This year the tour is back down in the sunny South of the island at the very beautiful Golf Las Americas Golf Course which is situated right in the heart of the popular tourist destination of Playa de Las Americas many visiting tourists will be blissfully unaware that a golf course actually exists just yards away from their hotel entrance.

England’s Laura Davies will be playing

The Tenerife Ladies Match play tournament is new for this year in Tenerife rather than a full tour event due to the economy being the way it is. The main sponsors being The Tenerife government, have opted for a more low cost option of the Match Play format which is still attracting the very best of the Lady European Tour players to participate.

The tournament starts officially on Wednesday the 8^th June with a day of official practice for the players.

The 9^th June is the Pro-Am in which the play order is for the first elimination round which is on the 10^th this is decided by the players score on the day.

The 10^th and the 11^th are two days of Match play with the final day on the 12th being a stroke play day for the last surviving 8 players from the original 32.

The event is being televised by Canal Plus, Teledeporte and Sky Sports with sports reporters from all over Europe attending the event. Tenerife Magazine is a chosen media partner for the event and will be on hand every day with pictures and stories live from the event. We can be followed on Twitter and on Facebook

Las Americas Golf Course I am sure will make an excellent host course. Having had the experience of hosting a Ladies European tour event in the past. Its also a fantastic venue in regards of location for superb hotel accommodation, restaurants, beaches and nightlife.

Public entry to the event on all days is free with ample car parking and catering facility’s on site. So I hope both residents and tourists will support the event and come out to the course and see the very best Lady golfers in Europe do what they do best … Play Golf!

It went right to the wire between English woman Trish Johnson and the French girl Virginie Lagoutte-Clement.

Trish  won by just one shot over the 4 days of play, her first win since 2007, earning herself a tasty 41,250 euros. It was only her 6th start this year due to an elbow problem but this win assures her a place in the prestigious Evian Masters later this month.

The 44 year old English veteran of some 19 wins on the Ladies Tour, had some luck on her side as she hit a ball out of bounds from her drive on the 16th over a small wall, it landed on the path and bounced back into play. Great ball striking and some marvellous shots over the day, she holed a beauty out of a bunker which kept  her in front. Johnson slipped to second place behind the French woman on the 13th but fought back with 2 birdies on the 14th and 15th to regain the lead.  She pared 16 and 17 to take a 2 shot lead going down the 18th.

But there was nearly an upset as Lagoutte-Clement almost holed an eagle putt on the last which would have meant she would have tied for the lead but the ball just dribbled past the hole leaving Johnson a simple par on the 18th for victory.

There was a large crowd gathered round the 18th green to watch the climax and you could see Johnson was glad to get to the final hole as the other two in the group were so close on her heels it really could have gone either way.

A great end to the four days’ play and all the competitors agreed that Buenavista Golf Course was a fine course for the event to be played; the scenery and the condition of the course were World Class.

Well done Tenerife and to all involved.

The final results :-

1 274-14 Trish Johnson (ENG)

2 275-13 Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA)

3 276-12 Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)

4= 279-9  Lee-Anne Pace (SA)

4= 279-9 Anja Monke (GER)

4= 279-9 Veronica Zorzi (ITA)

Corriesande Lee, the girl Tenerife Magazine were following, ended up at +7 for the tournament and was placed 56th. I spoke with her afterwards and she said, “ I wish I had taken  a caddie for the last two days just for a little bit of help and reassurance on the greens. Anyway I’ll know for next time.” She earned her first ever professional cheque for 920 euro’s which will go some way towards paying her week’s expenses.

Trish Johnson

The Weather on the third day is super for golf; not too hot, about 21°c with a moderate wind blowing off the sea. The greens are running very fast today so I think we will see a lot of three putts and  a little frustration creeping in from the players.

England’s Melissa Reid is starting the day as leader of the field at -8, in second place is the French girl Virginie Lagoutte-Clement at -7. They both have a later tee time today at around 12.30 and the wind is picking up here on the course for the afternoon.

I should have had no fear in these ladies’ talent. Trish Johnson who was behind at the start of the day, has just walked off the course at the 18th with a blistering score of 66 with 7 birdies in her round today making her the new leader at -12. Trish is 3 shots ahead of the French girl Lagoutte-Clement who finished at -9 and Melissa Reid shot a level par round to keep her at -8.

Coriesande Lee, the “Rookie”who we are following, had a bad day yesterday carding a 4 over par. I spoke with her after the round and she said “I was just trying a bit too hard, I had made my first cut so I thought I would go for it, but my putting let me down. Anyway there’s always tomorrow and I feel there are birdies out there to be had. “

Today’s round for Trish Johnson was a remarkable round by any standard. The 44 year old veteran English woman, who tells me she’s an Arsenal supporter for her sins, carded 7 birdies and only one bogie on the way to her round of 66. Last week she was runner up in the Portuguese Open and is the winner of some 18 tournaments over her career. If I was a betting man Iknow who my money would be on for the final day tomorrow.

