England’s Trish Johnson, one of Europe’s finest ever golfers, has confirmed her participation at the Tenerife Ladies Match Play at Golf Las Américas from 9-12 June, where she will attempt to retain the Tenerife Open title she won last year at Buenavista Golf Club in the north of the island.
No player has successfully defended the title since Turismo de Tenerife, the main sponsor, helped to create the event in 2002. Now that the tournament is in its 10th year, Johnson, a 21-time tournament champion, will have the unique opportunity to retain the title.
In 2011, the tournament will feature both a match-play and strokeplay format. Thirty-two players, the top 30 European ranked professionals and two guest players, will compete head to head to pare down to eight players, who will then play 18 holes strokeplay to decide the winner and the other prize-money classifications. The two invited players are Carlota Ciganda and Emma Cabrera-Bello, the Spanish national champion.
The match play format will give the leading contenders for Solheim Cup places a chance to sharpen their games and catch the eye of European Captain Alison Nicholas ahead of the big event at Killeen Castle in Ireland from September 23-25.
Besides Turismo deTenerife as the main sponsor, the Gobierno de Canarias will also contribute with the additional support of the Real Federación Española de Golf and the Federación Canaria de Golf. Organised and promoted by Deporte & Business, the Tenerife Match Play is also supported by DISA, Poodle, Mercedes-Benz, Cicar, Fonteide, Hospiten, Kyocera, Arona Gran Hotel, Hotel Jardín Tropical, Ultramar Express, Heineken, Coca-Cola, Callaway and Pilsen Urquell.
