Two time winner Marianne Skarpnord

The Ladies European Tour’s players are preparing to head east for its Asian swing, beginning with the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in Suzhou, near Shanghai, China, from Friday 30th October to Sunday 1st November.

Golfers from east and west will gather for the tournament, which is tri-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and China Golf Association (GCA).

The inaugural edition of the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in 2008 was enormously successful, as fans were able to watch former world number one Annika Sorenstam secure her very last worldwide victory against rising Chinese star Li Ying Ye at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club.

The course proved to be a true test and once again, domestic golf fans will be exposed to a high level competition featuring some of the best international players from across the globe.

Last week Marianne Skarpnord seized her opportunity at the Carta Si Ladies Italian Open and claimed her second Ladies European Tour victory of the season, overtaking Diana Luna into fourth position on the Henderson Money List.

She will be aiming for back-to-back victories as she heads to China for the first time, which would make her the only three-time winner on the LET all year.

The 23-year-old Norwegian will certainly be among the favourites starting out and it will also be an important week for Becky Brewerton, looking to consolidate her third position on the Henderson Money List.

The Welsh Solheim Cup star secured her second LET victory at the Open de Espana Femenino earlier this summer and has since come close to winning on multiple occasions including at the Tenerife Ladies Open, where she ended up second.

France’s Gwladys Nocera

Last year in China, Karen Lunn tied for third place and the Australian comes into the week in a rich vein of form having tied for sixth place at the Carta Si Ladies Italian Open.

The 106 woman field, featuring 45 players from the LET, 35 from the CGA, 22 from the LAGT and 4 invitations, is much stronger in 2009. It has been boosted by the inclusion of Skarpnord, Brewerton, Iben Tinning, Jade Schaeffer and last year’s European number one, Gwladys Nocera.

From China, the LET’s members will head to South Korea, for the second edition of the Daishin Securities Tomato Tour Korean Ladies Masters at the magnificent Cypress Golf & Resort on Jeju Island.

The 2008 event teemed with excitement as South Korea’s own Seo Hee Kyung birdied the last four holes to seal the victory over compatriot Sun Ju Ahn.

Once again, golfers from the LET and the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) will come together for the event, which takes place from Friday 6th November to Sunday 8th, with a cut to the leading 60 players and ties after 36 holes.

Becky Brewerton from Wales

At last year’s event, we saw the strength and depth of South Korean talent, but with a stronger international contingent, we can expect to see some fine performances from the Ladies European Tour’s members.

Fans can look forward to another exciting spectacle, featuring elite names such as Nocera, Skarpnord, Brewerton, Blomqvist, Tinning, Schaeffer, Maria Verchenova and Anna Rawson.

The stage is set for an enthralling fortnight in Asia. We hope you enjoy following all the action through dev-let.ocs-software.com.