Half of the world’s top-10 players will hit the fairways of Royal Canberra Golf Club with more entrants for the Women’s Australian Open announced on Tuesday.

Norway’s world No.6 Suzann Pettersen, No.7 So Yeon Ryu, the 2011 US Open Champion, and South Korean’s two-time British Open winner Jiyai Shin (No.8) will join top-ranked Yani Tseng and Stacy Lewis (No.3) in what organisers are describing as one of the strongest fields assembled.

Briton Laura Davies returns hunting a third Australian Open trophy while 17-year-old American Lexi Thompson will be shooting for her second LPGA Tour title at the event which starts on February 14.

Teen defending champion Jessica Korda, whose tennis-playing father Petr won the Australian Open in 1998, won’t be the only sporting royalty, with Tiger Woods’ niece Cheyenne featuring.

Australian hall-of-famer Karrie Webb will also headline along with American star Michelle Wie and teen sensation 15-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand – the world’s top-ranked amateur and the youngest winner of a LPGA Tour event.

Ko, who shot to fame when she won the NSW Open last year as a 14-year-old, went on to win the US Women’s Amateur tournament.

The victory gave her entry to the Canadian Open where she become the first amateur to win a LPGA tour event in 43 years at just 15 years of age.

Tournament Director Trevor Herden said the addition of three more top players made it among the strongest Open fields in history.

“Having half of the top 10 players in the world in Canberra is a fantastic opportunity for golf fans,” he said.

“With players like Yani, Stacy, Karrie, Michelle, Suzann and Laura in the field, we’re in for an action-packed week in our capital.”