China to host World Ladies Golf Championship in March

HAIKOU, South China - South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace, winner of the 2010 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit and China's top ranked Feng Shanshan have confirmed to participate in the World Ladies Golf Championship scheduled to take place from March 2 to 4 in Haikou, capital city of South China's Hainan Province, organizers said on Tuesday.

The World Ladies Championship, co-sanctioned by Ladies European Tour and China LPGA Tour, will adopt a unique three-in-one format, featuring 54-hole individual play, professional team play and individual amateur play. In accordance with the women's world golf rankings, two players from each of 18 countries or regions will be invited to participate in the team portion. Results will be calculated by aggregating the total points scored by each golfer. In competing against the best players in the world, the host nation China will field two teams.

Invitations for the individual category of the 108-player field are dictated by the women's world golf rankings and 2011 European Tour Order of Merit. Participants will include top-ranked players from the Ladies European Tour (LET), China LPGA Tour, Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Korean Professional Ladies Golf Association (KLPGA), Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).

With the inaugural World Ladies Championship, Mission Hills will have staged a 'grand slam' of major events in all competition formats.

"We are delighted to see the first World Ladies Championship and Mission Hills host another international event for our players. This time the stage will be larger, involving more local challengers. I believe it will definitely bring in a new era for the women's golf industry in our motherland," said Zhang Xiaoning, vice chairman and secretary general of the China Golf Association.