Elina Nummenpaa from Finland

We showcase eight of the 43 talented golfers who are set for their rookie season on the Ladies European Tour in 2013.

Paula Hurtado

Country: Colombia

Date of Birth: February 5, 1990

Place of Birth: Medellin, Colombia

Turned professional: 2012

Height: 5"10

Hair colour: Dark Brown

Eye colour: Brown

Started golf: Aged 7 years

Greatest influences: Parents

Hobbies/interests: Cycling, playing volleyball and going to the gym.

Amateur record: 64.

Career highlights: Won the Junior Local Ranking of Antioquia, Colombia every year from 2003-2007. Qualified for the South American Championship in 2006 and 2007. Won the  Junior National Championship Medal Play “Arturo Calle Cup” – Club Hatogrande, Bogotá, Colombia 2006. Junior National Championship Match Play “Eduardo Herrera Cup” – Club Llanogrande, Medellín, Colombia and Junior National Ranking – Colombia 2007.

National Youth Championship – Club Farallones, Cali, Colombia 2006.International Juvenile and Junior Championship “Alpina Cup” – San Andrés Golf Club, Bogotá, Colombia 2006.International Juvenile and Junior Championship Guatemala City – Mayan Golf Club, Guatemala City, Guatemala 2006. Athlete of the Year Club Campestre el Rodeo, Medellín, Colombia – 2006 – 2007. Junior South American Championship – Valencia, Venezuela 2005. Junior South American Championship – Sao Paulo, Brazil 2007. Junior South American Championship – Bucaramanga, Colombia 2008.

University of Arkansas Little Rock (UALR) Golf Classic – Arkansas 2008. Ranking Sunbelt Conference – 2008. Morehead State University (MSU) Spring Kick off – Oxnard, California 2008. Betle Lou Evans Invitational – 2009. Wolverine Invitational – Ann Arbor, Michigan 2010.Freshman of the Year Sunbelt Conference 2008. All Conference (Award given to the top 10 players on each conference) – 2008 – 2009 – 2010. One of the 9 players chosen to compete individually on the NCAA Championships. FIU VIP Player – 2008.FIU Athlete of the Year – 2010. FIU MVP Player  – 2009 – 2010 – 2011. Golfweek Magazine Player of the week – 2010.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2013: T15th.

Daniela Holmqvist

Country: Sweden

Date of Birth: May 03, 1988 

Place of Birth: Berne, Switzerland 

Turned professional: Oct 08, 2012

Height: 165cm

Hair colour: Dark blonde

Eye colour: Blue

Started golf: Jan 01, 1992

Greatest influences: My father, my grandfather and my coach Torsten Hanson.

Hobbies/interests: All kind of sports.

Famous relatives: Daniela’s father, Hans Holmqvist, was a professional football player, with 27 caps (4 goals) for the Swedish national side. Daniela’s grandfather was also a golfer from Sweden, and is a Senior European Champion.

University: University of California, Berkeley, US.

College Highlights: Won Conference USA individual title as a freshman (by 10 strokes). Conference USA Freshman of the Year, State of Louisiana Freshman of the Year and Sugar Bowl Athlete of the Month. Transferred to UC Berkeley as a sophomore, where she helped the team win six NCAA-sanctioned events including the 2012 Pac-12 Championships. Named to the ”All Pac-12” team each year she was eligible (2011 and 2012). First Cal female golfer to be named Pac 12 ”Golfer of the Month” (March 2012). Never finished out of Top 5 individually at NCAA-sanctioned events during final semester at Cal, except for the West Regionals (16th) and including a victory at Anuenue Spring Break Classic at Kapalua. 2012 NCGA as well as Golfweek All-American. Holmqvist became the first female golfer from the University of California to be named the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month in March 2012.

Amateur Highlights: Is the highest ranked Swedish amateur, member of 2011 and 2012 Swedish National Team and winner of 2011 European Team Championship (7-under in final match against Spain; closed out that match on the 12^th hole). Ranked Top 20 in Golfweek’s as well as Golfstat Collegiate Rankings. Placed T3 in the 2012 British Amateur Championships stroke play part and 9^th in the match play. Won the Stockholm championships by 9 strokes at European Tour venue Bro Hof Golf Course in 2012 and set a course record 68. Selected to represent Sweden as the number one player in the 2012 World Amateur Championships. Has played 12 events in 2012, with 9 top 5 finishes and 10 top 10s.

Professional Tournament Highlights: Won the 2009 SAS Masters Volkswagen Open as an amateur. Won two European professional mini-tour events:  Skyways Open and The Chrysantemum. Was the low Amateur as well as the tournament runner-up in the 2012 Ladies Norwegian Challenge, a Ladies European Access Tournament. Added 3 top 10 finishes in the consecutive tournaments she played on the LETAS tour.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School: T17th.

