Golf's calendar girls set to participate in New Zealand Women's Golf Open

Wellington, Jan 5 (ANI): New Zealand Women's Golf Open is all set to get the temperature soaring, what with a host of Aussie bombshells signing up to play in the inaugural running of the event.And the list of hot ladies up to grab the golf clubs in their hands includes Kate Combes, Kristie Smith, and Danielle Montgomery.

All the above beautiful girls have already posed in a range of golf settings for a calendar to promote the sport and some of the proceeds from the venture went to charity.

The project was an attempt to change the image of a sport which can come across as conservative.

And the effort managed to get a nod of approval from the stuffy Australian Ladies Professional Golf organisation (ALPG) as well.

"We did a calendar two years ago which was a real success. We were approached to endorse another calendar and our board agreed. We have a range of our professionals in the calendar from touring professionals to teaching pros," The NZPA quoted Warren Sevil, chief executive of the ALPG, as saying.

He added: "The aim is to depict a new, fresh image and is all part of our rebranding of the ALPG to help change perceptions of women's golf."

The Open will be played at Clearwater in Christchurch, and the line up of the girls scheduled to participate in the event include the photogenic Combes, who has just completed her first year on the Ladies European Tour after qualifying in her first attempt.Also displaying her golf moves will be newcomer Kristie Smith, who was the leading amateur at the Australian Open, Australian Masters and LG Bing NSW Open.

Sevil said that the ALPG's Calendar Girls were not just pretty faces, and that he was hopeful that many of the ladies would will make it to the top of the leaderboard.

"(They're) young, talented, attractive and extremely good (golfers)," he said.

The open, to be played from January 30 to February 1, already includes former world No 1 Laura Davies (England), the No 1 on the Ladies European Tour, Gwladys Nocera (France) and outstanding Australian Katherine Hull, ranked No 30 in the world with a win in the LPGA on her 2008 resume.

According to reports, almost 80 to 100 players will make the final cut, including some of this New Zealand's leading amateurs who will be finalised next week. (ANI)