HAIKOU, 8 Mar 2017, (HK Golfer News Wire) - “We look forward to welcoming the stars of world golf back to the tropical tourism island of Hainan for the sixth edition of the World Ladies Championship,” said Tenniel Chu, Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills Group. “Since Mission Hills created this championship back in 2012, we have been fortunate enough to count Major winners Feng Shanshan, Suzann Pettersen, Inbee Park and So Yon Ryu among our past champions. We look forward to crowning another worthy champion this year, but more importantly we will be showcasing the sport to a global audience and inspiring a new generation of golfers to take up the game.”
With Korea’s Jung-Min Lee confirmed to defend her title, which she won by a stroke last year at Mission Hills Resort Dongguan, the Ladies European Tour (LET), China LPGA Tour (CLPGA) and Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) tri-sanctioned event will feature a field of 126 players with a cut to the top 60 and ties after round two.
Other leading international players who have confirmed their participation in the three-day, 54-hole stroke play event, include the European Solheim Cup prospects Florentyna Parker and Georgia Hall from England, Isabelle Boineau and Gwladys Nocera from France, Anne Van Dam from the Netherlands, Nuria Iturrios from Spain and Danish trio Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Nicole Broch Larsen. The European contingent is joined by Supamas Sangchan from Thailand, Rebecca Artis from Australia and Jin Young Ko of South Korea, who partnered Lee to win the concurrent team event played last year at Mission Hills Dongguan.
With a 600,000 US dollar prize purse, the WLC was previously played at Mission Hills Haikou for four years before the fifth edition of the championship switched venue in 2016. As well as Lee, the list of previous champions includes So Yeon Ryu from Korea (2015), Olympic gold medallist Inbee Park from Korea (2014), Suzann Pettersen from Norway (2013) and Shanshan Feng from China (2012) – winners of 11 Majors between them.