Pic: Na Yeon Choi from South Korea
THE foxy ladies are back in town, but they will chuck their branded hand-bags aside in exchange for bulky golf bags for the third edition of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia which begins on Thursday.
The best player in the world Yani Tseng of Taiwan, Sime Darby defending champion Na Yeon Choi from South Korea, Stacy Lewis of the United states and Shanshan Feng from China will be among the players vying for the top purse in the US1.9 million event.
As for Malaysia, the wild cards will be in the form of Ainil Johani and Jean Chua who will be aiming to make the mid- way cut at least.
Jean is a member on the LPGA’s developmental Symetra Tour and has been in consistent form, missing just one cut in her last 13 events coupled with four top-10 finishes.
Ainil turned professional last year and has made a strong impression as she ended joint 12th at last year’s US$300,000 Women’s India Open, a Ladies European Tour (LET) event.
“We are delighted that through our sponsorship of this world class event we are able to further promote and develop the sport, not just in Malaysia, but around Asia as well,” said governing council member of Sime Darby tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan.
In a historic forst for the tournament, it will see all four of the year’s major winners battle at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
The quartet of Yoo Sun Young (Kraft Nabisco Cham pionship), Feng (LPGA Championship), Choi (US Open) and Shin Jiyai (British Open) are part of the 72-woman field, which comprises the top-62 players on the LPGA Tour and 10 sponsors invites.
A portly Shanshan, world No 3, summed up the Asian revolution in the ladies circuit: “The competition is very keen in China even though ladies golf is still at its infancy. I would like to make an impression like our tennis star Li Na who won the French Open and opened up tennis in my country.
“I am not comparing myself to her, but she is my idol and I would like to do what she did to tennis in my country by winning more events,” said Shanshan.
In the 2012 Wegmans LPGA Championship, the 23-year- old outclassed world No 2 Stacy Lewis, Karrie Webb and Mika Miyazato to emerge as the first player from China to win an LPGA Major Championship.
It also made her the first player from China, male or female, to win a Major.
South Korean Choi won the 2011 edition with 15-under 269 (66-68-67-68) and said she aims to enjoy the support from the legion of Korean and Malaysian fans.
“It is really exciting to be back, and KLGCC was very exciting last year with many fans from Malaysia and Korea behind my game.
“I enjoyed every moment and hopefully my small golf (hole- by-hole) will be good as well,” said the champion.
