Top female professional golfers Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer could be among the field for next month's Bermuda Open at Port Royal Golf Course.

In an historic move, the Bermuda Golf Association have opened up the Island's most prestigious golfing event to women for the first time.

And the LPGA pair, along with several other high-ranking female professionals, are believed to have expressed an interest in playing in the tournament, which will see male and female professionals compete against each other off the same tees, and for the same purse.

"We will be allowing women to play, but they have to be good touring pros. There are no women's tees, so they have to be able to drive the ball 260 yards plus," said BGA president Terry West.

"But the same goes for the amateur men. The five handicap limit allows me to play, but I'm not good enough. I can't hit the ball far enough. I'm too old."

Although the prize fund of $50,000 is far less than the likes of Gulbis and Creamer are used to, the $20,000 first place prize in a front-weighted purse, along with the challenge of playing against male professionals on an equal footing, is believed to have piqued their interest.

The chance to play at Port Royal, the home of the PGA Grand Slam, is also likely to have played a part, as is the fact that while Lucas Glover won this year's Grand Slam on a shortened championship course, the Bermuda Open will be played over every one of its 6,842 yards.

"The Grand Slam didn't play the holes all the way back," said West, "they set up the course for birdies and entertainment for that. Our tournament wants to find the best golfer, so we'll play off the blacks, all the way back."

If Gulbis and Creamer do come they are likely to have plenty of competition. Bermudian Michael Sims and several other members of the Nationwide Tour are also planning to travel to the Island for the event.

And with the BGA sending out invites worldwide, there are also expected to be several entries from the other minor tours across America and Europe.

In all the BGA are hoping to attract a full field of 108 players for the tournament, which will start with a Pro-Am on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, with the main tournament running from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 and, unlike in the past, there will be no cut this year.

Originally, in an ambitious attempt to attract some of the world's best, the BGA tried to secure sponsorship for a $300,000 prize fund, but the current economic climate put paid to that. Even so, Nike and TBI are on board for this year.

And West hopes that a successful event this time around will increase the prize fund for the following year and, by doing so attract more elite golfers. Eventually he'd even like to see it necessary to have a qualifying event.

"If we had a bigger purse then attracting players wouldn't be an issue," he said, "but if we get players here with a small purse . . . It's a chiken and egg thing, mass builds class. If we can build the talent of the field, get the prize money up, then we will make it a more elite field.

"This time we'll be happy if we get 108 players, a full-field would make us happy, we have the course for five days, and Port Royal want us to use it.

"We're having an exemption style event, because we've been having calls, which I think is a good thing, asking 'do I have to qualify'.

"But as we build the talent of the field, and raise the prize fund, then we'll probably have to use qualifying. The only way we would have qualifying this year is if we get more than 108 entries."