2018 ANA Inspiration winner Pernilla Lindberg and 2018 U.S. Women’s Open champion, Ariya Jutanugarn, join global field of stars

Gullane, 19 June, 2018 – The first two Major Champions of the year, Pernilla Lindberg and Ariya Jutanugarn, have both confirmed their return to Scotland for the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club from the 26 – 29 July.

Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who captured her first career Major championship at the ANA Inspiration after a thrilling eight hole play-off and World No. 2, Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who won a four hole play-off of her own at the U.S. Women’s Open are the latest big names to confirm their participation at Gullane Golf Club, joining previously confirmed stars, Michelle Wie, Charley Hull, Catriona Matthew and Mi Hyang Lee.

Joining them at the Championship, which again returns to the same venue as the Men’s Scottish Open, hosted two weeks earlier, are a host of other Major champions including: the youngest ever world No.1 and two-time major champion, Lydia Ko, the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, Danielle Kang and the 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion, IK Kim.

Speaking ahead of the summer, Lindberg said, “I’ve always enjoyed coming to play the Ladies Scottish Open and facing the mental challenge of scoring under tough conditions. Playing on a links course brings all sorts of new challenges we don’t see all year and it’s something I relish.”

Commenting on her most recent triumph, Jutanugarn said, "It feels good to come back to play the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. I know the conditions will be tough again this year and the weather will be challenging, but I am excited and looking forward to testing myself with the challenges that Gullane Golf Club will bring."

The Championship will be co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA for a second year running and for the first time in Ladies Scottish Open history, at the East Lothian links. South Korean IK Kim returning to Scotland for the first time since her 2017 Ricoh Women’s British Open triumph. Last year the current world No. 7 finished T9 at the Ladies Scottish Open before using the performance as a springboard to win her first Major the following week.

Commenting on her return to Scotland, Kim said, “I can’t wait to come back to Scotland. To win at the ‘Home of Golf’ was special and something that I will never forget, and I definitely learned a lot from my week at the Ladies Scottish Open. I enjoy the challenge of links golf.”

Commenting on the field, Martin Gilbert, co-CEO of Aberdeen Standard Investments, said, “We are delighted to welcome so many Major champions to the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open and are excited with how the field is taking shape. Our vision was always to build a world-class international event and in only the second year of the co-sanctioning agreement between The Ladies European Tour and the LPGA, we are pleased to see that we are on the right track. We thank them and our partners Visit Scotland for their continued support.”

Paul Bush, Director of Events with VisitScotland said: “We are delighted to see so many of the world’s best players signed up to play the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club this summer. The high calibre of field underlines the stature of the event and highlights the appeal that playing in Scotland, the Home of Golf has for even the world’s top players.”

Taking place the week before the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open will kick off a superb two weeks of women’s links golf in the UK. The back-to-back stretch of events echoes the successful strategy employed by the Men’s Scottish Open taking place the week before The Open – an approach proven to be a competitive advantage for those players competing in both Championships. The Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open is also a key element of Scotland’s commitments to the staging of The 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

Tickets for the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open are FREE.

For further championship and ticket information, please visit: https://ladiesscottishopen.com/ or follow us at @LadiesScottish

Major Champions Set for Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open

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