England, United Kingdom -- South Korea’s Ji-yai Shin secured the 18th spot in the season-ending ADT Championship by winning the final major of the LPGA season --- the RICOH Women’s British Open. Shin finished three shots ahead of the field after carding a final round 6-under-par 66.
“For sure I want to play in the ADT Championship,” said Shin, who is a member of the Korea Ladies Professional Association (KLPGA). “That’s really the championship for me, just a few players and different tournament rules. I want to play there.”
Shin will join the 17 other LPGA players who qualified for the ADT Championship by either finishing in the top-11 spots on the ADT Points list during the first half of the LPGA Playoffs 2008 or by winning one of the 13 Winner Events this season. Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson, South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji and Seon Hwa Lee, LPGA Tour rookie Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings’ number one Lorena Ochoa and number two Annika Sorenstam secured their spots in the ADT Championship field by winning one of the automatic qualifiers so far this season. Paula Creamer, Jeong Jang, Song-Hee Kim, Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen, rookie Na Yeon Choi, Maria Hjorth, Karen Stupples, Jee Young Lee, Inbee Park and Laura Diaz all qualified for the ADT Championship by placing in the top-11 spots on the ADT Points list during the first half of the LPGA season.
The LPGA Playoffs 2008, a yearlong competitive structure that splits the official LPGA season into two halves, culminates at the ADT Championship. Fifteen players from each half qualify for the ADT Championship, and two additional wildcards will be determined following the Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Banamex and Corona.
Out of the 32 spots in the ADT Championship, 13 are designated to be awarded to winners of Winner Events, which are defined as official LPGA Tour events with a purse of at least $2 million. The remaining spots in each half will be awarded using a performance-based points system–ADT Points – to determine ADT Championship qualifiers who are not otherwise qualified.
The final Winner Event of the LPGA season will be in two weeks, August 14-17, at the CN Canadian Women’s Open.
The 2008 ADT Championship features a $1,550,000 purse with the winner taking home a $1 million paycheck, the largest first-place prize in the history of women’s golf. The ADT Championship will also feature three days of playoffs with a cut after 36 holes. Players start with a fresh scorecard for the third round, which ends with another cut to the top eight players. A live draw will take place with the final eight players immediately following the third round, where players will draft their own tee time based on their third-round finish. A final-day shoot-out with the remaining players will have them, again, starting with a fresh scorecard for their chance at the $1 million winner’s check.
Tickets and packages to the ADT Championship are available online at www.adtchampionship.com or by calling 888-LPGA-TIX (574-2849). All children 15 years old and under will receive free grounds admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
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About the Ladies Professional Golf Association
As the longest-running women’s professional sports organization in the world, the LPGA features a membership comprised of world-class LPGA Tour professionals and dedicated Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP). Today’s LPGA Tour features the most talented global sampling of professional athletes competing in 35 events on six continents with total prize money of more than $60 million. In addition to its dynamic Tour members, nearly 1,200 certified T&CP members serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions, and oversee programs aimed at increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf. The not-for-profit LPGA’s Vision is to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the best golf professionals in the world. Its Mission is to be a leader in the world of sports, to promote economic empowerment for all members, and to serve as role models on and off the course. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
Media contact: Rebecca Seelig; PBPR, 561.628.5929, rseelig@pb-pr.com
