|
Kraft Nabisco Champion Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Defending Champion Annika Sorenstam Are First To Qualify For Samsung World Championship, Oct. 6-12, At The Woodlands Event features top 20 women golfers in the world Contact Toby Zwikel/Steve Brener/Fred Robledo THE WOODLANDS, Texas (April 1, 2003) - Patricia Meunier-Lebouc of France, winner of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first LPGA major championship of 2003, and Annika Sorenstam are the first players to qualify for the Samsung World Championship. Sorenstam, the Kraft Nabisco runner-up, qualified as the Samsung World Championship defending champion, as well as the 2002 LPGA leading money winner, and 2002 Vare Trophy (low scoring average) winner. The Samsung World Championship will be played Oct. 6-12 for the first time at The Tournament Players Course (TPC') at The Woodlands. The 72-hole championship is an officially-sanctioned LPGA Tour event featuring 20 of the top women players in the world. It is a world-wide event which has been contested on five continents in its rich 22-year history. It carries an $800,000 purse and will be broadcast on national sports cable and network television. The elite-field championship pays $167,500 to the winner. In 2002, Sorenstam broke the Championship scoring record by shooting a 22-under par 266 at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, Calif., to defeat Cristie Kerr by six strokes (also a new championship record). The 30-year-old Meunier-Lebouc owns two LPGA titles, after five victories in Europe between 1994 and 2000. In winning the first major championship of the season, Meunier-Lebouc pushed her season earnings to $299,046, which places her at the top of the money list. "Winning my first major championship was an achievement," Meunier-Lebouc said after her one-stroke victory over Sorenstam in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. "It hasn't fully hit me. And now I find out this gets me into the Samsung Championship. This is wonderful for me." Meunier-Lebouc, the first Frenchwoman to win a major since Catherine LaCoste in 1967, also is the early leader over Sorenstam in the Rolex Player of the Year race. "Annika is such a great player, and I got to play with her all four days," Meunier-Lebouc said. "She hits so many great shots, but she makes mistakes, just like the rest of us, too. I learned from playing with her, that I can't control her. I just have to play my game and have fun." Sorenstam, who is looking forward to defending her Samsung Championship title, said Meunier-Lebouc's victory wasn't a fluke. "She is a very good player," Sorenstam said. "She isn't afraid of a challenge. I think she will be a factor in many tournaments this year." Sorenstam, while disappointed she didn't win the first major of the year, is pleased by her progress. "I have finished third and second, so I am giving myself chances to win," she said. "Of course you would like to win every time you defend a title, but that is unrealistic. My game is in good shape. I have never played at The Woodlands, but the Samsung World Championship is one of my titles and I want to win it again." Sorenstam is coming off a season that was one of the greatest single-year performances in the history of golf. Her accomplishments included:
The Samsung World Championship field is composed of the winners of the four LPGA major championships - the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women's Open, and the Weetabix Women's British Open - as well as the 2002 Vare Trophy winner (lowest scoring average), the defending champion and the LPGA Tour's leading money winners from 2002 and the current year. Additional positions in the field are awarded by a selection committee to the leading international players from the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Japanese Tour (JLPGA) and the Korean Tour (KLPGA). Rounding out the field are other leading money winners from the LPGA Tour's current year. Past winners of the Championship include some of the world's finest players - Beth Daniel (1980, OE81 and OE94), JoAnne Carner (1982, OE83), Nancy Lopez (1984), Amy Alcott (1985), Pat Bradley (1986), Ayako Okamoto (1987), Rosie Jones (1988), Betsy King (1989), Cathy Gerring (1990), Meg Mallon (1991), Dottie Pepper (1993), Se Ri Pak (1999), Juli Inkster (1997, '98 & 2000), Dorothy Delasin (2001) and Sorenstam (1995, '96 and 2002). The talented field will be thoroughly tested at the TPC' at The Woodlands, a par-72 course that measures 7,018 yards from the back tees. TPC' at The Woodlands, which had been the home of the PGA TOUR's Shell Houston Open for the past 17 years, is a picturesque course that places a premium on hitting fairways. The two closing holes on the layout rank among the top-four toughest holes in the state of Texas. For sponsorship, volunteer or general information about the Samsung World Championship, call the championship office, locally at 281-419-4141 or toll free at 1-888-345-LPGA (5742). Or visit the championship website at golf.Samsung.com. Tickets will go on sale soon to the general public. About Samsung Samsung believes in the ability of sports to unite and uplift the human spirit. As an active corporate sponsor, Samsung has passionately supported amateur and professional sporting events, programs, teams, and athletes in Korea and throughout the world. The company extended its commitment to sports by becoming a worldwide Olympic partner in Nagano (1998), Sydney (2000) and the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. Samsung is a world leader in electronics, finance, trade and services. Headquartered in Korea, Samsung operates more than 307 overseas operations in 60 different countries. The company employs approximately 170,000 people worldwide, with 2001 estimated combined sales of US $94 billion. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. About The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center Nestled in pristine woods 27 miles north of Houston and just 20 minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center is an award-winning, multi-faceted resort that features 490 deluxe rooms and suites, unique restaurants and lounges, plus more than 60,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including 32 dedicated meeting rooms. Recreational activities are highlighted by the new Forest Oasis Waterscape(tm), two additional pools, a full service spa and fitness center as well as six golf courses. For further information, contact The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center: 2301 North Millbend Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380; Telephone: 800-433-2624; Fax: 281-364-6299; Web site: www.woodlandsresort.com. About The Woodlands The Woodlands is a 27,000-acre forested community where people live, work, play, and learn as families and companies. Located 27 miles north of downtown Houston on I-45, it encompasses seven residential villages with an eighth now in development, three commercial centers, a resort and conference center, a luxury hotel and convention center, hospitals and health care facilities, and exceptional shopping, dining, entertainment, and recreational amenities. More than 70,000 people live in The Woodlands, and 30,000 people work in the community. The Woodlands is a project of The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P., a Crescent Real Estate Equities and Morgan Stanley limited partnership. For more information, visit www.thewoodlands.com, or call 1-888-504-5050. |