Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer in Asia’s National Costumes

22 February 2011, Singapore –  So you’re wondering what does national costumes from Korea and Japan have to do with women golfers.  At the press conference to launch the HSBC Women’s Champions 2011 tournament, currently ranked first on the Rolex Rankings Yani Tseng, defending champion Ai Miyazato, Jiyai Shin, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie were present.

Michelle Wie surprised the audience in a Korean Hanbok – a traditional Korean dress which is made of natural dyes and often worn during traditional festivals and celebrations such as weddings and birthdays.

21 year old Michelle first played golf at the age of four and started her LPGA Tour in 2009 where she finished 10th on the Rolex Rankings becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational along with posting seven additional top-ten finishes from 19 events and helping lead the US team to a Solheim Cup win.

Last year, she won her second-career LPGA Tour victory at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and narrowly missed out on clinching the P&G NW Arkansas Championship where she finished second.  At the Tres Marias Championship, she came in third, tied fifth at the Sybase Match Play Championship and tied for 6th at the Kia Classic Presented by J Golf.

She is studying at Stanford University and has a keen interest in fashion.  She has only worn the hanbok a couple of times in her life but it is still a huge part of her family heritage.

Californian Paula Creamer was dressed in the Japanese Furisode. The Furisode is the most formal kimono for the young, unmarried women of Japan.  Worn for various types of formal affairs, women are often see dressed up in these Furisodes for New Year, coming-of-age ceremony, college graduation parties, wedding ceremonies and receptions.

The furisode is made of very fine and brightly coloured silk fabric embroidered with gold and silver threads.  The most common motifs are flower patterns and comes with its easily distinguishable long sleeves, which averages between 39 to 42 inches in length.

The HSBC Women’s Champions tees off from 24 to 27 February 2011 at the Garden Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.  63 of the world’s top female golfers including all of the 2010 major champions and all of last year’s LPGA tournament winners will battle it out over 72 holes of individual stroke play.  This tournament is sactioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and will offer a purse of US$1.4 million.

Retired golfer Lorena Ochoa lifted the inaugural trophy in Singapore in 2008 with an outstanding final score of 20 under – 11 shots ahead of her closest challenger.

Jiyai Shin had a phenomenal rookie season with her victory at the HSBC Women’s Champions 2009, kick-starting a winning season which she ended at the top of the Official Money List.

Ai Miyazato, who won last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions after defeating Cristie Kerr by two strokes, became the first player in 44 years to open a LPGA Tour Season with two consecutive wins after also claiming the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand 2010.

 

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