Lexus Cup attracts a strong line up of Asian and international golfers

Contributed by Lorna Campbell

Singapore, November 6, 2008 – The final list of players who have qualified for the Lexus Cup 2008 has been announced with seven of the top-ten on the Rolex Rankings making the trip to the Singapore Island Country Club from November 28th to 30th.

Four players for Team Asia and four for Team International take their places through the Rolex Rankings and a further four from each team qualify through their position on the LPGA Official Money List (as of 2nd November).

Topping the bill for reigning champions Team Asia is number two on the Rolex Rankings Yani Tseng from Taiwan. The 19-year old rookie has had a fantastic season including the McDonald's LPGA Championship in June and will play her first LPGA event in Singapore at the end of the month.

Captain of Team Asia, Se Ri Pak feels she has her strongest team yet for the fourth edition of the Lexus Cup saying, "We are going to have a mix of youth and experience on my team this year and I am really excited to see how we will perform at the Singapore Island Country Club. The young girls have all had very strong seasons and we have a lot of champions on our side and this confidence will be a great boost to the team."

A further four Lexus Cup rookies join the Asian line-up after high ranking seasons - Inbee Park, Na Yeon Choi, Eun Hee Ji and Song Hee Kim, all from Korea.

Park sits in eighth place on the LPGA Official Money list and became the youngest player to lift the US Open trophy at 19 years old this season. Na Yeon Choi is enjoying a strong rookie season on Tour and has recorded nine top-ten finishes (as of 2nd November) and holds the number ten spot in the LPGA Official Money list to earn a place in Team Asia.

Ji won the Wegmans LPGA in June for her maiden Tour victory and her consistent performances place her in 17th position on the Rolex Rankings (as of 3rd November). A member of the Korean National Team in 2004 and 2005 before turning professional, Song Hee Kim is an experienced team player and with seven top-ten finishes on Tour this season, her 13th position on the LPGA Official Money List (as of 2nd November) gives her a chance to play alongside her fellow Asians and aim for the trophy this year.

Kim said, "I really enjoyed playing in team events when I was an amateur and I am very happy to have earned my place in the Lexus Cup this year. It will be a tough competition but I am looking forward to playing with the best players in Asia and it would be great to end the season with a win."

Candie Kung, Jeong Jang and Seon Hwa Lee take the remaining qualifying spots. Kung has competed in every Lexus Cup and played herself into contention this year after a dramatic victory in the Hana Bank KOLON Championship last weekend which lifted her into 17th position on the LPGA money list (as of 2nd November). Jang and Lee both travelled down-under for the 2007 competition in Australia and will be keen to keep up the winning streak for their team.

Team International is also boasting an impressive line-up of high performing players and have five of the top seven on the Rolex Rankings stepping out on the new course in three weeks time.

Captain Annika Sorenstam holds the number three position in the Rolex Rankings (as of 3rd November) in her final professional season on Tour and fellow Scandinavian Suzann Pettersen is just one spot behind after another impressive season with nine top-ten finishes from 21 starts (as of 2nd November). One place behind on the Rolex Rankings and sitting in second place on the LPGA Official Money List is American Paula Creamer who will make her third appearance at the Lexus Cup and is enjoying her most successful season so far.

Returning to Team International for the second time and adding their experience are Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford and Karen Stupples. Kerr was part of the 2007 team in Australia and has enjoyed a successful season with a victory at the Safeway Classic and a further 10 top-ten finishes (as of 2nd November). Winner of the Bell Micro LPGA Classic this season, Stanford played in the 2006 Lexus Cup and was a member of the victorious US Solheim Cup Team last year. She will be looking to add the Lexus Cup trophy to her collection.

Stanford said on her return to Singapore for the Lexus Cup: "Being part of a team is a very special thing in golf as we play as individuals most of the time. Team International looks very strong this year and I am proud to be part of the squad and I hope that my experience in the 2006 event will help us work as a united front to win the trophy for a second time."

Karen Stupples from England played in the inaugural event in 2005 when Team International came out on top and she has risen back up the rankings this season sitting in the top thirty on both the Rolex Rankings and LPGA Official Money List, with her best performance being tied for second at the Michelob ULTRA Open in June, just two strokes behind her captain Annika Sorenstam.

New to Team International this season is Swedish veteran Helen Alfredsson who has found her finest form to date this season and is holding the number five place on the LPGA Official Money List (as of 2nd November). Alfredsson played herself into the team for the first time with victories at the Evian Masters and again at the Grand China Air LPGA tournament at the end of October. Alfredsson has had a longer career on Tour than her fellow Swede Sorenstam, turning professional in 1992, and will bring a wealth of experience to the side.

"Helen is a fellow Swede with a wonderful professional career", said Sorenstam.

"She will be a great addition to Team International this year and is having a remarkable season with a couple of great victories along with Suzann Pettersen of Norway. This shows the strength of golf in our region and I know Team International will be left in good hands with this dearth of talent when I step away from my professional career."

Katherine Hull of Australia also makes her debut at the Lexus Cup this year with her first LPGA victory at the CN Canadian Women's Open in August propelling her up the rankings to become the top Australian player on Tour this season.

With the sponsor's and captain's picks still to be announced and the vice captain selections to be decided, the Teams for this year's Lexus Cup are set to be the most impressive yet.

"The LPGA sanctioning of the Lexus Cup and the growth in prestige of this competition all go towards attracting the top female golfers in the world and I am delighted that we will be welcoming a superb collection of Asian and International stars at the end of the month. This is our strongest line up to date so we are all looking forward to a hard-fought battle at the Singapore Island Country Club," said Vince Socco, Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning Division Toyota Motor Asia-Pacific.

Qualification Criteria
The top four available Asian players from the Rolex Rankings followed by the top four available Asian players from the LPGA Official Money List qualify for Team Asia. The same qualifying procedure is carried out for Team International. Should players not be available to play in the Lexus Cup or names are duplicated in both rankings, the next best player is picked. Once the top eight players of each team are confirmed, a further two captain's picks and two sponsor's exemptions are selected for each team.

About The Lexus Cup
The Lexus Cup 2008 is the 4th edition of an annual prestigious ladies team event pitting 12 international players against 12 leading players from Asia. The victory table stands at two for Team Asia and one for Team International. The Lexus Cup 2008 will take place in Singapore where it was first inaugurated. Team members are selected based on their rankings and season earnings, including two (2) captain's picks and two (2) sponsor's exemptions.