The team will be joined by playing captain for the second consecutive year, eight-time LPGA winner Rachel Hetherington (pictured above). Her fellow players who will represent ALPG are: Su Oh, Sarah Jane Smith, Katherine Kirk, Stacey Keating, Sarah Kemp, Whitney Hillier, Cathryn Bristow and Lauren Hibbert.

Ever-improving Su Oh will be the ALPG's highest-ranked player in Japan. PHOTO: Getty Images

The 44-year-old Hetherington, mother of five-year-old Annie and wife of former Test cricketer Greg Ritchie, was delighted to accept the position.

“I’m excited and honoured to lead a wonderful group of our leading ALPG golfers at the Queens Cup,” she said. “The opportunity to work with such an inspiring group of women is a highlight of my career and I look forward to returning to Japan and enjoying the wonderful camaraderie and Japanese hospitality.

"The opportunity to work with such an inspiring group of women is a highlight of my career and I look forward to returning to Japan and enjoying the wonderful camaraderie and Japanese hospitality." Rachel Hetherington

“I actually played last year and I won my singles match,” Hetherington said proudly of defeating 2015 Oates Victorian Open champion Marianne Skarpnord. 

ALPG chief executive Karen Lunn said: “The ALPG is delighted to announce our team to contest the Queens Cup presented by Kowa. This team has a great blend of youth and experience and I know that our ladies who have made the team can't wait to get to Nagoya and compete against the best players from the LPGA of Japan, Korean LPGA and the Ladies European Tour.

“The Queens presented by Kowa is a unique event with an innovative format and is sure to attract the attention of golf fans across the globe. The ALPG is once again proud to be involved in this prestigious tournament and we are looking forward to once again being a part of a major international match-play competition with the other tours.”

The Queens Cup presented by Kowa is a unique matchplay tournament featuring four teams of nine players, including a playing captain, from the four tours. A total of 32 matches will be played over three days: eight fourball matches on day one, eight foursomes matches on day two and 16 singles matches on day three. Scoring is done via a points system, with each match worth three points to the winning team. If a match ends all-square after 18 holes, one point is awarded to each team. On completion of the first two days, the leading two teams will contest the Championship Final on the Sunday, while the other two teams will contest the ‘Third Place Final’.

Prizemoney:
Winning team: 45,000,000 yen (5,000,000 yen per player)

Runner-up: 27,000,000 yen (3,000,000 yen per player)

Third place: 18,000,000 yen (2,000,000 yen per player)

Fourth place: 9,000,000 yen (1,000,000 yen per player)