International field set for next week's LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament
Lewis, Wie among 164 hopefuls set to tee off at Mission Hills Country Club, Sept. 16-19

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Stacy Lewis

Michelle Wie

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 10, 2008 - The first of two LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournaments begins next week as 164 players start their quest toward membership on the 2009 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., hosts the first of two sectional qualifiers Sept. 16-19.

Texan Stacy Lewis and Hawaii's Michelle Wie will headline the field as each makes her first attempt at qualifying for the LPGA Tour beginning next week. They will be joined by 64 international players, 99 from the United States and one from Puerto Rico.

Consistent with the LPGA's history of being a true global Tour, the 164-player field features players from 19 countries. Canada is represented by the most international players with 13, followed by South Korea (12), Australia (5) and Japan (5). Remaining countries include Thailand (4), United Kingdom (4), Spain (3), Colombia (2), Mexico (2), Sweden (2) and Venezuela (2). One player represents each of the following countries: China, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa and Switzerland.

Within the United States, 31 states are represented in the first LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament as California leads the way with 23 entrants. The next closest is Florida with 13 players, followed by Texas with nine, Georgia with five and Hawaii with four. Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina and Oklahoma each have three.

The 72-hole sectional will be played on the Palmer and Dinah Shore Courses at Mission Hills Country Club. The Dinah Shore Course is the host site of the Tour's first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The field will be cut to the low-70 players and ties after 36 holes. After four rounds, the top-30 players and ties will advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, Dec. 3-7, 2008 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The second LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournament will be Sept. 30-Oct. 3 at Plantation Golf and Country Club's Bobcat and Panther Courses in Venice, Fla. The top-30 finishers and ties from the Venice qualifier will join the top-30 players and ties from next week's sectional qualifier at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Making up the rest of the field in Daytona Beach will be current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their priority standing and the 10 players finishing 6th through 15th on the 2008 Duramed FUTURES Tour season-ending money list.

All media interested in covering the upcoming LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament in Rancho Mirage, Calif., should apply for credentials at www.lpgamediacredentials.com.

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 37 events on six continents with total prize money of more than $62 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.