Golf: Legend has eye on Reid at NZ Women's Open

Laura Davies. Photo / Getty Images

English golf legend Laura Davies would not mind playing alongside compatriot Melissa Reid when the €200,000 ($359,000) New Zealand Women's Open starts today.

That way, the winner of 77 tournaments in all corners of the globe will be able to keep a close eye on the woman she thinks will challenge strongly in the European Ladies Tour (LET) event at the 5784m Pegasus course on the northern outskirts of Christchurch.

"If you beat Melissa this week you will probably win it," Davies said of the 23-year-old who finished second in this month's Australian Open at Melbourne, where she trailed home Taiwan's new world No 1, Yani Tseng.

Reid followed that up by coming 15th equal in the Ladies Masters on Queensland's Gold Coast last weekend, prompting Davies to single her out for special attention this week.

Davies, 47, is as keen as mustard to defend the New Zealand title she won at the same venue last summer, but has a mixed report card to contend with in analysing her game at present.

She reckons she is striking the ball as well as ever but her Scotty Cameron putter went cold in Australia, leaving her buried in the pack come payday.

The putter better start behaving because Davies will have no hesitation in introducing it to the 190 short sticks she estimates she has thrown into a spare room of her home during an illustrious career.

"My ball striking in the last four weeks has been some of the best of my career," Davies said yesterday.

"You just have to get over the fact you are not holing putts at the moment and that the good things will start happening."

Her putting stroke was not the issue; rather the ball was failing to follow instructions.

"You can't hit every putt perfect but I am hitting a lot of putts where I want to hit them.

"Who knows if it [ball finding cup] happens this week, but I know if I keep playing like this that I am going to win this year," said Davies, who collected another five LET titles in 2010 to underline her enduring competitiveness.

Having won in Christchurch a year ago, Davies is comfortable around the Pegasus layout and also hopeful that wind will become a factor at stages over the next four days.

"I putted well here last year. It was windy for most of the week and if you putt well in the wind you know your stroke is good."

Davies appreciates more than anyone that she will need her putting to be on song because any number of the 144-strong field have the credentials to pocket the winner's cheque come Sunday.

Half of last season's LET champions are competing.

As well as Davies, 2010 LET tournament winners include Germany's Anja Monke, Englishwomen Florentyna Parker and Trish Johnson, Australian Karen Lunn, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, of France, and Spain's Maria Hernandez.

- NZPA