All involved at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club last year did a magnificent job to prepare the course for last year’s event, despite the substantial rainfall which impacted the region as part of Cyclone Alfred’s path of destruction.

Belgium’s Manon De Roey played and putted brilliantly over the closing stretch to claim the title by a single shot from England’s Cara Gainer, with Thai amateur Cholcheva Wongras a further shot back in outright third place.

Magenta Shores is no stranger to many in this field after staging the Women’s NSW Open in 2024. Like Wollongong, the Ross-Watson layout on the NSW Central Coast is situated against the dunes and Pacific Ocean, almost guaranteeing that wind and the need for patience and some shot making creativity will come into play at some stage across the week.

South African Casandra Alexander will make her first appearance in Australia since a junior event a dozen years ago. She is the only player inside the world’s top-100 in the field and has been candid in stating she has one objective during her three-event swing Down Under.

“It’s strictly business,” Alexander said. “I came here to play and try to win."

"We have a good run of events coming up, so I’m trying to stay focused and get the job done.”

New South Wales' Kelsey Bennett, one of Alexander's playing partners for the first two rounds and coming off the back of a strong performance at the Women's NSW Open last week, will be one of many looking to deny Alexander's ambitions.

Tour stalwart Sarah Kemp will harbor similar aspirations, fifth last week and likely to regard this as more of a "home" game than most, given her Central NSW roots.

PLUS...

Order of Merit champions join Australian WPGA field

A number of exciting international additions, including two reigning Order of Merit champions, have been confirmed for the Australian WPGA Championship field at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on the Gold Coast this month.

Of the Europeans, last year's runner-up, Gainer, will no doubt draw some confidence from having performed well at Magenta Shores in the past, finishing in a tie for fourth here behind Maria Jose Uribe in the 2024 Women's NSW Open.

Conditions are predicted to be warm and fine for the opening rounds, with a little rain expected at the weekend. Much will depend on the extent of that rain (See Wollongong last week) and whether the wind will play a part, as it often does around this exposed coastal layout.