Ko looks to regain world number 1 ranking; World’s most talented teen talks of her hopes of seeing Andy Murray at the Ricoh Women’s British Open
Lydia Ko will tee it up at Trump Turnberry Resort, Scotland, July 30 to August 2, looking to regain the World Number 1 ranking position she held for 19 weeks. Currently ranked second in the world, at only 18 years old, Ko’s rise to the top follows a remarkable two years of record-breaking achievements since winning the amateur medal at St Andrews in 2013 including becoming the youngest World No.1 in history in February.
A New Zealander by way of Korea, this popular young star is looking to claim her first Major title this summer, adding to her already phenomenal haul of 11 international titles.
The talented teenager explained, “I love the Ricoh Women’s British Open – it is so different from any of the events we compete in on the LPGA Tour, in terms of the style of courses we play and the testing set up, and I am really looking forward to the week. I am so excited to play on the same famous links course that has hosted the men’s Open Championship over the years because it feels like you are part of history, playing against all those amazing golfers who have triumphed on that historic course over the years.”
Ko continued, “I really enjoyed my visit to Scotland in 2013 when we played at St Andrews and I am really excited to play at Turnberry for the first time. It looks so beautiful in all the pictures I have seen and I can’t wait to go to the top of the lighthouse.”
She added, “One of my favourite memories of St Andrews – along with winning the amateur medal – was meeting Andy Murray’s mum, Judy. I gave her a few golf tips on the range, as she was just starting to play golf. Now, I am looking forward to seeing how much her golf has improved since then and perhaps she will give me some much needed tennis tips! It would be so nice if Andy came along with her to the Championship as I know he is a massive fan of women’s sport and enjoys playing golf, too. It would be so fantastic to play with them both in the Pro Am!”
Last year’s champion, Mo Martin will defend her title on the famous Ailsa Course alongside past Ricoh Women’s British Open champions, Stacy Lewis, (2013) Yani Tseng (2010, 2011) and Catriona Matthew (2009) as they compete for a prize fund of £1,990,266 (US $3 million).
Home favourite and 2009 champion Catriona Matthew is looking forward to playing in front of her home crowd explained: “I am delighted that the Championship is returning to Turnberry. It is a fantastic venue and I love the course. I was frustrated I didn’t do better last time we were there – I think I finished about 35th – so will be looking to do a lot better this summer. I’ve been playing pretty consistently all year, but would love to get a win or two under my belt and I can’t really imagine a better place to do that than in Scotland!”
Australian veteran Karrie Webb won the Women’s British Open in 2002 at Turnberry.
The Ricoh Women’s British Open was founded by the LGU in 1976 and is staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company, since 1984. The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001.
Ricoh, a global technology company specialising in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services, has been the title sponsor of the Ricoh Women’s British Open since 2007.
For further information please visit www.ricohwomensbritishopen.com or contact:
Michele Mair or Tom Benbow, IMG Golf
Email: michele.mair@img.com tom.benbow@img.com
For further information please visit www.ricohwomensbritishopen.com
Notes
About the Ladies’ Golf Union (“LGU”)
Founded in 1893, the LGU is the encompassing body for ladies’ amateur golf in Great Britain & Ireland. The LGU Executive Council includes representatives of ladies’ golf’s national governing bodies in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Operational activities are undertaken by a wholly owned subsidiary, LGU Championships Limited (“LGUCL”), which in particular owns and runs the Ricoh Women’s British Open, founded by the LGU in 1976 and one of the five Major Tournaments for Professional Women golfers. LGUCL also has responsibility for running British Amateur Championships and Home International events, and preparing the Great Britain & Ireland teams for representative matches, such as the Curtis Cup and the Vagliano Trophy.
Further information about the LGU is available on www.lgu.org.
About Ricoh
Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
The majority of the company’s revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.
For further information, please visit www.ricoh-europe.com
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world. IMG’s businesses include Events & Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; strategic partnerships with sponsors and brands; and marquee assets across sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion.
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