Kuala Lumpur: The second edition of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia continues to attract a stellar cast with top American stars Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie the latest among high ranking LPGA players to confirm their return to the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s East course this October 13 -16.
Kerr and crowd favourite Wie will look to improve on their performance after a successful maiden appearance last year and will look to end their title-less run on the LPGA Tour this year with a resounding win at the US$1.9 million tournament.
Currently the highest ranked American on Women’s World Golf Rankings in second place, Kerr continues to set the standard for her much younger compatriots and is looking forward to better her eighth placing last year, when she finished six shots behind winner Jimin Kang.
“I am extremely pleased to confirm that I will once again be playing in Malaysia in October. I had a pretty good tournament last year but will definitely be looking to improve this year. I was particularly moved by the tournament’s association with the Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation (CARIF) charity and its support of breast cancer awareness. This is a cause that is particularly close to my heart and one which I am always keen to support whenever I can,” said Kerr.
Wie, who has continued to walk a tight rope this year, balancing her time between school and tour commitments is aiming to top the standings this time around after finishing tied 32nd alongside Malaysia’s promising star Kelly Tan and seven others.
“I am really looking forward to be back in Malaysia this year. I felt so welcome last year when I arrived for the tournament, and I am honoured to be the honorary member of KLGCC and to stay in one of Sime Darby Property’s homes at Turnberry Villas during the tournament. Last year’s tournament was very exciting and I hope I can be at the top of the leader board on the final day, she said ahead of her defence of CN Canadian Open.
“This year, we are delighted that the tournament continues to attract world ranking players such as Michelle and Cristie. The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is a world-class golf tournament and bringing in the best players every year is an important part of maintaining that status,” said Dato’ Wahab Maskan, Group Chief Operating Officer of Sime Darby Berhad and Managing Director of Sime Darby Property.
In the run-up to the tournament, a two-day qualifier will be conducted from September 6-7 at KLGCC, open to all female professional or amateur golfers with a handicap of 2.0 or less.
The qualifying tournament will see players from The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong slug it out for the top two spots, which will guarantee them berths at the event proper. In keeping with Sime Darby’s desire to promote ladies golf in the country, the top two ranked Malaysian players in the qualifier will also receive invitations to play in October extravaganza.
