Ladies European Tour: Five players to watch in 2021

As the Ladies European Tour starts its 2021 season there is much to look forward to with many new events being added to the schedule and the tour being able to boast an abundance of talented golfers.

Many household names such as Georgia Hall, Charlie Hull, and last season’s Order of Merit winner Emily Kristine Pedersen will be combining playing on the LPGA Tour and the LET.

Despite being hamstrung by a number of organisational difficulties in 2020, the LET was still able to run a full schedule and this resulted in the emergence of some promising stars that may not currently be as well-known as others, but will be hoping for successful 2021 seasons.

Here are my top five players to watch on the Ladies European Tour this year…

Stephanie Kyriacou

The newcomer who undoubtedly made the biggest impact in 2020 was Kyriacou. The 20-year-old from Sydney, at the time still an amateur, won the Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville and immediately turned professional.

Her success continued for the remainder of the 2020 season, in which she recorded five top-10 finishes including two runner-up spots.

She deservedly won the Rookie of the Year and this year she will be hoping to continue with this form and climb up the world rankings.

There are few players on the tour with a tidier short game and if her putter performs as it did last year she will be tough to beat.

Gabriella Cowley

Another player who will be entering the 2021 season in good form is Hertfordshire-based Cowley. She has been on the tour since 2014 but has never been in better form than she has found herself in at the start of this year, which has already yielded two two victories in the Rose Ladies Series.

Yet to win on the LET, it would be no surprise if this would be her year. A great deal will depend on her driver which, when on song, she can hit as far as anyone.

Cowley will also benefit from the experience of the number of years spent on tour and, at 26, this is the perfect time for her to break her duck and get that elusive first victory under her belt.

Julia Engstrom

In terms of ball striking there will be few who will hit the ball further on the tour than the Swede.

Last season was a stellar year for the 20-year-old from Helmstad, who finished second on the Order of Merit, winning both the Lacoste French Ladies Open and the NSW Open.

Since turning professional her consistency has been a major strength of her play. She was the 2018 Rookie of the Year and so far has recorded seven top-10 finishes in 41 starts.

Johanna Gustavsson

Another Swede, Gustavsson had her best season to date in 2020.

This 28-year-old fierce competitor from Orebro often put herself in contention with her strong long and mid irons being particularly impressive.

Making the cut at both the Women’s and Scottish Opens proved that she can compete in the strongest of company and this will hold her in good stead for the 2021 season.

Atthaya Thitikul

The most promising teenager on show this will undoubtedly be the 18-year-old Thai sensation. Fresh from her second-place at the recent Honda LPGA event in her homeland she has now based herself in Finland as she prepares herself for a full season on the LET.

Despite her tender years she has already won two events on the LET and when she won the 2017 European Thailand Ladies Championship, at 14 years of age, she became the youngest ever winner of a ladies professional golf tournament.

Thitikul will not be overawed by any tournament and it will be interesting to see how successful she will be in Europe as she strives for a place on the 2022 LPGA Tour.

We didn’t even have a chance to get to the likes of Olivia Cowan, Christine Wolf, Annabel Dimmock, Carly Booth, and Hannah Burke – among others – proving this could be the most exciting Ladies European Tour season to date.