Rookie Amanda Blumenherst gets sponsor's invite to HSBC Champion of Champions' event in Singapore

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY I M G
The battle for the coveted ‘Champion of Champions’ title heated up today when it was confirmed that the world’s top 10 female professional golfers will be in Singapore to compete for top honours at the 2010 HSBC Women’s Champions from February 25 to 28.
Leading the charge are past champions and the world’s top two players for the 2009 season, Lorena Ochoa (1) of Mexico and Korean sensation Jiyai Shin (2). The remaining eight players in the top 10 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are all champions from the past two seasons and will be eager to get the 2010 season off to a solid start as Singapore takes the second week on this year’s Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) calendar with a prize purse of US$1.3 million.
Joining the stellar line-up will be the exciting 23-year-old LPGA rookie Amanda Blumenherst who has been awarded one of the coveted sponsor’s invites to this month’s tournament. Blumenherst, from Arizona, turned professional in June 2009 following multiple accolades in her amateur career including the US Women’s Amateur title in 2008 and the only three-time National Player of the Year at Duke University.
“I am very excited to have been invited to take part in the HSBC Women’s Champions and look forward to competing amongst the best players in the world,” said Blumenherst.
“I am really grateful to HSBC for giving me the opportunity to play with such an elite field and I am practising and training incredibly hard so that I can be ready for this fantastic opportunity to play alongside all these great champions.”
Acknowledged by golfing experts as a champion of the future, Blumenherst competed in the 2006 US Women’s Open and tied for 10th position, sharing the amateur honours with Jane Park.

At the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2008, Blumenherst finished in 30th spot and also helped the US claim victory at the Curtis Cup in both years. During her first year as a professional, she played on the Futures Tour and recorded three top-ten finishes and went on to win the final stage of the LPGA Q School to book her place as one of 28 rookies on the LPGA Tour in 2010.
A total of 63 players will tee-off for four days of stroke-play in Singapore. Along with the two sponsors invites, the field will be completed by Singaporean amateur Joey Poh who won the two day Local Qualifying event earlier this month.

ROLEX WOMEN’S WORLD GOLF RANKINGS
1 Lorena Ochoa MEX
2 Jiyai Shin SKOR
3 Suzann Pettersen NOR
4 Anna Nordqvist SWE
5 Cristie Kerr USA
6 Yani Tseng TPE
7 Paula Creamer USA
8 Ai Miyazato JPN
9 Angela Stanford USA
10 Michelle Wie USA