major Results: 2009 Japan tour – Fujisanki Ladies Classic Winner Four other top 10 finishes. South Australian, Tamie Durdin, turned professional in 2000 and won the Lucent Technologies Hewlett-Packard FUTURES Classic in her first year. She won the Fujisankei Ladies Classic on the Japanese LPGA in 2009 and finished in the top-10 a further five times in the same year. Her best finish in Australia was equal second in the 2009 ANZ Ladies Masters. With a strong profile in Japan Durdin was approached to star in a series of TV commercials in 2010 for British Open sponsor Ricoh.