The ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open kicked off at Royal Melbourne Golf Club today and the PGA of Australia is delighted to see a contingent of PGA Members in the field.

Eight-time LPGA Champion and PGA Professional, Rachel
Hetherington, will be one of three PGA Members hoping to claim the Patricia
Bridges Bowl this week.

Hetherington, one of the most successful female Professionals
Australia has produced, is currently ranked at number four on the ALPG Order of
Merit and will play alongside fellow Members, Cherie Alison and Danielle
Montgomery.

Hetherington and her husband, former Australian Test
Cricketer Greg Ritchie, own and operate the Rachel Hetherington Golf Range
adjacent to Abbey Golf Course in northern New South Wales and where
Hetherington is Head
Professional.

Joining Hetherington will be Port Kembla
Golf Club Teaching Professional and Golf Operations Manager, Cherie Alison, who
was the former Club Professional at Hamilton Island
Golf Club – home to the PGA Professionals Championship.

Alison, whose experience extends to playing on Tour within Europe and
America, claimed her last win in 2014 with a five shot victory at the Anita Boon
Pro-Am at North Shore Golf Club last November.

England’s Danielle Montgomery is the third Member of the
PGA of Australia in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open field.

A regular on the Ladies European
Tour, Montgomery recorded her best finish (T2) at
the South African Women’s Open in 2012.

All three ladies are also Members of the ALPG, the sanctioning body for women’s Professional golf in
Australia and New Zealand.

Unyielding support is required for golfers competing
in elite level competition, and playing a significant role in
coaching and development of many of the world’s leading female Professionals is
PGA Member, Ian Triggs.

Triggs currently coaches Karrie Webb, Bree
Arthur, So-Yeon Ryu, Eun-Hee Ji, Kelly Tan and Mo Martin, all
of whom are in contention this week.

The ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open will be contested at Royal Melbourne
Golf Club from February 19 – 22, 2015.