SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading women golfers Cristie Kerr and Suzann Pettersen say they’ve signed up for the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup because women’s golf needs to build its profile in the soccer-mad country to ensure its return to the Olympics is a success.
World No 3 Pettersen and No 4 Kerr have confirmed they will take part in the event at the Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio De Janeiro on May 28/29 because with golf featuring in the 2016 Rio Games, the tournament has taken on huge added significance.
Pettersen, who was part of the official delegation that successfully presented golf’s case to the IOC in Copenhagen 16 months ago, believes the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup has a vital role in growing golf’s popularity in South America before it returns to the Olympic family for the first time since 1904.
The Norwegian player said: “We’re on a mission! Clearly, Rio 2016 is going to be a landmark, but we need to lay the foundations. That’s why it’s so important to be taking part in this year’s HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup.”
Kerr said: “This is the biggest single opportunity that women’s golf has ever had! It’s not about who wins the gold medal in five years’ time; it’s about an opportunity to grow and expand the sport more than it has ever grown before.”
HSBC Group Head of Sponsorship Giles Morgan added: “The HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup may be a smaller scale event than a mainstream LPGA tournament, but it’s serving a very important role creating a foothold for golf in a country that doesn’t have a high-profile heritage in the sport.
“Olympic status will give the sport a huge shot in the arm; Rio will be the focus of international attention for the next five years and this has really elevated the importance of the HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup.”
The HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup takes place at Itanhanga Golf Club, Rio de Janeiro on May 28/29. The purse is $720,000 and the field is made up of 30 players.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6627741&lang=en