Kuala Lumpur: The final field of 75 players who will participate in the prestigious Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia has been confirmed with announcement of the sponsor exemptions on Wednesday.
England’s rising star Charley Hull and LPGA rookie Xiyu Lin of China will join the fifth edition of the tournament when it gets underway at East Course of Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club on October 9.
Starts are also being awarded to two South East Asian professionals, namely Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and seasoned Filipino professional Jennifer Rosales as well as crowd-pleaser Natalie Gulbis, who is one of game’s most widely-recognised face.
Speaking on her sponsor invite, Hull said, “I am delighted to be invited back to the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. I played the tournament for the first time last year and it was certainly a great experience to go up against such a strong field. I found the conditions challenging so I will need to manage that but I’m looking forward to playing there again and I am very grateful to Sime Darby for the opportunity,” said the 18-year-old, who was the Ladies European Tour (LET) Rookie of the Year in 2013.
Jutanugarn returns as a professional to the tournament where she was the best placed amateur in 2012. Returning from injury, she will be looking to make her mark as a professional in Kuala Lumpur in 2014.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. It’s a fantastic tournament which brings back many happy memories for me. The course isn’t the longest but ball placement is so important – I’ll be giving it my best shot. Thank you to Sime Darby and I look forward to getting back on the greens at KLGCC next week,” said Jutanugarn.
The 2014 field of 75 boasts eight of the world’s top ten professional golfers with 43 of the top 50 from the LPGA Tour Official Money List being represented. Notable absentees include American startlet Michelle Wie, who is still nursing a hand injury as well as world number two and 2012 champion Park Inbee, who misses due to upcoming wedding.
