This weekend sees the start of the richest competition in women’s golf (tied with the US Open) and certainly one of the most prestigious. Let’s take a look at all you need to know about the 2012 Evian Masters golf tournament!

History

The Evian Masters has been contested since 1994, when it was the brainchild of Antoine and Franck Ribouel.  The competition was a Ladies European Tour (LET) event for the first six years of its life, becoming a LET and LPGA sanctioned event in 2000.

Past Winners

The past winners of this prestigious event read like a who’s who of women’s golf. Swedish golfers have achieved six overall wins (Helen Alfredsson three times, Annika Sorenstam twice and Catrin Nilsmark).

Australia (Rachel Teske, Wendy Doolan and Karrie Webb), Japan (Ali Miyazato twice, Hiromi Kobayashi) and the United States (Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer, Juli Inkster) all winning three times apiece.

Britain’s Laura Davies (below) has won the event twice in 1995 and 1996, while the only other winner was South Korean Jiyai Shin in 2010. Japan’s Ai Miyazato is the current Evian Masters champion after she shot -15 at the 2011 tournament to take the $487,000 first prize.

The Course

Since the first event was held in 1994, all subsequent Evian Masters tournaments have taken place at Evian Masters Golf Club (also called Domaine du Royal Club Evian). American Juli Inkster holds the tournament record score og 267 (-21) while Helen Alfredsson set the course record of 63 back at the event in 2008.

For the 2012 tournament, several holes have been lengthened to increase the length of the course by 98 yards, from 6347 yards in 2011, to 6445 yards in 2012.

The Players

This year 111 players from all of the top women’s professional golf tours around the globe will take to the fairways of the Evian Masters Golf Club. Competitors range in age from 16 year old Chinese star Xiyu Lin, through to former winner Juli Inkster who is the oldest competitor aged 51.

One of the favourites for the competition will be Taiwainese World Number One Yani Tseng (below), while the crowds of spectators will also be crowding around to see the likes of American youngster Lexi Thompson (below), as well as a host of top class Korean golfers including Ji-Yai Shin, Amy Yang and world number 2 Na Yeon Choi.

Thompson, Wie and Tseng in Evian Masters 2012

Current holder Ai Miyazato should also feature strongly having won the event in two of the past three years, while the European challenge will likely come from the likes of Norway’s Suzann Pettersen,  Spain’s Azahara Munoz and Scotland’s experienced Catriona Matthew.

Also featuring will be several experienced former winners such as Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and three-time winner Helen Alfredsson.

The Future

The future for the tournament looks incredibly bright given that from 2013, the LPGA tour have sanctioned the event officially as their fifth major. To avoid scheduling the event too close to other majors, the Evian Masters will move from the end of July into September to facilitate its well-deserved elevation to one of the elite competitions of women’s golf.

The Big Story from 2012?

Will follow from Sunday! Join us then for the latest updates and photo’s from this prestigious event!

Pictures Courtesy of Gorilla Golf

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