RICHMOND, British Columbia, Canada -- The city of Richmond, B.C. will welcome many
top Canadian and international professional and amateur golfers as the
first event on the 2008 CN Canadian Women's Tour tees off May 21-23 at
the Richmond Country Club, which is celebrating its bicentennial.
Conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association and sanctioned by the
Canadian Professional Golfers' Association, the 2008 CN Canadian
Women's Tour features four championships in terrific host cities. The
tour also offers a total of six exemptions into the $2.25 million (US)
2008 CN Canadian Women's Open.
"We are very pleased to be able to return to British Columbia to start
off the tour this year," said CN Canadian Women's Open tournament
coordinator Richard Kuypers. "Last year's event showcased some
spectacular play and I have no doubt that this year's event will see
another fantastic finish."
Among the 80 competitors vying for top honours is Canadian National
Amateur Team member and home town favorite Kira Meixner of Richmond,
B.C. Meixner is joined by fellow National Team members Sue Kim of
Langley, B.C., Jessica Potter of Coquitlam, BC and Bari Lynn Erais of
Lethbridge, Alta.
Several past CN Canadian Women's Tour champions will look to grab a
share of the $41,250 purse including Christine Boucher, Walailak
Satarak, Lisa Meldrum and Corina Kelepouris.
Also vying for top spot in Richmond is Christina Lecuyer of Edmonton,
Alta. You may recognize Lecuyer from the Golf Channel's hit television
show Big Break Kaanapali.
Golfers finishing at the top of the CN Canadian Women's Tour Order of
Merit and the champions of all four CN Canadian Women's Tour stops
will earn exemptions into Canada's only LPGA Tour event, being held at
the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, August 11-17 in Ottawa, Ont.
Players competing on the Tour will also earn points towards the CN
Canadian Women's Tour Order of Merit. The player with the most points
at the end of the season will earn the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the
Year award as well as the $3,000 (CDN) Order of Merit champion's
purse.
Now in its eight year, the CN Canadian Women's Tour has established a
reputation as one of the premier women's developmental golf tours in
North America. Many of Canada's top professionals have competed on the
Tour including Lorie Kane, Isabelle Biesiegel and Alena Sharp.
With more than 360 participants annually in four championships across
the country, the CN Canadian Women's Tour continues to raise the bar
for women's professional golf nationwide.
More information about the CN Canadian Women's Tour including a full
listing of competitors, post-round results and championship start
times are available through the CN Canadian Women's Tour website at
www.cncanadianwomenstour.com or Royal Canadian Golf Association
website at www.rcga.org.
CN DELIVERS THE GREAT GAME OF GOLF
CN is proud to support golf in Canada and is pleased to bring the best
of women's professional golf to Canada with its title sponsorship of
the CN Canadian Women's Open and the CN Canadian Women's Tour. In
addition to supporting women's golf, CN contributes to the development
of golf among young people across the country through its sponsorship
of the CN Future Links program. CN is pleased to work with the Royal
Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) to help develop golf as a sport for
women and juniors across Canada and to increase the accessibility of
golf to recreational and competitive golfers. Visit www.cn.ca.
ABOUT CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S TOU
Conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), the CN
Canadian Women's Tour is one of the world's premier developmental
tours, attracting rising Canadian and international female golf
professionals as well as top female amateurs. The only women's
developmental tour in Canada, the CN Canadian Women's Tour will offer
premier championship play at locations across Canada, competitive
purses and the opportunity to earn exemptions into the CN Canadian
Women's Open, Canada's only LPGA Tour event. LPGA Tour professionals
such as Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp competed on the Canadian Women's
Tour, and used their experiences as a springboard to future success.
For more information about the Canadian Women's Tour visit
www.CNcanadianwomenstour.com.
ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of
golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the
country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports
Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA's mission is to
grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the
integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and
services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance
athlete development, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping
and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian
Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada's national
junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association
leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada's most
prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian
Women's Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while
regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best
in Canadian golf.
For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in
your community please visit www.rcga.org.
For more information:
Terry Lenyk
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 335
Mobile: 416-407-3893
Email: tlenyk@rcga.org