Photo by Poodle.eu

Woke up early by Buenavista standards at 08.45 full of good intentions about doing this report and being on the course by 10am to catch the first group about the 3rd hole. But as I sit down to write this report it’s 11am and I do feel somewhat guilty. But being one keen to work, I can report I have been interviewing one of the later starting players.

Day two was overcast and a bit cooler but stayed dry all day with a wind coming off the sea, like all good links courses should have as standard, making the course play a bit more difficult today. Day two is the day the girls have to go for it as the projected cut is +3 and around 60 will, I’m afraid, be going home tonight with nothing but an expense to show for their efforts. Golf is a bit like the Ann Robinson show 15 to 1; don’t make the cut and you’re going home with nothing.

On a brighter note the girl that Tenerife Magazine and I are following, Coriesande Lee, made her first ever cut in a professional tournament and will be playing on day 3 thus earning her a pay cheque of some kind from the ladies’ European Tour. We’ll have to see how she plays and what her final score is to find out just how much her cheque will be for. Whatever it is I’m sure Dad’s pleased as this week for once her expenses are not coming out of his pocket. Well done Cori.

England’s Melissa Reid shot a -2 to take her to -8 for the tournament, just one shot ahead of Scotland’s Vikki Lang and France’s Virginie La Goutte-Clement at -7. 4th is English veteran player Trish Johnson and she’s on -6 and well placed to make a move tomorrow. Some last minute mistakes on the last few holes saw a lot of players going out as they tried to make the dreaded cut to allow them to stay here at Buenavista Golf Course in Tenerife for the weekend.

We have a fantastic photo gallery on the Tenerife Magazine Flickr page of all the players in action here at Buenavista.

Photo by Poodle.eu

The question for many was what the weather would be like for the opening day of the Tenerife Ladies Open. As if like magic, the clouds cleared overnight and we woke up in Buenavista del Norte to the sun splitting the sky; a perfect start for the organisers, the Ladies Tour, the players and the spectators alike.

The first tee time on day one was 8.30am so that meant the players would be at the course around 7.30am to hit a few balls and limber up before play commenced. John Beckley MD of  Tenerife Magazine was asked at the cocktail party the night before if he would like to caddy for one of the Russian girls Anastasia Kostina, he jumped at the chance (I feel a story coming on)

So John had a job and I think he was more nervous about the golf than the player as on the day a few penalty strokes were imposed on the players as their amateur caddies had made infringement mistakes. On the day our boy came through and had a great experience inside the ropes of a professional golf tournament.

The first day scoring was just fantastic, with the leader in the clubhouse at -6. I played in the Pro Am the day before for Team Poodle and am amazed at the talent these ladies have shown as I found the greens very fast and undulating. If you landed the ball in the wrong spot on almost every green it could lead to an easy three putt and a bogie.

Melissa Reid from England and Ursula Wikstrom from Finland were the overnight clubhouse leaders at -6, with Reid having an eagle on the last to put the shine on a great day’s golf. There were four players tied at -5.Trish Johnston a somewhat veteran had a great day on -5.Last year’s defending champion Felicity Johnston had a one over 73, so still in the mix.

The “Rookie” player, Corrisande Lee, I played 18 with and interviewed earlier in the week for Tenerife Magazine is doing very well at -1 for the day and could be on course for her first ever pay cheque in the professional game, I have my fingers crossed for her, I can report she has started day two well.

Also in the field is a local girl, an amateur, from right here in Tenerife called Katia Reid. She was going well yesterday and at one stage got to -1 but dropped back to +8 for the day. More on her later as I am hoping to speak with her on her experience in the professional game. The projected cut is +3 which will reduce the field from 125 players to the top 60 for the weekend.

So that’s day one; a first class opening day with some great golf played. If anyone would like to come to Buenavista and watch the girls in action there is no charge for entry to this event and you can follow the players on the fairways. If you can’t make it follow proceedings online.

Photos from the Tenerife Ladies Open are on our Flickr Group.

Ok, First the name, I’ve never heard of it before ?

Its an old family name,  my mother,grandmother and great grandmother  were all called Corisande  so I was the one in the family in this generation privileged to be called after them,but most people just call me Cori for short.

When did you first get involved with Golf ?

I was a late starter only taking up the game at 16, I preferred football when I was younger , but dad who was an ex professional golfer before an accident which ended his career .My father talked me round to taking up golf so I took up the clubs and have loved the game ever since then.  After leaving school I went to Myerscough College, Preston, for two years to study on their Sports Science with Applied Golf course with my dad acting as my coach.

What Handicap did you achieve ?

I joined The West Lancashire Golf Club in 2004, where I currently hold the course record, I played for the club and county and got my  handicap down to +3 so after leaving college I decided to give the Pro ranks a try. I went to tour school twice missing out on my card the first time, as I had been out for some time before with a wrist injury, but in December 2009 at La Manga I finished 44th and secured  a conditional tour card for the 2010 season.

What have been the high’s on Tour so far ?

