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Press Release
(Dec 18,2004)
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2005 will
be a big step forward for golf in China. Five professional
men's events, sanctioned by the European Tour, will be held.
The world's attention is also expected to be further drawn
to the performances of lady golfers of Asian origin in 2005.
The 2004 Best New Lady Golfer, Michelle Wie, the past winner
of both LPGA Tour Order of Merit and US Ladies Open, Se-ri
Pak, and Grace Park, who is ranked in the top five of the
2004 LPGA Tour are all of Asian origin. This has given an
enormous boost to ladies golf in Asia where it is now enjoying
rapid growth.
However, although a major part of the Asian
golfing scene, the development of ladies golf in China is
comparatively weak. Much of the reason is that Chinese lady
professional golfers lack international tournament experience.
Talented players such as Yang Hong Mei and Wang Chun only
play in the occasional international tournament. It is clear
that there will need to be much more participation of the
top Chinese lady golfers on the international golfing stage
to provide the much needed stimulus to accelerate the development
of ladies golf in China .
The Ladies Asian Golf Tour (formerly named Kosaido Ladies
Asia Golf Circuit) has been organized and chiefly sponsored
by the Kosaido Group of Japan over the past 20 years. It is
an annual tour with four events in Asia Pacific and has been
supported by many ladies golf associations in the region.
Many lady golfers from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia
and New Zealand have competed in the tour. The rapid growth
of ladies golf in Asia is, in much part, due to the great
support from such international tournaments.
Now, for the first time, one of the events on the 2005 Ladies
Asian Golf Tour will take place in China. The host venue of
the China event is WuYi Fountain Palm Golf Club which hosted
the Queen Sirikit Cup Amateur Ladies Asian Invitational Golf
Team Championship in early 2004. A "WuYi Forum"
was held by thirteen lady golf associations in the Asia Pacific
region during the championship. The forum highlighted the
concern about the limited development of women's golf in Asia.
Both the Vice Chariman of WuYi Fountain Palm Golf Club, Miss
Angela Leong, who has long been the driving force behind both
junior and ladies golf in China, and the club itself, are
giving strong support to the 2005 LAGT WuYi Championship in
January.
As a starting point of ladies golf in 2005, the WuYi Championship
will be held on Jan 20-22. The event is mainly organized by
China Golf Association and co-organized by WuYi Fountain Palm
Golf Club Jiangmen China. Over 140 lady golf professionals
will gather at WuYi China to compete in the tournament. Prize
money of USD80,000 will be on offer. China's Yang Hong Mei,
Wang Chun, Ye Li Ying, Tan Feng Ling and Lu Yue Xia, who are
among the top 10 ranking Chinese lady professionals, will
also participate the event.
(reported by WuYi Fountain Palm Golf
Club) |
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