Queensland s Katherine Hull and Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson teed off together in anticipation of the 2009 Women’s Australian Open which debuts at The Metropolitan Golf Club from February 12-15. Today s fun caps a stunning year for Hull where she won the CN Canadian Open and finished runner up at the Hana Bank-Kolon Championship in Korea. Hull s win in Canada started a red-hot vein of form which saw her finish inside the top 10 in six of her next 10 tournaments. Last weekend, Hull added a silver lining to her year as part of the victorious International Team at the Lexus Cup in Singapore and remained undefeated for the tournament. Hull said she was pleased with the progress she has made this year. It’s been a very good year for me, Hull said. We ve put in a lot of work behind the scenes and it s nice to see some of that starting to pay off. Championship Director Trevor Herden said he was excited about the looming battle on Melbourne s world-famous sand belt. Katherine will return to Metropolitan in February with her eyes firmly fixed on the Patricia Bridges trophy and with Karrie Webb in her way, Herden said. We are getting set for real showdown at a course renowned for hosting international championships. Hull said she was looking forward to playing in Melbourne after a busy year. The Metropolitan is a wonderful golf course which will be a real test for the international field that will arrive in Melbourne, Hull said. I always look forward to the chance to come home after a busy schedule on the LPGA Tour and play in front of Australian fans. Ranked 13th on the 2008 LPGA Money List, Hull has added more US$1 million to her career earnings this year.