CHARLEY HULL WINS LET ROOKIE OF YEAR HONOUR AT 17

                             CHARLEY HULL ... Earned 135,994 euros in first pro season

NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager

It was a fight to the finish in the race to win the 2013 Rolex Rookie of the Year Award on the Ladies European Tour, but 17-year-old Charley Hull prevailed, finishing just above Holly Clyburn on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit, thereby earning a Rolex watch.

Hull finished in a tie for eighth at the season-ending Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, while Clyburn ended in joint 39th position.

The young English pair had one of the tightest rookie battles ever seen on the LET, finishing sixth and seventh on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit with earnings of €135,994.36 and €116,100.83 respectively.

“It's an honour to win it,” said Hull.  “I think I've had tough competition in Holly. She's a great player and you can see in the future, me and Holly battling it out, which I think is good.  "Means a lot and it's been good fun. Solheim was great and all my second place finishes, so it was good to top it off with that.”

The award capped an outstanding first year on Tour for Hull, who is the LET’s youngest member. Hull turned professional in January 2013 and was started her first year as a pro with a run of five straight second places. She was then selected by Captain Liselotte Neumann to represent Europe in The Solheim Cup and was part of the first European team to beat the Americans on home soil in The Solheim Cup in Colorado. 
The youngest ever Solheim Cup player then defeated Paula Creamer 5 and 4 in the singles.  She posted 10 top ten finishes in 15 appearances on the LET this year.

Hull is now looking forward to Christmas at home before heading to Australia and on her future goals, she added: “It would be pretty awesome if I could win a major next year.  I think that's any golfer's dream.

“At the moment I'm just concentrating on golf.  But I think it's amazing to see all different cultures on stuff which you see on the Ladies European Tour, because you go to different countries every week, which is fantastic.”

PACE RECOGNISED BY PEERS

South African Lee-Anne Pace has been voted as the ‘Player’s Player of the Year by her fellow professional golfers on the Ladies European Tour, three years after last winning this award in 2010.

Pace was the only player to win three titles on the LET in 2013, taking her career total to eight wins.

A model of consistency throughout the season, she earned the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in May, the Open de Espana in July and the Sanya Ladies Open in China in October. She notched six additional top ten finishes – including a second place at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open - and ended the year ranked second on the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit with season’s earnings of €250,927.42, behind Suzann Pettersen with €518,448.81.

“To win an award is always great but to be recognized by your peers for your achievements is a huge honor. I feel very proud and humbled and would like to thank everyone that voted for me,” said the 32-year-old from Mossel Bay.

“I had a lot of fun this year and played very consistently which put me in contention many times. I was very happy to win again and to do it three times just turned it into an amazing and unforgettable year. 

“I think my attitude and demeanour this year was the same as in 2010. I felt very focused, relaxed and in control. My shot making ability is probably better now but all in all it’s very similar.”

Pace won the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf Club and Open de Espana at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid by a stroke and triumphed in a play-off against Yu Yang Zhang at Yalong Bay Golf Club.

“Every single win is very special and some of the shots I hit to achieve them will always stand out in my memory. It’s a really good feeling to wake up in the morning and know you have a chance to win and then to pull it off it feels very rewarding,” she said. 

Looking ahead, Pace said: “For the moment I am only longing for my vacation with my family and friends when I get home in a week. I need a bit of TLC with a braai, a glass of red wine and my own bed!

“I would like to thank my two coaches, Val Holland and James Petts who have both played a major part in my success this year.

“I would like to thank and congratulate my caddy Mark Britton for a great and unforgettable year. I loved the way we played golf this year and it was such a pleasure to work with him. He gave me confidence and belief and did an exceptional job this year. 

“I would also like to thank my sponsors Investec, Puma/Cobra, First Car Rental and Oakley for their ongoing support and for making this year possible for me. Thank you to the LET and all the staff for all their hard work. A big thanks to all my supporters and all the messages and tweets this year. It’s always great to be supported and to receive words of encouragement. 

“Thank you to all the sponsors, promoters and volunteers for supporting the LET and making it another successful year for ladies’ golf in Europe.”

  SUZANN WINS LET ORDER OF MERIT

Suzann Pettersen has won the ISPS HANDA Order of Merit for the first time in her 13-year membership of the Ladies European Tour.

The 32-year-old Norwegian effectively sealed the race with her victory at the inaugural Evian Championship in September.

The prestigious award caps off a year for Suzann that included five tournament victories and 11 additional top 10 finishes around the world, highlighted by her participation in Europe’s first away victory in The Solheim Cup.

On the Ladies European Tour, Pettersen played in three events and won two: the Mission Hills World Ladies Championship and the Evian Championship. She also tied for fourth at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

On the LPGA, she earned four victories, including the Evian Championship, notching 11 further top ten finishes to end the season ranked second in the world.

Suzann is awarded a prize of 20,000 euro by LET Order of Merit sponsor ISPS HANDA along with a 10 year exemption to the LET.