Top players expected for Irish Ladies Open

Confirmation that the 2010 Ladies Irish Golf Open will be held at the Killeen Castle course from 6th to 8th August next year has been warmly welcomed by Kevin Stewart, director of economic development with Meath County Council. "This announcement that one of the top ladies events on the European Tour will be held in Meath will provide another welcome boost for the local economy and will also help to raise the profile of golf in the county in the run-up to the Solheim Cup the following year," said Mr Stewart. The Irish Open is now regarded as one of the top four or five events on tour with a prize fund to match and will attract the top players in Europe. It is also expected to tempt some of the leading American players as there is no ladies tour event in the US that week. It is expected that many players hopeful of a place on the American team for 2011 will avail of the opportunity to play the Killeen course in advance. As well as leading Europeans such as Suzann Pettersen, Anna Nordqvist, Catriona Matthew and Sophie Gustafson, there is also speculation that some of the leading US stars such could make the trip. Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim were on the US team this year and they are expected to come to play Killeen in the run-up to 2011 so there is the prospect of seeing some of them at the Irish Open next year. "The Solheim in September 2011 is going to be fantastic for the county. The Open next August is a useful dry run and will give a flavour of what women's golf is all about. The prospect of seeing the best women professionals in the world playing at a local course is something we all look forward to and I know that everyone that comes along will have a great day out and will be impressed by the skills of these great players," said Mr Stewart. The local economy will also be boosted by the tournament. Any major golf event comes with an entourage of players, officials, family and friends, journalists, TV crews and spectators and they will all need places to stay and to eat and be entertained, he added. Setting up the venue and catering for the expected 20,000-plus attendance during the week will also give opportunities to local business. "Meath has a great opportunity to put itself on the map as a major golf destination. We will be in the shop window for the next two years and we need to take advantage of this and position ourselves as a destination that people will want to return to. Over 100,000 people attended the last Solheim Cup and we need to be ready to impress them when they come here," added Mr Stewart.