Well-performed Europeans Gwladys Nocera and Laura Davies are among the major threats to the cast of locals competing in this week’s NSW Open, the first major tournament of the Australian Ladies Professional Golf tour.

The three-round tournament at Sydney’s Oatlands club from Friday begins a busy month, with the New Zealand Open, Ladies Masters, and the Australian and Victorian opens scheduled over the four following weeks.

France’s Nocera rejuvenated her career last year, winning twice on the Ladies European Tour (LET), finishing fourth on the money list.

She arrived in Australia on Sunday, but her clubs didn’t join her until Wednesday.

Nocera credited her former coach, Australian Ian Triggs, for helping her game over the past couple of years.

Compatriot Joanna Klatten finished in a tie for sixth in the NSW Open last year and won this month’s Yamba and Antill Park pro-ams.

She ending up 13th on the LET money list, three spots below compatriot Valentine Derrey, another of this week’s starters.

Like Nocera, Briton Davies has been a frequent supporter of the NSW Open, winning it in 2008, one of many victories in a stellar career.

Nocera, Klatten, Davies and Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson are among players from 17 nations competing this week.

Sarah Kemp has been the form Australian in the lead-up to the NSW Open, notching three runner-up finishes in the recent pro-ams. The field contains nine LET winners, including Australian Rebecca Artis.

Lindsey Wright, Stacey Keating, Bree Arthur and Australian amateur champion Minjee Lee are among the other local players to watch. Artis was the leading Australian on the Ladies European Tour last year, finishing 16th and recorded her first LET win at the Helsingborg Open in September.

“I brought Luke Edwin, my coach, across in July which was massive. It turned my season around,” Artis said.

“From July onwards, I finished top 20 in Spain in July and then I didn’t finish outside the top 10 in Europe for the rest of the year.”