Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club – East Course
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
October 11, 2011
Pre-tournament notes and interviews
Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1
Suzann Pettersen, Rolex Rankings No. 2
Cristie Kerr, Rolex Rankings No. 3
Paula Creamer, Rolex Rankings No. 9
Jimin Kang, Rolex Rankings No. 50
The LPGA will continue its Asian swing this week with second annual Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s East Course in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng, who won the LPGA HanaBank Championship last week, headlines the star-studded field of 72 players who will be competing for a $1.9 million purse and $285,000 first-place prize. Joining Tseng in the field will be Rolex Rankings No. 2 Suzann Pettersen and defending champion Jimin Kang. Overall, nine of the top 10 players in the Rolex Rankings and 43 of the top 50 on the LPGA’s Official Money List are in action this week.
The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is the second of three consecutive events in Asia, following the LPGA Hana Bank Championship in Korea and preceding the inaugural Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship 2011.
Stars come out in support of Sime Darby: Tuesday’s tournament-opening press conference featured the top 10 players on the 2011 LPGA Official Money List along with defending champion Jimin Kang. And getting all 11 players together on one stage for a press conference was a feat not overlooked by the tournament organizers.
The 11 players that attended the press conference were Kang, Yani Tseng, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Suzann Pettersen, Brittany Lincicome, Angela Stanford, Na Yeon Choi, Ai Miyazato, Paula Creamer and Karrie Webb. In all, the players at the press conference have combined for 102 career wins, including 14 wins this season.
Tseng-senational: Yani Tseng continues to add more accolades to her dominating season so far in 2011. Her win at last week’s LPGA HanaBank Championship was her sixth LPGA victory of the season and her ninth win worldwide this year.
Tseng has held the No. 1 position in the Rolex Rankings for 34 consecutive weeks and she is poised to sweep the year-end LPGA awards. She currently holds the lead in the Rolex Player of the Year race (which she also won in 2010), the contest for the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average and the LPGA money list.
Statistically Tseng ranks first in seven different categories including wins, birdies, rounds under par, rounds in the 60s, top-10 finishes, greens in regulation, scoring and driving distance. She also ranks tied for third in eagles and fourth in putts per green in regulation and became the youngest player, male or female, to win five major titles in August at the RICOH Women’s British Open. Overall it’s been a year to remember for Tseng.
Other players were asked at Wednesday’s press conference about Tseng’s domination so far this season.
“Yani has been a phenomenal No. 1 and she keeps pushing the limits every week,” said Suzann Pettersen, who is currently second in the Rolex Rankings. “Hats off, she is playing fantastic and it makes us work even harder.”
