Laura Davies commits to playing

in first N Z Women's Open

PRESS RELEASE
One of the world's most accomplished female golfers, Laura Davies, will play at the inaugural New Zealand Women's Open in Christchurch next month.
Davies will be a marquee player at the Open at Clearwater Resort from 30 January to 1 February.
Her entry comes on the heels of the news that Australian Katherine Hull, world ranked No 30, and the European No 1 Gwladys Nocera (France) will compete in the first Women's Open in New Zealand.
Davies was the first non-American to top the LPGA money list and has won the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit a record seven times, the last two years ago.
She has four majors to her credit – the LPGA Championship twice, the Du Maurier Classic and the US Women's Open as well as the British Open before it was recognised as a major.
Her wins have come around the world including 37 wins on the LET – the first in her rookie year in 1985 when she also won the Order of Merit and the last was this year at the UNIQA Ladies Open.

Davies has 20 victories on the LPGA spanning 14 years, six wins in Japan and five on the ALPG Tour including the Australian Masters, the Australian Open and the New South Wales Open earlier this year.
Davies said despite her many triumphs she remains passionate about the game and still driven for further success.
"I am only 45 and a long way from retirement. I enjoy what I am doing and I can do it well. I love competing especially against some of the younger players. I am old enough to be their mother but I am still able to get out there and beat them."
Her golden year was in 1994 when she became the first golfer, female or male, to win on five different golf tours in the calendar year – USA, Europe, Asia, Japan and Australia. And she was the first European player to be ranked No 1 in the world.
She is the only player to compete in all 10 Solheim Cups – the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup – from 1990.