American stars visit Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary as part of a five day tour of Malaysia

Kuala Lumpar, 02 August 2011  Top American lady golfers, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis, have confirmed their participation in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011. To be held from 13  16 October 2011 at the prestigious Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC), the American stars will compete alongside a star-studded line-up for the US$1.9 million prize purse.

Creamer, who turned professional in 2005 at the age of 18, is currently ninth in the Women s World Golf Rankings (as of 25 July 2011) and second among American lady golfers. She has an impressive nine LPGA victories to her name.

Creamer, 25, did not compete during last year s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia after a thumb injury forced her to withdraw from the tournament. This later led her to take a five-month layoff from the game. Fellow American, Natalie Gulbis, will be hoping to better her success in last year s event where she finished joint 12th.

Dato Wahab Maskan, Chief Operating Officer of Sime Darby Berhad and Managing Director of Sime Darby Property said,  We are delighted that Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis have confirmed their participation in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 which we hope will once again showcase the battle of the world s top ladies golfers on our very own turf at KLGCC and we look forward to hosting another fantastic tournament in October.

Commenting on both players tourism activities ahead of the tournament, Dato Wahab further said,  We believe the project will not only help to showcase the beauty and rich cultural heritage that Malaysia has to offer but also highlight Sime Darby s conservation efforts in the region. We are also confident that the programme will generate positive publicity that will further promote the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 event.

As part of this year s tournament activities, sponsors Sime Darby has arranged for the two top American lady golfers, on a five-day tour of Malaysia, to highlight the country s attractions and tourist offerings. The players are currently exploring Malaysia s top destinations, as well as gaining an insight into Sime Darby s concerted initiatives in the protection and preservation of environment and the conservation of animals and their natural habitat.

They visited the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary in Sabah this week, where they witnessed the Orangutans being fed by the sanctuary personnel. They even posed for photographs with the Orangutans, much to their fans delight.

Sepilok, one of the popular tourist spots in Malaysia, has been a highlight for the players since their Malaysian tour began on Monday. Creamer said, I m so excited to be touring Malaysia and exploring the wonderful conservation projects led by Sime Darby.

 It was incredible to go to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary, especially to be there during feeding time! There s so much to see here. I m really looking forward to being back in October for this year s tournament.

The itinerary for Creamer and Gulbis for the rest of the week will include visiting the Sarawak Cultural Village, taking a river cruise in Malacca and conducting a clinic for the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Development Program players on Friday morning at the KLGCC.

The Sime Darby Development Program 2011 commenced in June following the success of the inaugural 2010 program. The intensive 10-week programme is to train and prepare 16 leading Malaysian female golfers for the local and regional qualifying tournaments over the coming months.

Speaking on the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011, Gulbis said,  I look forward to playing in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 in October. Last year s tournament was a fantastic event and I look forward to being back at KLGCC later this week to play on the course and to speak to the young girls taking part in the Development Program. This week has already been a real eye-opener on Malaysia s wonders.

This year s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia promises to offer an even greater showcase, with an increase in prize purse, field size and number of playing days on the cards come October.

The 2011 tournament will now feature the top 62 LPGA members from the LPGA Tour Official Money List, along with 10 sponsors invites. The four-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 golfers in action the entire week.

Sime Darby recently confirmed that two Malaysian golfers, Kelly Tan and Jean Chua, would receive two of the sponsors invites for the 2011 Championship. Rising star Tan ended in a commendable 32nd to finish as the leading local player in last year s inaugural Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, while Jean Chua recently played in the US Open 2011.

 Creamer was missed last year, so her confirmation in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 is exciting for both the LPGA Tour and the fans. Having Gulbis and Creamer here it is also evident that Asia and more specifically Malaysia is now fully recognised as a venue for world-class international golfing events, which we hope will only continue to grow over the next few years. We look forward to another grand line up come October, said Robbie Henchman, Senior Vice President, Global Co-Managing Director, IMG Golf.

Last year s Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia was won in spectacular style by a fast-finishing Jimin Kang of South Korea, who made birdies on three of the final four holes to edge out the legendary Juli Inkster for the title. The field also included nine of the top 10 players on the Rolex Rankings and five Malaysians. Other players competing in the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 will be announced over the coming weeks.

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

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