2007 Q-School Winner Records Career-Best LPGA Tour Finish at Turtle Bay
(Vancouver, BC, Canada) – Popular golf and sportswear designer Linda Hipp and her company, LIJA, announce that Tour Style Leader Jane Park tied for second place at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Oahu, Hawaii this past weekend.
Park’s stellar performance included a second round, four-under-par 68 highlighted by three birdies in the final nine holes. On Sunday, she sank an 80-foot birdie putt on the 15th to momentarily share the lead before recording a three-round total of 208 to finish two strokes behind the winner, Annika Sorenstam. The second place finish is an LPGA Tour career-best for the rookie, surpassing her 10th place finish at the 2006 LPGA Women’s Open.
“I didn’t come in with high expectations, but I knew I was playing well,” says Park. “I just wanted to have a good, solid showing. My short term goal from now on is to get into the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Hopefully, this will help me in my quest.”
“We’re excited by Jane’s great performance this weekend and look forward to watching her this season,” says Hipp. “She continues to establish herself as one of the young stars of the game, and with her on- and off-course sense of style, she is a wonderful brand representative for LIJA.”
Park, who recently began wearing LIJA as part of the company’s new 2008 Tour Style Leaders sponsorship program, recorded two top-10 finishes on the Duramed Futures Tour in 2007 before winning the LPGA Qualifying Tournament to earn exempt status for 2008. The 21-year-old is also a two-time member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team and winner of the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
LIJA is a staple in finer golf and non-golf retailers across North America, including world-renowned resorts and clubs like Congressional, Doral, Kiawah Island, Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and Whistling Straights. In addition to Park, the brand is worn by a number of Tour stars, including two-time winner Christina Kim.
For Spring 2008, LIJA has introduced more than 200 pieces of trend-setting contemporary sportswear in five striking collections. Featuring an expanded range of technical blends, LIJA-designed prints and an entirely new group of comfortable leisurewear, the latest styles offer athletic fashion without limitation. Shipping of the new collections – including the Life of Leisure off-course apparel – will continue through April.
More information is available at www.LIJASTYLE.com or 604.270.6060.
About LIJA
LIJA is a market leader in fashion-forward styles featuring feminine and comfortable silhouettes inspired by the fusion of sport, leisure and fashion. The brand’s distinctive excellence is driven by LIJA’s passion, commitment and dedication to creating innovative designs.
LIJA has received significant recognition within and outside the golf industry, achieving organic annual sales growth of at least 50 percent each of the past seven years. Enjoying a rapidly expanding sales force and account base in North America, LIJA recently began selling into the UK, Australian and Japanese markets.
Recent recognition for the company includes:
2007 “Business of the Year” – Richmond Chamber of Commerce
2007 PGA Magazine – Resort Top Seller
2007 PGA Magazine – Private Course Top Seller
2007 Best of Show Honors at PGA Show – Golfing Magazine
2007 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies
2006 PROFIT W100 Ranking of Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs
2006 Business in Vancouver “BC’s 50 Fastest-Growing Companies”
2005 Canadian Golf Company of the Year – Score Golf magazine
Individually, Linda Hipp has been honored as a grant recipient of the Matinee Fashion Foundation Award, which annually recognizes and funds select Canadian designers, and voted a “40 Under 40” winner by Business in Vancouver.
An avid and highly-skilled golfer, Hipp struggled to find on-course apparel that meshed with her off-course fashion sensibility. Recognizing a market opportunity – and the chance to combine her passions for fashion, golf and business – Hyp Golf was launched in July 1997. The company re-branded as LIJA in late 2004. Chiefly influenced by both European trends and West Coast style, Hipp has garnered a widespread reputation as one of North America’s hottest sportswear designers.
Contact:
Andrea Latta
Buffalo Communications
703.891.3383
alatta@billycaspergolf.com
