Waterloo – Three more top players on the LPGA Tour join the field for the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic at Grey Silo Golf Course, June 4 to 8.
Joining previously announced No. 2 ranked Stacy Lewis, and No. 3 ranked Lydia Ko, is the number one player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Inbee Park. Park is a nine-time winner on the LPGA Tour, and first player in the modern era to win the first three major championships of the season (Kraft Nabisco Championship, Wegmans LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open) in 2013. Park was awarded Rolex Player of the Year in 2013, becoming the first South Korean in LPGA Tour history to hold this title. Park won the money title for the second-consecutive year and became just the second player in history to earn at least $2 million in back-to-back seasons.
Suzann Pettersen, the fourth-ranked player in the Women’s Rolex Golf Rankings, has won 14 tournaments as a professional, on the LPGA Tour. She is coming off an extremely strong performance in the 2013 season, notching four LPGA victories, including her second-career major championship at The Evian Championship. The Oslo, Norway native is currently in her 11th season on the LPGA Tour and is currently the highest ranked European player in the world.
Anna Nordqvist also joins the field for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. In 2013, Nordqvist recorded five top-10 finishes, and crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings after a T11 finish at the U.S. Women's Open. Nordqvist, currently No. 5 in the Race to CME Globe, is up against previously announced Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, and Lydia Ko in the race for the top spot.
“With the announcement of the contract extension from our title sponsor Manulife, along with the support by the local community, and the competitive field we are able to attract, I am confident that this tournament will be a memorable one,” says Manulife Financial LPGA Classic Tournament Director Richard Kuypers.
CME Globe
The inaugural Race to the CME Globe kicked off the week of January 20 at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. Players accumulate points at each official LPGA event, and will come to an exciting conclusion at the newly renamed CME Group Tour Championship. The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship will take home a $500,000 first-place prize, while the player who has accumulated the most points in the season-long points competition will be announced as the Race to the CME Globe champion with a $1 million unofficial money payout – the largest in all of women’s golf!
For more information, including ticketing and volunteer opportunities, visit www.manulifeclassic.ca.