All set for Sunningdale

Sophie Gustafson is the defending Open champion

By BBC golf correspondent Tony Adamson

The award of "Major" status to the Weetabix Women's British Open is a boost to the beleaguered European Tour.

It was also a dream come true for Weetabix chairman and managing Director, Sir Richard George, when the British Open was declared one of the "Big Four" alongside the Nabisco Championship, the McDonalds LPGA Championship, and the Women's US Open.

This week's event at Sunningdale promises to be the most glamorous women's golf tournament ever staged in Europe, as well as the most traditional and prestigious.

For Woods read Webb

Total prize money has risen to more than £1m and for the first time BBC Television pictures will be beamed live to America and will not be affected by competition for media space from the USPGA Championship.

Competition on the course will be fierce, not least between the world's top two players, Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, and the Australian Karrie Webb.

Sorenstam, who is yet to win a British Open, hit the headlines in March when she carded a second round 59 in the Standard Register Ping event, one of her five victories in 10 starts at the beginning of the season.

Webb is known as the Tiger Woods of the LPGA tour.

One of only five players to win the career Grand Slam of all four major championships, Webb could prove to be the greatest female player in history of the sport.

Encouraged to take up golf after watching Greg Norman at the New South Wales Open in 1986, Webb's maiden victory was at the Women's British Open at Woburn in 1995 and she became a double winner of the event at Sunningdale two years later.

The "Major" tag has encouraged an increased number of Americans to Sunningdale.

They will hope to emulate Sherri Steinhauer's back to back victories in 1998 and 1999, whilst gaining some revenge for their shock defeat on the soggy banks of Loch Lomond last year.

Davies is back in the swing

If history is any guide, there is little point in putting your shirt on a British victory - Penny Grice-Whittaker was the last home-grown champion in 1991.

The evergreen Laura Davies, however, is enjoying a revival in form having endured a slump of over a year without a victory.

She described her win in the LPGA Rochester International in June as "the most important of my entire career".

Davies, who won the British Open in 1986, has long regarded the event as a Major and Sunningdale should hold no fears for the 37-year-old.

Scotland also provides a strong challenge in the shape of Catriona Matthew, Janice Moodie, Mhairi McKay and Kathryn Marshall, all of whom are ranked in the top 50 in America.

Sweden's Sophie Gustafson will have to reproduce her best to retain the title won so magnificently at Royal Birkdale last year.