(Vancouver, BC, Canada) — Popular golf and sportswear designer Linda Hipp announces that her company, LIJA, has selected nine elite LPGA, Futures and Ladies European Tour players to join its unique new sponsorship initiative for 2008 — the Tour Style Leaders program.
Based on a variety of factors — including previous performance and on-course style, as well as a brief essay on how golf has impacted their lives — the nine professionals chosen to participate are Marisa Baena, Courtney Erdman, Jennifer Greggain, Jimin Kang, Leta Lindley, Brenda McLarnon, Jane Park, Georgina Simpson and Christina Kim, who partnered with the brand last season.
As Style Leaders, each woman will receive an expansive selection of LIJA products to wear on- and off-course throughout the 2008 season, including an array of tops, bottoms, sweaters, outerwear and accessories.
The players are also entered into a season-long competition for a Grand Prize valued at $25,000, consisting of a cash bonus, apparel sponsorship for the 2009 playing season, participation in a professional photo shoot for LIJA marketing and PR initiatives, and an all-expenses-paid trip for a style consultation with Hipp, the company founder and principal designer.
"It’s tremendous to be able to launch this initiative with such an outstanding group of talented players who are devoted to looking and performing their best in all conditions," says Hipp. "We wanted to select great golfers who are passionate, inspired and empowered by the game of golf. Some of the stories we received from these women really spoke to us. Their commitment to progress and excel in their profession combined with their dedication to helping others through their success makes them superb ambassadors for the brand. We are really looking forward to watching them compete around the world in 2008."
Style Leaders must play in a minimum of 15 sanctioned events during the 2008 season, with the winner selected based on range of criteria, including on-course performance, brand enthusiasm and associated factors.
More information is available at www.LijaStyle.com or 604.270.6060.
About the 2008 LIJA Tour Style Leaders:
LPGA Tour
* Marisa Baena — Baena’s LPGA Tour career is highlighted by 13 top-10 finishes, the most notable being her victory at the 2005 Women’s World Match Play event. The first player from Columbia to compete on either the LPGA or PGA Tour, Baena has earned nearly $2 million since her rookie season in 1999. For the last 2 years, she has organized a charity golf event that has raised more than $100,000 to help children in her native country. "Thanks to golf I am able to give back and that is an incredible feeling," says Baena. "I am very proud to say that I have brought hope back to Columbia through golf."
* Jennifer Greggain — Following a groundbreaking amateur career that included being the first female member of the boys’ golf team at her high school in Washington, Greggain joined the Futures Tour and then the Canadian Women’s Tour where she finished seventh on the 2007 Order of Merit. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2005 and again in 2008 after finishing tied for 46th at last year’s LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Greggain’s reasons for playing the game include taking advantage of her media coverage to highlight various world initiatives, such as relief missions in Haiti following Hurricane Gene.
* Jimin Kang — The 27-year-old South Korean’s LPGA Tour career follows a highly successful season on the Futures Tour in 2004 where she topped the money list and claimed Futures Tour Player of the Year honors. In 2007, Kang finished tied-for-sixth at The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions and claimed top-25s at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill and U.S. Women’s Open.
* Christina Kim — The two-time LPGA Tour winner recorded six top-10s in 2007, including back-to-back runner-up finishes at the LPGA State Farm Classic and Safeway Classic. Known for her outgoing personality and unique sense of style, the 23-year old Kim has notched a Solheim Cup appearance, become the youngest player in LPGA Tour history to earn $1 million and ranked in the top-25 on the money list three times.
* Leta Lindley — During her 12-year LPGA Tour career, Lindley has claimed nearly 30 top-10 finishes. Although she missed most of the 2006 season after giving birth to her second child, she returned in 2007 to finish in the top-25 at the Wegmans LPGA and is ranked among the Tour’s top-75 in career earnings. Lindley’s goal as a professional golfer is to be a good role model for her children. "At the end of the day, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that I am not defined by my golf score," she says. "I am so much more — I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter and a friend. I just happen to be a successful LPGA golfer."
* Jane Park — Following a stellar amateur career that included two Curtis Cup competitions and winning the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, the 22-year-old recorded two top-10s on the Futures Tour in 2007. The former member of the UCLA women’s golf team then won the LPGA Qualifying Tournament to earn exempt status for 2008, and promptly donated her prize money to a children’s charity. "The main reason I took up golf was to help other people," says Park. "As a child, I had read and witnessed poverty not only in the United States but other countries like Korea and Japan. I also watched television programs that showed children and their families in destitution. These events impacted me in such a powerful way. As I embark on my journey, I have promised myself that I will do whatever I can to help those in need and always lend a helping hand."
Futures Tour
* Courtney Erdman — After finishing third at the 2001 California State Community College Championship, Erdman went on to compete in the 2002 and 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships before turning professional in 2006. A contestant in the upcoming "Big Break IX" event in Ka’anapali Resort (Maui), she finished third at the United States Steel Golf Classic last year. "I have asked myself what I would do if I didn’t play golf and I can’t answer the question," says Erdman. "I love the game too much."
* Brenda McLarnon — Entering her third professional season, the 24-year old from Belfast, Ireland, starred at the College of Charleston, where she helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s Golf Championship in 2002, and finished third individually at the 2003 NJCAA Women’s Golf Championship. Finding motivation in her father’s love of the game, which in turn became her own, McLarnon turned professional in 2006.
Ladies European Tour
* Georgina Simpson — The 37-year-old Brit’s outstanding professional career includes nine top-10s on the LET. In 2007, Simpson recorded one of her best seasons, finishing second and third at the Wales Ladies Championship and KLM Ladies Open, respectively, and ranking No. 22 on the Order of Merit. "From the moment my dad put a 7-iron in my hand at age 13, I fell in love with the game," she says. Although ridiculed by her classmates for playing a game that was played by their grandparents, rather than their own age group, Simpson persevered and credits the sport with spurring her to be the determined person she is today.
About LIJA
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 Straits, LIJA has introduced more than 200 trend-setting pieces for Spring 2008. These five new collections of contemporary sportswear feature an expanded range of technical blends, LIJA-designed prints and an entirely new group of comfortable leisurewear combining to offer athletic fashion without limitation. Shipping will continue through April.
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.
Having received significant recognition within and outside the golf industry, LIJA has achieved organic annual sales growth of at least 50 percent every year. Enjoying a rapidly expanding sales force and account base in North America, LIJA recently began selling into the UK, Ireland, South Africa and United Arab Emirates 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
