Sime Darby LPGA is back
Premier women’s tournament set to be staged at end of October
THE Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is back. One of the country’s premier sports events is set to take place at TPC Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 29.
That is according to a source close to the event, who spoke to TeeUp on condition of anonymity. It also flies in the face of some doom-mongers and naysayers, among them a local English daily that said the tournament would be consigned to the scrap heap.
“Contrary to what some people and sections of the media have said, the tournament is alive and well,” noted the source. “It might be early days yet, but the intense preparations will start in due course.”
TPC KL chief executive officer Steven Thielke declined to confirm nor deny that the event was indeed on, when drawn for comment.
“We’ll be making an announcement soon,” was all he gave away.
The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is among the most popular on the LPGA calendar and one that certainly generates huge interest, both localy and internationally.
It also forms part of what is known as the “Asian Swing” on the LPGA Tour. It follows events in China, South Korea and Taiwan, after which the Tour heads to Japan and then back to China.
Featured on the Tour’s lpga.com website, many a Malaysian will be relishing what should be another fascinating tournament.
The tournament is a 72-hole competition that carried prize money of US$1.8mil last year, of which the winner gets US$270,000.
The par-71 layout measured 5,687 metres in 2016, and will again host the world’s best women’s players in a no-cut tournament that wil be staged for the eighth time.
The defending champ is China’s Shanshan Feng, who is also the only player to clinch the title twice, having also won it in 2014.
The eighth edition of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is also expected to again see the tournament collaborate with Cancer Research Malaysia, in line with the event falling at the end of the official Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The collaboration has had a direct impact on the improvement in outcome for Malaysian cancer patients, with more than RM2.5mil raised since the tournament started and of which over 90% has been channeled directly into cancer research.
To help raise awareness, the event will stage its Pink Saturday when the players, officials and fans are encouraged to wear pink to raise support for breast cancer awareness.