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| World No.7 Suzann Pettersen |
Feng Shanshan, Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen and Carlota Ciganda Line Up for Mission Hills Haikou Showdown
The World Ladies Championship will showcase a first class international field when the tournament returns to Mission Hills Haikou from 7 to 10 March 2013.
Inbee Park (South Korea), Shanshan Feng (China) and Suzann Pettersen (Norway), ranked world no. 4, 5 and 7 on the Rolex World Rankings (18 Feb ’13) respectively, will be joined by Britain’s all-time great Laura Davies and 2012 Ladies European Tour ISPS Handa Order of Merit leader Carlota Ciganda from Spain in a truly international field at the US$ 600,000 purse event.
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The LET and CLPGA Tour sanctioned event will feature a field of 108 players from both tours as well as players from the LPGA tours of the U.S., Korea and Japan. Other leading international players to confirm their participation in the event, which will award Women’s World Golf Rankings points, include South African Lee-Anne Pace, Anne Lise Caudal from France, Scotland’s Carly Booth, Melissa Reid from England and Ha-Neul Kim from Korea.
The four day tournament will be played on Mission Hills’ Sandbelt Trails Course and will once again feature a unique 3-in-1 format consisting of an Individual Professional Competition played over 72-holes; a 72 hole Professional Team Competition in which the scores of the top two players from 18 countries represented will be combined to determine the winning team, with China as host nation fielding two teams; and a 72-hole stroke-play Individual Amateur Competition.
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| Shanshan Feng |
Speaking ahead of her first tournament at Mission Hills • Haikou, World No. 6 from Norway, Suzann Pettersen said: “One of the reasons I decided to play was because I wanted to the see place. I’ve heard great things and I am looking forward to meeting new fans and seeing the course. It’s always great to play a new event!”
“I’ve been working hard in all aspects of the game this winter and will prepare the same way as I always do which is to win tournaments. It will be nice to get started and get into a competitive mode against an exciting field,” she added.
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| Inbee Park |
World No.4 Inbee Park added, “I’m looking forward to coming to Mission Hills • Haikou. I’ve never been but have heard lots about it. It’ll also be exciting to play in both a team event as well as the individual competition so am looking forward to teaming up with my compatriot Ha Neul Kim and will hopefully provide some good competition for China and the other countries represented.”
The Ladies European Tour’s 2012 ISPS Handa Order of Merit winner Carlota Ciganda, added, “I have great memories from China and hopefully after this event they will be even better! I’d love to end the week at the top and will try my very try my best with the chances I get. I’m particularly looking forward to competing as a Team as well and hope that events like this will boost my chances of playing in this year’s Solheim Cup.”
Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group commented, “We’re delighted to welcome these golfers to Mission Hills for the World Ladies Championship. Last year’s tournament provided us with a good platform to build from but the addition of a number of the world’s top-ten ranked players will certainly take the tournament to a new level for players and spectators alike. We look forward to welcoming the international golfing community back to Mission Hills for what will undoubtedly be another showcase tournament.”
To further promote ladies’ golf in China, Mission Hills will be launching an amateur ladies’ golf tournament to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March. The Modern Lady Charity Invitational will boast a field of 96 successful business women and elite ladies from China who will compete in both a Stableford Team and Individual competition, with proceeds from the event donated to help under privileged children in Hainan.
About Mission Hills Group
Mission Hills Group (www.missionhillschina.com), owner and operator of Mission Hills Shenzhen, Mission Hills Dongguan and Mission Hills Hainan, is the pioneer in China’s fledgling hospitality, sports and leisure industry.
Mission Hills, recognized as the leading golf brand in the world and synonymous with high-end, luxurious residences of rare and exquisite design, has created two world-class leisure and wellness resorts. It has held more than 100 international tournaments, including the 1995 World Cup of Golf and the Tiger Woods China Challenge in 2001. In 2007, Mission Hills began its role as host of an unprecedented 12 editions of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.
Mission Hills Hainan
Mission Hills Hainan lies in the volcanic region of exotic Hainan Island, China. The resort sets a new standard in leisure, recreation and wellness experiences. Nestled amid lush, green gardens, it caters to golf enthusiasts and features 10 acclaimed golf courses, each designed by American Brian Curley of Schmidt-Curley Design. Other state-of-the-art features include 518 elegantly designed guest rooms and suites, a three-story clubhouse, China’s first Hank Haney Golf Academy, meeting facilities, 12 world-class restaurants, a fully-equipped sports and recreation center, Hainan’s only aquatic theme park, therapeutic volcanic mineral springs, a spa oasis, and shopping arcade.
Mission Hills Hainan’s Blackstone Course hosted the inaugural Mission Hills Star Trophy in October 2010, a ground-breaking celebrity pro-am golf tournament for Asia, and the 56th World Cup of Golf in November 2011. A magnificent addition to Hainan’s tropical island paradise, Mission Hills Hainan is poised to become the island’s premier sanctuary, attracting visitors from around the globe.
Getting There: Mission Hills Hainan is 15 minutes from Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK). Flights from major cities throughout Asia — including Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore — to Haikou are available.
