Several star female golfers yesterday took part in a charity skins game ahead of Taiwan’s annual Swinging Skirts golf tournament, saying they had fun at the event.
World No. 26 female golfer Pak Se-ri of South Korea won prize money of US$55,000 to become the biggest winner among the two four-member groups that played in the event at the Miramar Golf and Country Club in Linkou, New Taipei City.
Half of the winners’ prize money will be donated to charity, the organizers said.
Paired with Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, a former World. No. 1 female golfer, Cristie Kerr of the US and Kim Ha-neul of South Korea, Pak said the game was “actually really fun.”
At a news conference after the game, Pak — who participated in the event for the first time — also said it was great to play with Sorenstam, who has officially retired from golf.
World No. 12 female player Paula Creamer, known as the “Pink Panther” because of her love of the color pink, won US$45,000 in prize money, the largest amount in her group, which included three South Korean players — world No. 7 Shin Ji-yai, world No. 2 Choi Na-yeon and world No. 23 Yoo Sun-young.
“It is nice to be able to give back to charity,” said Creamer, who wore a pink shirt.
Although the world’s top-ranked female golfer, Yani Tseng of Taiwan, did not play at the event because of shoulder and elbow injuries, she joined the event as an on-course TV commentator.
Starting today, a total of 95 local and foreign players are scheduled to play at the second Swinging Skirts LPGA tournament at the same golf course in northern Taiwan, the organizers said.
The final round of the 54-hole competition is scheduled to take place on Sunday.
The tournament, which has a total purse of US$1.01 million this year, has become an official leg of both the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Tour.
Swinging Skirts is a private organization made up of both male and female amateur golfers. Its members wear skirts or kilts when they play and all competitors, caddies and course referees are expected to do the same for the duration of the tournament.
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