Links test a big hit with big-hitting great Davis

LADIES IRISH OPEN:LAURA DAVIES has been feted the world over as an iconic figure in ladies golf during a 24-year career that has seen her amass 72 tournament victories, the latest of which was this season's Women's Australian Open.

Breaking records has been a mere bagatelle to the 45-year-old during her career as has gathering honours, the latest of which came yesterday when she was made an honorary member of The Links Golf Society, the first woman to be afforded that accolade.

Her career has been defined by groundbreaking achievement, from becoming the first golfer, male or female, to win on five different tours in one year to topping the LPGA money list in 1994, the first non-American to do so.

Today on teeing it up in the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Hotel & Links, she will chase another landmark in trying to secure the title for a third time and thereby equal Sofie Gustafson's record, the Swede, who plays this week, having prevailed at Ballyliffin (1998), Faithlegg (2000) and Killarney (2003).

Davies' two previous victories in the Irish Open came in successive years (1994 and 1995) at St Margaret's and to achieve her goal she'll have to be close to her best as the top 40 players on the Ladies European Tour (LET) order of merit are present at Portmarnock Links: recognition of the tournament's status as fourth richest on tour and one that carries a first prize of €75,000.

She enthused: "I love links golf. We don't get to play much; only the British Open, and that's not every time. It's just lovely to play links and if we played more I'd like it. Obviously I will be trying my hardest to win."

The big-hitting English golfer would normally attract a sizeable gallery but today those numbers will be swelled as playing alongside her this morning is 14-year-old Irish amateur teen sensation Leona Maguire.

Leona's twin sister, the equally accomplished Lisa, has been handed an afternoon start alongside Sweden's Maria Hjorth and Anne-Lise Caudal of France.

The Maguires' presence is due to an invitation extended to the Vagliano Trophy team - nine top amateurs will represent Britain & Ireland in the upcoming biennial match against the Continent of Europe - to rub shoulders with the professional elite. A third Irish Vagliano representative, Danielle McVeigh, will tee it up as will 17-year-old US-based Antrim native Stephanie Meadows.

Davies is looking forward to watching the Maguire twins up close, aware of their burgeoning reputation. "They are the talk of the town, aren't they? They are obviously very good, only 14 years old and apparently fantastic golfers."

The tournament has attracted a very strong field, including LET top money earner and last year's Irish Open runner-up - the winner, Susann Pettersen isn't playing - Norway's Marianne Skarpnord.

She is in the match immediately after Davies and has been drawn alongside her closest pursuer in the money stakes, Spain's Tania Elosegui and last week's winner in Portugal, Johanna Westerberg. The Swede will have her fiancé, the former world number nine in tennis, Joachim Johansson on her bag.

Johansson, or "Pim Pim" as he is known, is on his way back to top-level tennis after a four and a half year enforced sabbatical because of serious shoulder and elbow surgery.

The 26-year-old Swede boasts the fastest recorded serve in a tennis tournament (roughly 248kph, his guesstimate) and also held a record for the most aces in a match (51, four sets) only recently eclipsed by Ivo Karlovic (55, five sets) at last month's French Open.

Shane Lowry's recent victory in the Irish Open at Baltray may inspire a doughty challenge from local favourites Hazel Kavanagh (39th on the Order of Merit), Rebecca Coakley (62nd), Martina Gillen (83rd), Tara Delaney (98th), Claire Coughlan-Ryan and Marian Riordan.

The fact that the Solheim Cup is only two months away underlines the importance of the tournament and this coupled with the anticipated sunshine, quality of the field and beautifully-appointed course, means it deserves the support of the Irish sporting public.

Selected tee times

7.40am - S Meadow(Am, Ireland), L Maritz (South Africa), L Hall (Wales).

8.06am - M Riordan(Team Ireland Golf), C Alonso (Spain), B Alicia-Loucks (Wales).

8.15am - M Gillen(Team Ireland Golf), M Boden (Sweden), J Mills (Australia).

8.45am - L Davies(England), J Schaeffer (France), Leona Maguire (Am, Ireland).

8.55am - M Skarpnord(Norway), T Elosegui (Spain), J Westerberg (Sweden).

10am - K Matharu(England), S Michi (Austria), D McVeigh (Am, Ireland).

12.35pm - H Kavanagh(Ireland), F Johnson (England), L Cabanillas (Spain).

12.45pm - R Coakley(Team Ireland Golf), R Hudson (England), T Johnson (England).

12.55pm - S Gustafson(Sweden), P Marti (Spain), B Brewerton (Wales).

1.05pm - M Hjorth(Sweden), A-L Caudal (France), Lisa Maguire (Am, Ireland).

1.50pm - C Coughlan-Ryan(Team Ireland Golf), N Garrett (Australia), N Gergely (Austria).

2pm - T Delaney(Team Ireland Golf), P Feggans (Scotland), F Parker (England).