A number of leading players from the Asian Tour and the Ladies European Tour (LET) will take part in next week's Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup, the circuits announced yesterday.
They include reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Kim Joo-Hyung from South Korea and current No.1 Sihwan Kim of the United States and past LET Merit list winners Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa and Becky Brewerton from Wales.
The ground-breaking tournament -- which marks the first time the two tours have jointly sanctioned an event -- will be held at Siam Country Club in Pattaya from April 7-10 and will be followed a week later by the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge at the same venue.
Both events feature 60 Asian Tour players and 60 LET players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy.
Each tournament offers a prize fund of US$750,000, along with world ranking points.
Thailand's Nitithorn Thippong, winner of the Asian Tour's DGC Open on Sunday, will also compete along with compatriots Jazz Janewattananond, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Australian Scott Hend, winner of 10 titles on the Asian Tour, and nine-time champion Gaganjeet Bhullar from India have also entered along with American John Catlin and Shiv Kapur, who both have won on four occasions.
Thailand's golf phenom Ratchanon "TK" Chantananuwat has been invited to compete.
The 15-year-old amateur has not missed the cut in the six events he has played in since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year and finished third in the Singapore International in January.
There will be 14 LET winners and two Race to Costa del Sol champions in the field of 60 female competitors.
Pace and Brewerton will be joined by fellow tour veterans Marianne Skarpnord of Norway, Lydia Hall of Wales, Kylie Henry from Scotland, Sweden's Jenny Haglund and English pair Felicity Johnson and Florentyna Parker.
Rising star Maja Stark from Sweden, who started last year as an amateur but ended the year with three professional wins -- two of which were on the LET -- will be making her season debut in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
After turning professional last summer, the 23-year-old won on her home course to secure her maiden title on the LET Access Series and then won the Creekhouse Ladies Open and the Estrella Damm Ladies Open on the LET.
The Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge will be held from April 13-16, and will feature a very similar line-up of players.