Beijing, China, July 8, 2008 – The China Golf Association (CGA), Grand China Air and IMG today announced that the inaugural Grand China Air LPGA will be headlined by Rolex Rankings world number two Annika Sorenstam and the sixth-ranked Tseng Yani, two of the highest-profile stars in international women's golf.

 

To be played from October 24-26 at Hainan West Coast Golf Club in Haikou, the capital of the island province of Hainan, the tournament will feature 63 of the world's best players competing for US$1.8 million.

 

It will be the first time the LPGA has staged an event in China, one of the world's fastest-growing golfing markets, and will be the richest tournament on the LPGA's annual end-of-year Asian swing.

 

The stars of the show are sure to be the dominant Sorenstam from Sweden and rising star Tseng. Appropriately for the landmark event, the Swede, tagged by Tiger Woods as the 'greatest female player of all time' earlier this year, will journey to China as part of her final season of competitive golf.

 

Having nearly 90 career victories world-wide since 1992, the 37-year-old announced in May that this season would be her swansong on the LPGA Tour. However, she is planning to go out on top, having already notched three victories so far in 2008, and is focused on winning the inaugural Grand China Air LPGA trophy.

 

Said Sorenstam: "Having visited China several times as part of my course-design business, I believe the Grand China Air LPGA will be a major milestone for the LPGA, taking elite women's golf to one of the world's most dynamic countries."

 

"The players are all very excited about being among the first group to visit this fascinating place for an LPGA tournament and to have the chance to be the first champion of an event that in years to come could be one of the biggest we have on Tour," added the winner of more than US$22 million in career earnings.

 

Just some of Sorenstam's outstanding achievements include being the only woman to shoot 59 in a professional event, completing the LPGA career Grand Slam amongst her 10 Major victories and being the first female in almost 60 years to play on the PGA Tour back in 2003. However, she feels a Grand China Air LPGA win would be one to stand out.

"I have been fortunate to enjoy many wonderful experiences in my time with the LPGA, from great victories through to travelling to all corners of the world. However, as I look back on my career in a few years' time, there is no doubt that a victory at the first LPGA tournament to be played in China would be a very special memory," added Sorenstam, currently in second place on the LPGA's Official Money List.

 

Meanwhile, Tseng, despite her youth at just 19 years of age, will be far from overawed at the prospect of joining Sorenstam in the elite Grand China Air LPGA field.

 

The second-year professional from Chinese Taipei graduated from a decorated international amateur career in style this year when she became the first LPGA rookie in 10 years to claim a Major, and also the first Chinese player winning an LPGA major.

 

Currently sixth on the LPGA Official Money List, Tseng has had a barnstorming start to her professional career. Victories on both the Asian Ladies Golf Tour and the CN Canadian Women's Tour last season, her first as a professional, were followed by a sixth-place finish at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn exempt status for 2008.

 

Three top-10s, including two runner-up finishes, in her first six events got Tseng's LPGA career off to a fast start, before her breakthrough victory at the LPGA Championship in June.

 

Said Tseng: "Winning the McDonald's LPGA Championship was a dream come true and something I could never have imagined would be possible in my first season in the United States. I have learned what it takes to compete at the highest level and, through the Grand China Air LPGA, China's young female professionals will have the same chance in October." "The Grand China Air LPGA will be a major step in the development of professional women's golf in China and Asia and I am very proud to be taking part later this year,"said Tseng.

 

Mr Zhu Yimin, President of Grand China Air said: "We are thrilled to announce that Annika and Yani are committed to play the Grand China Air LPGA. This event is going to be a groundbreaking step for women's golf in China and to have both the greatest women player in the game's history and one of Asia's rising young stars in our field is testament to its standing.

 

"Thanks to the efforts of players such as Annika and Yani, women's golf continues to go from strength to strength and that is exactly what we have in mind for our airline. We believe this event will be an ideal platform for us to share our name with the world, something we will be delighted to show off when we fly the players into Haikou."

Whilst confirming the attendance of Sorenstam and Tseng, tournament organisers confirmed that premium brands Sheraton Haikou Resort and TaylorMade-adidas have signed as official co-sponsors for the Grand China Air LPGA. Illustrating the international standing of the event, they will fill the categories of Official Hotel and Official Equipment, Balls, Apparel & Shoes respectively in supporting China's first LPGA tournament.

 

Mr. Zhang Xiaoning, Director of Multi-Ball Games Centre of the State Sports General Administration, Deputy President and Secretary General of the China Golf Association (CGA), added: "One of the exciting aspects of this tournament for the CGA is the opportunity to promote women's golf and for our young players to learn from the best players in the world.

