KAREN Stupples has spoken of her excitement at joining the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour this week.

The 30-year-old, from Deal, was able to file for membership after her record-breaking win at the Welch/Fry’s Championship in Arizona.

Stupples, who set an LPGA Tour record for the lowest score at 258 (22-under par) for four rounds, needed a win on either side of the Atlantic to become eligible.

It also means she can begin earning Solheim Cup points for the 2005 matches at Crooked Stick in Indiana.

She said: “I’m very excited about becoming a member of the LET and I’m looking forward to playing in a few events this season.”

Stupples, a graduate from Florida State University, made the decision to join the LPGA Tour in 1999 because she could not afford to also join the LET.

She had to sell everything, including her furniture, to finance a life on the professional circuit.

After five years she emerged as a serious contender for titles with her best season to date coming in the 2003 LPGA during which she earned $325,744.

It led to some pundits calling for her to be included in Europe’s Solheim Cup team in 2003.

Stupples, who finished second to Annika Sorenstam in the ANZ Ladies Masters a month ago in Australia, said: “It’s been a long time coming in joining the LET.

“I would have joined the same time as I joined the LPGA but it would have cost me about £600 and, at the time, I was broke and couldn't afford it. And, until last season, The Solheim Cup was never really an issue.

“A friend gave me £8,000 when I turned professional and that allowed me to go to the USA, but I had to sell everything else, including my furniture, to make it work.”

Stupples, who won on the LPGA Tour in the company of her long-time idol Laura Davies, is now the number two ranked English player behind the legendary Davies and is strongly tipped to make the 2005 European Solheim Cup team after a string of solid performances over the last two seasons.

She said: “There’s no secret that I want to be playing Solheim Cup golf next year.

“I’ve played in two Curtis Cups and they were the pinnacle of my amateur career and, naturally, The Solheim Cup is a big goal for me.

“I’ll be trying my hardest to earn some points whenever I can and I feel my game is ready to play at that level and I also want to play a bit more in Europe.

“So far, my plans are that I’ll play the Evian Masters, the Weetabix Women’s British Open and maybe the English Open in July.”