People think its an easy job just playing golf and visiting nice hotels and golf courses, if only !  Being new to the tour I have to find my own accommodation and flights sometimes at short notice. I flew straight from the Portuguese Open back to Heathrow ,drove up north, home to Preston, and picked up another bag of clothes and headed to Manchester airport to fly out here to Tenerife, 24 hours and the only sleep I got was on the aeroplane.

Everything is new to me the travelling, the courses, the countries,the other players but I am loving it. I almost made my first cut last week,missing it by one shot, at the moment that is my goal, Oh! and to try and earn some money as we don’t get paid unless we make the cut.

Talking money is it expensive on Tour ?

Yes, I reckon about £1000 a week for every week I play, at the moment I only have Mizuno for golf clubs and Titelist as ball and glove sponsors, its very difficult for a young player, in this economic climate, to get a main sponsor to pay for flights and accommodation so at the moment dad is helping out. People don’t realise that we have to pay to take our clubs on most airlines and that can be an extra £100 on to every flight ticket.

How many events are you planning to play this year ?

I have played 3 tournaments so far this year and plan to play about 12 more. After Tenerife I have a two weeks off which I plan to spend practicing and relaxing at home then off to France followed by a month of tournaments in the UK so I should get home most weeks at some time.

Is this your first time in Tenerife ?

Yes, my first time, but from what I have seen so far the golf courses are great with super practice facilities and the weather is just gorgeous for playing golf. I have  really enjoyed playing  the Golf Del Sur course and the hospitality that was extended to me by the management, the free buggy

was a big bonus as we played 18 holes.

Peaking at just the right time? Felicity Johnson will certainly be hoping so, sitting joint eighth after the first day of the Portugal Open, she is already looking forward to defending her first professional win, at last year’s Tenerife Ladies Open. That was at golf Costa Adeje, but from 1^st to 4^th July 124 professional and two amateurs will converge on Buenavista Golf on the rugged north west corner of Tenerife.

A lot has happened since that dramatic last round shoot out with Becky Brewerton of Wales last year. Felicity broke her opponent’s resistance with a five metre putt at the 17^th. hole and went on to win with a flourish. “That was hard winning my first pro event, it has made me mentally stronger and given me more confidence” said the 23 year old from Birmingham. As well as the trophy and the cheque  for 45,000 euros Felicity earned a three year exemption from qualifying for the Ladies European Tour events and a place in the prestigious Evian Nationals in France this July.

Ladies golf is on the rise, speaking to me from Portugal Felicity looked back on the sort of weather that drives most people to move to Tenerife. “At the Slovakian Open last month we had heavy thunder storms, that put us a day behind, and then in  Switzerland the rains came and cost us another day”
These clouds had a silver lining for avid Aston Villa fan Felicity “When it rained in Switzerland I was able to cram in three World Cup matches on television. I saw the shock win for Switzerland over Spain but it was strange, not much celebrating went on, just a few beeping car horns.”

Football might be a passion but while Felicity hopes England will still be involved in the later stages of South Africa 2010 she won’t be too upset at missing the live coverage next weekend. “If England have an afternoon game I will hopefully miss it as that would mean I am still going well in the Tenerife Ladies Open.”

Buenavista is a new course to tackle but at least there are a few days to get used to it. “I am flying home to Birmingham from Portugal for a brief family visit, then it’s on a plane to arrive in Tenerife on Monday morning. That gives me the official practice day on Tuesday (29 July) and then I’m taking part in the Pro Am tournament the next day.”

Felicity knows that keeping her crown will be tough. “There is a lot of strength in depth on the Ladies European Tour, only one player has won two events this year. I will have to look out for South Africa’s Lee-Ann Pace who won her first event in Switzerland, then there’s Anja Monke from Germany and Englands Trish Johnson; all of them are in good form. I’m confident though, I have been practising on my putting and have started doing athletic training to give me more movement so it will all help.”

FACT FILE

• Tenerife Ladies Open (9^th contest)
• Buenavista Golf, Buenavista del Norte
• www.tenerifeladiesopen.com
• Mon 28 June  – first official training
• Tues 29 June  – second official training
• Weds 30 June – Pro Am tournament
• Thurs  1^st July – First day of Open, starts at 8.30 am
• Fri   2^nd July -  Second day of Open, starts at 9 am
• Sat  3^rd July -  Third day of Open, from 9 am to 5 pm
• Sun   4^th July – Final day of Open, 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, Prize giving at 4.30 pm on 18^th green.

Tenerife Magazine will be covering the event with reports and photos.

For additional information about The Tenerife Ladies Open 2010 visit:

• The Tenerife Golf Association Website (Facebook, Flickr Twitter)
• Buenavista Golf Course – Official Website
• Tenerife Ladies Open - Official Website for Tenerife Ladies Open
• Tenerife Golf - (Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Youtube, Vimeo)
• Tenerife Tourism - Official Website for Tenerife Tourism
• Buenavista Golf Hotel – Official Website for Hotel

Should you prefer to stay in Puerto de la Cruz, you could also stay at the Hotel Las Aguilas.

Follow the Tenerife Ladies Golf Open with Tenerife Magazine

View Photos from the Tenerife Ladies Golf Open on our flickr Group