KUALA LUMPUR, 1 March 2010 - The Sime Darby Group and event promoter IMG today announced that LPGA sensation Michelle Wie has confirmed her participation in the inaugural Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. The event is set to take place from 22 - 24 October 2010 at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) with 60 players competing for US$1.8 million in prize money.

Just 20-years old, Wie has been the centre of attention in the golf world for many years after a prolific amateur career that saw her set a number of records for her complishments at a very young age. In her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2009, she finished 10th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November along with seven additional top-ten finishes from 19 events. Just last week, she played in South East Asia for the first time in Thailand and Singapore, and come October, Malaysia will see Wie take to the tee in her maiden event in the country.

I am very excited about my first visit to Malaysia as I have heard nothing but good things about the country and its warm hospitality, said Wie. I think it is fantastic that the LPGA is branching out into the other parts of the world such as Asia. I started out my season in South East Asia so it will be great to come back later in the year and try to see more of this region, especially Malaysia.

Born October 11, 1989 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wie began playing golf at the age of four and her rise was meteoric. In October 2005, just a week shy of her 16th birthday, Wie turned professional, and last year enjoyed a standout rookie season on the LPGA Tour, earning her first victory in December and helping lead the U.S. team to a Solheim Cup win.

The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia will feature the top 50 LPGA members from the Official Money List, along with 10 sponsor’s exemptions. The three-day stroke play event with no cut will ensure that players are in Kuala Lumpur for the tournament duration and the local and regional golf community can catch their favourite stars in action the entire week.

The confirmation of Michelle Wie is a testament to the reputation that Malaysia has as a world class venue for international sporting events, said Robbie Henchman, Senior Vice President of IMG. Title sponsor Sime Darby and the LPGA have played a key role in working with IMG to bring the first ever LPGA event to Malaysia and we can expect a star-studded line up come October.

We are looking forward to working with our new partner Sime Darby, said Zayra Calderon, LPGA Executive Vice President, Tournament Development & Worldwide Sales. Their reach currently extends into 20 countries across the globe, and they impact a wide array of industries. We plan to do everything that we can as an association to help them achieve their goals through this partnership.

More details about the event, including additional star players, local players and prize money, will be announced closer to the event.