Lydia Ko helps promote new LPGA event in New Zealand

Lydia Ko is known on tour as the chocolate dealer. She has been to known to give the entire tour chocolate, and on the eve of the CME Group Tour Championship, Ko walked around the press room passing out Whittaker’s bars from New Zealand.

The kind gesture was not only a “thank you” for 2016, also an invitation to her hometown of Auckland for the inaugural McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open. The new event will take place Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the Windross Farm Golf Club during the tour’s fall Asia swing. The Reignwood LPGA Classic in China will move back a week in 2017.

The McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open, which will boast a $1.3 million purse, will mark the first LPGA or PGA TOUR event to take place in New Zealand.

“The McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open will be a tremendous addition to the LPGA schedule in 2017 and beyond,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “We’re excited to extend our global reach, partner with a great company like McKayson, and enable our Tour Players and global television viewers to experience the beauty of New Zealand.”

New Zealand Golf and its promoter The Clubhouse (NZ) Ltd have reached a significant title sponsorship agreement with MCS Holdings Inc. which owns the apparel and accessory sports brand MCKAYSON.

MCKAYSON is a newly launched global brand offering high quality sportswear created using its own unique design team, a high level of technology and powerful sourcing capability throughout the world.

“We are pleased to become the title sponsor of the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open and play an integral part in a new tournament on the LPGA Tour,” said MCS Holdings Inc Chairman Min Cheol Kim. “MCS Holdings Inc will utilize this sponsorship as a means for extensive promotion and marketing to build McKayson as a successful international brand in the global market. The company also believes it has a social responsibility to the game of golf through its sponsorship which offers both tangible and intangible benefits to both our company and New Zealand.”

The announcement today is the culmination of a two-year vision to attract one of the world’s biggest women’s sporting organizations to New Zealand.

“The opportunity to bring the LPGA to New Zealand has been made possible by fantastic sponsorship,” said The Clubhouse (NZ) Ltd managing director, Michael Goldstein. “From McKayson stepping in as title sponsor to the support from Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), we thank them for sharing our vision.”

“The tournament allows us to work with Government to showcase Auckland to wider high-value tourism markets like those in China, Japan, South Korea, the US, Australia and the UK,” Auckland Mayor Phil Goff added. “The media exposure alone in the high value markets will reach millions of people. The coverage we get from this will help grow golfing tourism to the benefit of Auckland.”

Ko is just the latest World No. 1 to pave the way for a tournament in her home country. At the height of Lorena Ochoa’s popularity, there were three tournaments in Mexico. Yani Tseng’s rise to No. 1 ushered in the first LPGA event in Taiwan.

“Top players from top markets create a lot of interest and demand,” said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan, “and this is a great example of the impact she can have on our tour.”

Ko, a 14-time winner on the LPGA, was born in South Korea but moved to Auckland when she was 6 years old. McKayson is a newly launched sportswear company that’s based in Korea.

“I hope a lot of these girls and top players come and visit,” said Ko, “and not only play at such a great golf course, but experience New Zealand and their culture. I’m very excited about that.

“A lot of people, whether it’s just golfers or people that have gone on trips or honeymoons have said, ‘Wow, it’s such a beautiful place.’ They kind of don’t want to leave the place.”

“I am honored to be the first player to sign up to play. It is going to be amazing for me and my family to host my LPGA friends in my country. I want to see golf grow in New Zealand and more women playing the game, so this news today is fantastic.”

The tournament, established in 2009 and co-sanctioned on the Ladies European Tour (LET) the following year, will continue to build upon the growth of golf in New Zealand. More than $500 million has been invested in new golf facilities over the past 15 years, including the Brett Thomson and Phil Tataurangi-designed Windross Farm Golf Club which will host the Women’s Open.

Tickets will go on sale early next year, with more details to be released in the coming weeks. For more information on the event please visit: www.nzwomensopen.com.

source http://www.golfweek.com/2016/11/16/lydia-ko-lpgas-chocolate-dealer-promotes/