Sunrise Group is taking over as title sponsor of the first Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament to be held in Taiwan in October following The Sherwood Taipei’s decision to drop out May 3.
The Golf Association of the Republic of China said in a news release that after two months of negotiations with the Sherwood hotel, the two sides could not arrive at an agreement on the sponsorship terms.
As a result, Hsu Tien-ya, chairman of the Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan County, which will serve as the venue for the tournament, said his group would take over as main sponsor.
The association pointed out that although the failure to reach a deal with Sherwood was regrettable, it appreciated the hotel’s initial offer to be the title sponsor.
A spokesman for Sherwood explained that in consideration of the large scale of the LPGA tournament and of the hotel’s limited experience in sponsoring such major events, it reluctantly decided to hand over sponsorship rights to the Sunrise Group.
The Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship carries a total of US$2 million in prize money. The top 80 ranked female golfers in the world and 10 leading local golf professionals are expected to be invited to compete in the event. (SB)