 

"To have the chance to watch and compete against the likes of Annika Sorenstam and Tseng Yani along with more than 50 other LPGA players will be an outstanding experience for them and can only help in the growth of women's golf in China," said Zhang.

 

Added Robbie Henchman, IMG Senior Vice President, Director of Golf, Asia: "Creating a dynamic new event with the Grand China Air LPGA alongside our partners at Grand China Air, the CGA and the LPGA has been very exciting. With the confirmation that both Annika and Yani will play in the tournament we are very confident of delivering an outstanding new event for women's golf in Asia and one that meets Grand China Air's goal of building their international profile."

 

Mr Wang Wei, Chairman of the Hainan West Coast Golf Club said: "With players such as Annika Sorenstam and Tseng Yani participating, the Grand China Air LPGA will bring the international spotlight to Hainan and the Hainan West Coast Golf Club. We are looking forward to welcoming the players to our club and helping stage an event worthy of the LPGA's first visit to China."

 

The player field for the inaugural Grand China Air LPGA will be made up of the leading 51 available players on the LPGA Official Money List as of September 28, 2008, plus eight Chinese professionals and four invitations.

 

Grand China Air are a subsidiary of the HNA Group, one of the four largest airline companies in China and offering the best quality airline service, and have the goal of becoming a world-class brand.

 

Showcasing the world's best female golfers at the Grand China Air LPGA will be the Hainan West Coast Golf Club, located on the western side of Haikou city; the Club opened three years ago, features fresh breezes from the South China Sea with the city as a spectacular backdrop.

 

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Media Enquiries

 

brandRapport Damien McDowell Media Services Manager T: +852 2815 9876 F: +852 2815 9866 E: dmcdowell@brand-rapport.com	IMG John Cappo Senior VP / Managing Director, China Golf T: +86 21 5405 1222 Ext 854 F: +86 21 5405 1833 E: john.cappo@imgworld.com
LPGA Dana Gross-Rhode Sr. Media Relations Coordinator T: +1 386 274 6273 F: +1 386 274 1099 E: dana.grossrhode@lpga.com

 

Notes To Editors

 

About Grand China Air and HNA Group

Grand China Air is a subsidiary of HNA Group, one of the four largest airline companies in China, and is the flagship company of its aviation business. Grand China Air employs modern management structure with a goal of becoming an international airline brand.

 

HNA Group's main business is air transportation, with other operational areas including airport management, travel service, logistics, hotel management, retail business, financial service. HNA being in the top 500 enterprises for six consecutive years has 70 billions RMB in asset, employing over 36,000 staff.  

 

HNA Group's aviation companies have over 150 fleets, providing close to 3000 flights a week and 20 million trips per year. HNA Group received multiple awards including "Golden Eagle Cupsince its establishment, and received "Passengers Satisfaction Service" award for nine consecutive years, and "Flight Punctuality"award for eight consecutive years.   

 

About the China Golf Association

Established on May 23, 1985, the China Golf Association's goal is to develop golf in the country by increasing golf penetration and professional skills in China. CGA has been active in communicating and working with other golf associations and organizations globally. CGA is currently made up of nine working committees in the following areas: Rules and Competition, Professional Golfers, Amateur Golfers, Junior Golfers, Women Golfers, Senior Citizens, Handicap System Administration, Public Relations and Development and Course Management.

 

About the Ladies Professional Golf Association

As the longest-running women's professional sports organization in the world, the LPGA features a membership comprised of world-class LPGA Tour professionals and dedicated Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP).  Today's LPGA Tour features the most talented global sampling of professional athletes competing in 36 events in 10 countries with total prize money of more than $62 million. In addition to its dynamic Tour members, nearly 1,200 certified T&CP members serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions, and oversee programs aimed at increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf.  The not-for-profit LPGA's Vision is to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the best golf professionals in the world.  Its Mission is to be a leader in the world of sports, to promote economic empowerment for all members, and to serve as role models on and off the course. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.

 

About IMG

IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports & Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs more than 2,600 people in 30 countries. Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.

 

IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In addition, IMG Academies is the world's largest and most advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult and professional athletes each year.

 

IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how audiences access and interact with content.

 

IMG Media produces and distributes over 11,000 hours of sports, documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually, over multiple platforms across 220 countries, including award-winning television and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage.

 

More information about IMG is available at www.imgworld.com.