KUALA LUMPUR: Nine of the top 10 ranked players on the Rolex Rankings will touch down in the capital over the weekend for the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, organisers announced on Thursday.
The Asian Swing curtain-raiser, which tees off at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) next week, will feature 63 of the top 66 players on the official LPGA Money List.
The field contains no less than 18 players from last month’s thrilling Solheim Cup, including world number three Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang, Alison Lee, Morgan Pressel, Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie from the victorious Team USA while Team Europe will be represented by Sandra Gal, Charley Hull, Karine Icher, Catriona Matthew, Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist, Suzann Pettersen and Melissa Reid.
In addition, 12 players will compete at the tournament under sponsor invites on account of their valued contribution to the game over the years or the considerable promise they show for the future. Crowd favourite Christina Kim is joined by American Ryann O’Toole, Englishwoman Melissa Reid, Paula Reto of South Africa and Filipino flagbearer Jennifer Rosales, who will join Cheyenne Woods and India’s rising amateur Aditi Ashok.
The 75 player field is completed by the five strong Malaysian Angels, consisting of qualifiers Nur Durriyah Damian and Cindy Lee-Pridgen as well as Malaysia’s top three professionals on the Rolex Rankings – Kelly Tan, Michelle Koh and Ainil Johani Abu Bakar, ensuring that Malaysian fans have plenty of local talent to follow when the action starts.
Kim, O’Toole and Reto are LPGA Tour regulars but narrowly missing out on automatic qualification while Reid returns to the tournament she last played in 2011 on the back of a very strong personal performance in the Solheim Cup, where she won four matches and halved one.
“I am feeling great coming into Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, a tournament I have good memories of. I played pretty well in the Solheim Cup a few weeks ago, which has given me a lot of confidence, so I am looking forward to putting in a few good rounds of golf in Kuala Lumpur. It will be tough as every top player is there but hopefully I will do well,” said Reid.
The colourful Rosales will be making her swan-song appearance at the US$2 million tournament before retiring after next year’s Olympic Games. The 36-year-old said:
“It has been a really fun year. Obviously, knowing it is the last means I have had a different approach to it. I am playing without pressure, and doing my best to enjoy every moment, and treasure every minute of it. The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is a great tournament, with an amazing course, so I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to play there again.”
