2007 Q-School Winner Records 10 Birdies Sunday to Catapult Up Leaderboard
(Vancouver, BC, Canada) – Linda Hipp, founder and principal designer of the popular golf and sportswear brand LIJA, announces that Tour Style Leader Jane Park tied for second place at the LPGA P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship this past weekend while wearing a variety of pieces from the company’s Spring 2008 collection.
One of eight elite players from the LPGA, Futures and Ladies European Tours participating in the 2008 LIJA Tour Style Leaders program, Park entered the tournament’s final round tied for 32nd, but notched 10 birdies Sunday to post a career-best 62 and move into a tie for the lead. Walking off the course nine holes ahead of the other contenders, Park recorded a three-round, 14-under total of 202 – just one stroke behind winner Seon Hwa Lee – to claim her second runner-up finish of the season.
“I just got off to such a great start Sunday,” says Park. “Once I started rattling off birdies like that, I didn’t even know how far under I was until I got up to 16, and after making birdie there, I knew I was nine under. The scoring conditions were absolutely pristine.”
“Jane is an incredibly talented player and, at 21, she continues to prove herself as one of the young stars of the game,” says Hipp. “With her on- and off-course sense of style, she is a natural choice to represent LIJA, and we’re very happy to be able to share in moments like these with her.”
In addition to Park, other participants in the 2008 Tour Style Leaders program include Marisa Baena, Courtney Erdman, Jennifer Greggain, Christina Kim, Leta Lindley Brenda McLarnon and Georgina Simpson. Each player is outfitted with an expansive selection of LIJA products to wear on and off the course. They are also entered into a season-long competition for a Grand Prize valued at $25,000, consisting of a cash bonus and apparel sponsorship for the 2009 playing season, among other components.
LIJA is a staple in finer golf and non-golf retailers across North America, including world-renowned resorts and clubs like Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island and Whistling Straights. The Spring 2008 collections are currently available in stores and online.
For Fall 2008, LIJA has introduced six vibrant collections fusing sport, leisure and fashion with unique color stories, chic details and an expanded range of outerwear across more than 200 pieces. Shipping of these collections will continue through December.
For more information, call 888.263.1191 or visit www.lijastyle.com.
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.
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:
2008 PROFIT 100 Rankings of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies
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
