Davies and Reid to lead out Europe in Japan

LET NEWS RELEASE
From Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager

NAGOYA, Japan: Ladies European Tour Team Captain Dame Laura Davies and playing partner Melissa Reid will be hoping for a fast start when they lead out Europe in the opening fourballs at The Queens presented by Kowa at Miyoshi Country Club in Aichi, Japan, on Friday.

The English duo won their four-ball match 4 and 3 against Michelle Wie and Brittany Lang in The 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle and they are determined to kick start their team’s effort in a similar fashion by beating Japan’s Ayaka Watanabe and Erika Kikuchi in the first edition of the unique match play tournament being played between four of the world’s leading women’s golf tours this weekend.

 

History will be made when four teams of nine players, each with a playing captain, from the Ladies European Tour, Ladies Professional Golfers’ Association of Japan, Ladies Korean LPGA and Australian Professional Golf Inc., tee off on the West Course on Friday.

 

The fourballs go out in 10 minute intervals and next on the course will be Katherine Kirk and Nikki Garrett for Australia who will be up against Korean US Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun and her partner Yoon Ji Cho.

 

The third match will see two of this year’s maiden Ladies European Tour winners, Hannah Burke from England and Danish rookie professional Emily Kristine Pedersen, up against Sarah Kemp and Sarah Jane Smith of Australia.

 

LPGA Rookie of the Year Sei Young Kim and Jin Young Ko of Korea will then face Shiho Oyama and Misuzu Narita of Japan in the fourth match. Ritsuko Ryu and Miki Sakai will take on the experienced Australian captain Rachel Hetherington and Whitney Hillier, before four-time European Solheim Cup team member Gwladys Nocera of France and Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord face Koreans Jung Min Lee and Min Sun Kim.

 

In the seventh match, Australians Lindsey Wright and Stephanie Na are pitted against the Japanese team captain Momoko Ueda and Erina Hara. In the final match of the day, experienced Solheim Cup players Catriona Matthew of Scotland and Karine Icher of France are up against the Korean captain Bo-Mee Lee and Sung Hyun Park.

Icher and Matthew beat Lizette Salas and Brittany Lang 2 and 1 in their fourball match at this year’s Solheim Cup in Germany and are the highest placed Ladies European Tour team members on the World Rankings. Davies has chosen a strong final pairing for day one and is hoping to carry some momentum through to the day two foursomes before all 36 players compete in the 18 singles matches on Sunday.

 

 

Friday Four-ball pairings

Match 1, 9:00: Ayaka Watanabe and Erika Kikuchi (JLPGA) v Laura Davies and Melissa Reid (LET)

Match 2, 9:10: Katherine Kirk and Nikki Garrett (ALPG) v In Gee Chin and Yoon Ji Cho (KLPGA)

Match 3, 9.20: Hannah Burke and Emily Kristine Pedersen (LET) v Sarah Kemp and Sarah Jane Smith (ALPG)

Match 4, 9:30: Sei Young Kim and Jin Young Ko (KLPGA) v Viho Oyama and Misuzu Narita (JLPGA)

Match 5, 9:40: Ritsuko Ryu and Miki Saiki (JLPGA) v Rachel Hetherington and Whitney Hillier (ALPG)

Match 6, 9:50: Gwladys Nocera and Marianne Skarpnord (LET) v Jung Min Lee and Min Sun Kim (KLPGA)

Match 7, 10:00: Lindsey Wright and Stephanie Na (ALPG) v Momoko Ueda and Erina Hara (JLPGA)

Match 8, 10:10: Catriona Matthew and Karine Icher (LET) v Sung Hyun Park and Bo-Mee Lee (KLPGA)

 

Pairings and live scoring: http://www.mbs.jp/thequeens2015/score/