Posted at 11:05 a.m., Thursday, August 30, 2007
Golf: HSBC launches women's stroke-play event
Associated Press
SINGAPORE — HSBC added an LPGA Tour-sanctioned stroke-play event to its golf lineup today, launching the HSBC Women's Champions.The tournament will be played Feb. 28 to March 2 at Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore. With a $2 million purse and $300,000 top prize, the tournament will be the richest women's golf event in Asia.
HSBC, which also sponsors the LPGA Tour's Women's World Match Play Championship in the United States, modeled the new tournament after the HSBC Champions, a men's event played in Shanghai.
LPGA Tour winners this year will qualify along with the top 30 players in the world rankings on Dec. 31, major champions in the last three years and winners of select tournaments, including the Japan Women's Open and 2008 Australian Women's Open.
Season money champions from the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association, Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, Ladies European Tour, Australian Ladies Professional Golf, Duramed Futures Tour, Ladies Asian Golf Tour and the top player from Africa also will qualify. HSBC will add two sponsor invites and a player from the host country will get a spot in the field.
