126 players, 27 countries, 5 continents. It is a quick numerical summary that, at the same time, offers an accurate perspective of the diversity of the roster of the La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational, Ladies European Tour tournament to be held from 16 to 19 May at the golf course of La Reserva Club de Sotogrande. The Cabell B. Robinson design will host this multinational contingent and will serve as the setting for a test that can have a significant significance in the race for the Solheim Cup.
Catriona Matthew, who will captain the European team in the 2019 edition of this biennial competition to be held in September in Gleneagles, will try in Sotogrande to increase her record while closely following the developments of the Ladies European Tour. The veteran Scottish golfer, who has won three editions of the Solheim Cup as a player, will try to return the trophy to Europe, since in 2017 the U.S. team won by 16 ½ to 11 ½.
“I think qualifying is going to be a fascinating lead-up to Gleneagles and there are a lot of players who could make the team,” said Matthews recently, who will be able to see first-hand the form of the likes of Marianne Skarpnord, Anne Van Dam and Meghan MacLaren, all three of whom won on the Ladies European Tour in 2019 and are well placed in the rankings. It will also be very attentive to the developments of Catherine Hedwall, with six Ladies European Tour titles behind her and the first player in the history of the Solheim Cup able to win five matches in the same edition, essential contribution in the European victory of the Solheim Cup played in Denver in 2013.
Among the international players, we cannot forget either the American Beth Allen, already with three titles on the Ladies European Tour and champion of the order of merit of the circuit in 2016, the young Thai Kanyalak Preedasuttijit, winner of the Ladies European Thailand Championship a few months ago, or the Welsh Becky Morgan and Becky Brewerton.
Among the Spaniards already confirmed for the tournament we must highlight the presence of Nuria Iturrios, second this year in The Pacific Bay Resort Australian Ladies Classic only behind the Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord; Luna Sobrón, third in the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open, first event of the calendar; Silvia Bañón, winner of the order of merit of the Santander Golf Tour 2017 and brilliant in the Investec SA Women’s Open; Noemí Jiménez, who has just signed three top 15 in the Australian and South African tour of the circuit; Carmen Alonso, very outstanding in the recent Women’s NSW Open; or María Parra, a good connoisseur of the course of La Reserva Club who, like other teammates, will combine her presence in the American Symetra Tour with the main appointments of the European calendar.
All of them will face from May 16 to 19 the challenge posed by the undulating fairways and the wide and manicured greens of La Reserva Club, highlighted by Golf World magazine as one of the ten best Spanish courses, and that forms an essential golfing triangle in the heart of Sotogrande with the Real Club Valderrama and the Real Club de Sotogrande.
La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational is sponsored by Sotogrande SA, the founding company of Sotogrande, and organized by Deporte & Business and the Ladies European Tour. The tournament will have extensive international television coverage and viewers in our country will enjoy it live during the four days through Movistar Golf, Teledeporte and Andalucía TV.
Fans will also be able to follow all their news on the social networksTwitter (@lareservagolf), Facebook (La Reserva Sotogrande) and Instagram (@lareservasotogrande).
Leave a Reply