Sandrine not defending her crown

16/01/1999

DEFENDING champion Sandrine Mendiburu of France is not among the entries
submitted for the US$70,000 Kosaido Malaysian Open women's golf
championship at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club on Jan 28-30.
In her absence, Chung Il Mi of South Korea, winner of the 1998 Asian
circuit Order of Merit, will be the player to watch in the tournament.
Australian Lorraine Lambert, runnerup at last year's Open, has also
confirmed her entry. Il Mi finished third last year behind Sandrine and
Lorraine.
Irene Yeoh and Lim Siew Ai, who finished fourth and fifth in the last
edition, will shoulder Malaysia's challenge.
"Their achievements have boosted the standard of women's golf in this
country," said organising committee chairperson Tunku Jawahir at a Press
conference in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Besides Siew Ai and Irene, the other Malaysian entries include Lim Ai
Lian, who won the amateur category in 1997, Koe Lai Yin, Mary Ting, Nyana
Kalaiwani, Maritah Broberg and Datin Rahmah Arshad.
The championship, third leg of the Asian women's circuit, has attracted
85 pros and eight amateurs.
"The first and second legs will be held in Taipei and Manila
respectively while the last two will be in Jakarta and Bangkok," said
Tunku Jawahir who is also Malaysian Ladies Golf Association (MALGA)
president.
Japan will parade 36 golfers followed by the United States and South
Korea (7), Sweden (6).
Some of the top names are Tina Fischer (Germany), Lara Tadiotto
(Belgium), Mary Grace Estuesta (Philippines), Nicola Moult, Wendy Dicks
and Johanne Head (England) and Stephanie Dallongeville and Ludivine Kreutz
(France).
(END)