New China event among LPGA highlights

A new tournament in China is among the highlights of the 28-event LPGA 2013 schedule announced on Tuesday.

The $1.8 million Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic in Beijing will kick off a Fall Asian Swing in the first week of October on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Club.

Held in conjunction with the China Golf Association and China LPGA, the tournament will be the LPGA's first trip to the Chinese capital, where interest in women's golf was boosted by Feng Shanshan's major championship victory at last year's Wegmans LPGA Championship.

Feng's triumph made her the first Chinese golfer, male or female, to win a major title.

Other new events include the $1.3 million North Texas LPGA Shootout, to be played April 22 to 28 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas and the $1.3 million Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, to be played May 20-26 at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

"The performance, approachability and growing popularity of our players is the No.1 factor in the LPGA's continued momentum, which has led to expanding coverage on Golf Channel, the growing slate of playing opportunities and our ever-increasing fan base," said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan.

"We are excited to add the Bahamas, North Texas and Beijing as LPGA Tour stops and we expect to have one more tournament to announce in the very near future."

The 2013 schedule also features the designation of a fifth major at The Evian, a return to the Old Course at St. Andrews for the Women's British Open, a highly anticipated trip to Sebonack Golf Club for the US Women's Open, the 13th edition of The Solheim Cup and the Tour's largest first-place check - now $700,000 - at the season-ending CME Group Titleholders.

The first major of the year will be the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage, California, April 4-7. South Korea's Sun Young Yoo is the defending champion.

Stacy Lewis won four tournaments in 2012 to claim Player of the Year honors. Although Taiwanese star Yani Tseng endured some doldrums in 2012 she begins the season still in the world number one spot.

For the second straight season the tour will begin kick off Down Under, with the Women's Australian Open between February 14-17. Then they head to Thailand and Singapore before the first tournament in the United States in Tempe, Arizona, March 14-17.