Omega Dubai Ladies Masters News

Danish duo Emily Kristine Pedersen and Nanna Koerstz Madsen battling for rookie of the year title in Dubai

Nanna Koerstz Madsen has insisted she will be taking a relaxed attitude into this week’s Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club despite being locked in a tense battle for the Rookie of the Year award with her compatriot Emily Kristine Pedersen. Pedersen currently leads with earnings of €164,063, a good €32,434 ahead of Madsen, who needs a strong finish — at least a second — if she is to have any chance of overtaking her compatriot.

“It’s not really my focus at the moment. I just want to go out into this event as if it were another one, hoping for a win,” said Madsen who narrowed the gap on Pedersen after her win in India.

“I will try and do my best to stay focused and if my best is not enough, that’s not enough. And if it’s enough, it’s enough,” said Madsen, who, however, admitted that Nana has played really well to stay in front the whole year.”

“We have known each other since we were 10 or 11 years old and we are quite used to competing with each other. I don’t think this is any different from our amateur years.

“We just like to beat each other and be the best,” said Madsen, sending out a clear message that she will not be confusing friendship with her ambition when they hit the home stretch.

“It’s really an important tournament for me. I came here early to practice and be well prepared for the event. Of course, I want to do what I can do to win the Rookie of the Year award.”

Pedersen also sounded upbeat and positive about sealing the title. “It’s the biggest tournament of the year and I want to win the Rookie of the Year award.

“I am in front, but Nanna is a great player. If she wins and I don’t, so be it. All I know I will try and do best and, hopefully, win the title,” she added.

Charley Hull, the winner of 2014 Omega Rookie of the Year, believes she can draw inspiration from her great memories of the tournament to post another strong finish.

“I love Dubai. It’s one of my favourite places in the world and I can’t wait to get started. I love this (Majlis) course and it’s going to be great fun,” said Hull, the youngest player to win the Ladies European Tour’s Order of Merit title in 2014, aged 19, just 12 months after being named Rookie of the Year.

“Winning both the Rookie of the Year and Order of Merit titles was a big thing for me since you can do it only once. It’s good a thing to have it on your CV.”

Meanwhile, Olivia Cowan expects to see her name somewhere at the top of the leaderboard during the week. “My game is in pretty good shape and I can expect a strong finish, said the rising German star, who is a three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour Access Series and has already secured her full playing privileges for 2016.

‘The Olympics will definitely be my goal in 2016, but it’s kind of hard because I am only a rookie next year. But, maybe, in Japan,” said the 19-year-old, who represented her country in the Youth Olympics in China where she finished fourth, the best result for a European player.

The Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic are backed by OMEGA as the title sponsor and Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC as sponsor. The co-sponsors are: CNN, Drydocks World & Maritime World, Emirates NBD, Gulf News, Jebel Ali Resorts and Hotels, Mercedes and wasl, while Dubai Duty Free, Neocasa Interiors and Motivate Publishing are the Patrons in golf in DUBAi’s drive to showcase the emirate’s vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience.

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