Whitney Hillier

Country: Australia

Date of Birth: Dec 01, 1990 

Place of Birth: Geraldton

Turned professional: 1st January 2013

Height: 5'9'' 

Hair colour: Brown with caramel

Eye colour: Brown

Started golf: Jul 16, 1997

Greatest influence: Coach David Milne, mental coach Lawrie Montague, parents.

Hobbies/interests: beach, music, travelling, swimming.

Famous relatives: David Mould, steeplechase jockey for The Queen Mother and Marion Mould, show jumper.

Amateur record: 2012 Lake Macquarie amateur champion, 2012 Riversdale Cup Champion, 2012 Malaysian Amateur champion, 2012 Trans national stroke play champion, 2012 Espirito Santo Amateur Team Championships, Australia 3rd.

Career Highlights: 2006 St Andrews Junior Ladies Open; 2008 Australian Junior Champion; Golf Australia national team squad member.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School:T17th

Elina Nummenpaa

Country: Finland

Date of Birth: 7.9.1983

Place of Birth: Turku, Finland

Turned professional:2011

Height: 162cm

Hair colour:Blonde

Eye colour:Blue

Started golf:1996

Greatest influences: 

Hobbies/interests:Sports

Current residence: Tampere, Finland

Amateur record: Finnish Amateur Champion 2009

Career highlights:Finnish champion 2009, Lalla Aicha Tour School

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2013: T20th.

Virginia Espejo

Country: Spain

Date of Birth: June 18, 1989

Place of Birth:  Madrid

Turned professional: March 2012

Height: 174cm

Hair colour: brown

Eye colour: brown

Started golf: Aged 13

Greatest influences: First coaches ,Freddy Lilly and Miguel Carrasco and parents.

Hobbies/interests: Playing sports, listening to music and watching movies.

Current residence: Madrid.

Amateur record: Attended the University of Southern Mississippi on a golf scholarship.

Career highlights: Making it through the 2013 LET Lalla Aicha Tour school

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2013: T20th.

Sarah King

Country: Australia

Date of Birth Jun 23, 1986 

Place of Birth: Mount Gambier, South Australia 

Turned professional: Dec 31, 2011

Height: 5ft 5" 

Hair colour: Brown

Eye colour: Brown

Started golf: Jan 01, 1998

Greatest influence: Parents and Fiona Pike.

Hobbies/interests: Fitness, all sports, reading, spending time with family and friends, cycling.

Amateur record: Winner 2008 Dunes Medal, Winner 2008 Tasmanian Women's Strokeplay, Winner 2011 South Australian Amateur Championship.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School: T20th.

Cathryn Bristow

Country: New Zealand

Date of Birth Nov 14, 1984

Place of Birth: Auckland, New Zealand 

Turned professional: Jan 01, 2010 

Height: 1.7m

Colour of Hair: Dark brown 

Colour of Eyes: Hazel

Started golf: Jan 01, 1998

Greatest influence: Coach Arron Cole

Hobbies/interests: all sports, reading, movies, food, hanging with my family  

Amateur record: Competer for New Zealand at the World Amateur Team Championships, 2008: competed for NZ at the Queen Sirikit Cup, 2008, 5th place.

University: University of Oregon, USA, Psychology Degree

Career highlights: 1 win on the Futures Tour, now Symetra Tour at the Pennsylvania Classic, 2011; 1 win on the ALPG Tour, Moss Vale Pro-am, 2012.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School: T25th   

Laura Jansone

Country: Latvia

Date of Birth: Jul 24, 1988

Place of Birth: Riga, Latvia

Turned professional: Feb 01, 2011

Height: 170 cm, 5'6" 

Hair colour: Blonde

Eye colour: Green

Started golf: Jul 01, 1999

Greatest influences: Dad and Santa Puce

Hobbies/interests: Snowboarding, yoga, painting, dancing, shopping.

Famous relatives: Nils Jansons (Inline extreme rollerblading).

Amateur record: Six-time Latvian Junior Champion (2000, 2001, 2003-2006).Three-time winner of the Latvian Amateur Championship (2004, 2006, 2007).

University: East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA.

Greatest achievements: Recorded four wins in collegiate competition while at East Tennessee State University. Named the 2007 Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) Conference Freshman of the Year.

Three-time A-Sun Conference First Team selection (2007, 2008, 2010). Competed in two World Amateur Team Championships (2008, 2010).Two-time individual winner of the A-Sun Conference Women's Golf Championship (2008, 2010). Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year.

Position at Lalla Aicha Tour School: T25th