(Taranto, Italy October 30 2004) Ninety players make up the field at the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour Final qualifying school, which starts on Sunday at Riva di Tessali golf club near Bari in Southern Italy.
Thirty-two players were fully exempt for the four rounds of final qualifying and were joined by 58 players who earned their spots after two rounds of pre-qualifying at nearby Metaponto Golf Club.
Mikaela Parmlid and Sandra Calborg from Sweden shared first place at stage 1 qualifying on six under par and a shot further back were Denise Simon form Germany and Kris Lindstrom from the USA.
Sharing fifth place on four under par were Scotland’s Tracey Craik, Maria Blomqvist from Sweden and the 2003 British Amateur Champion Elisa Serramia from Spain.
And safely through to the final four rounds is Denmark’s Mianne Bagger who is hoping to become the first transsexual to earn a berth on the LET after the Tour changed its rules on trans-gender athletes.
Bagger, 37, carded rounds of 69 and 72 to breeze through comfortably in a share of eighth place on three under alongside Curtis Cup player Anna Highgate from Wales, Lotta Wahlin from Sweden and Lill Kristin Saether from Norway.
The next four days will decide the future of these aspiring amateurs and professionals alike and four rounds at this tree-lined venue will provide a tough test of golf.
After three rounds, the field will be cut to the top 50 plus ties and after the final round on Wednesday evening the top 30 and ties will receive fully exempt Tour cards, while those who made the cut and finished outside the top 30 places will receive conditional exemptions for the 2005 season.
