July 21, 2003

Top European, Korean and Japanese Players are In Contention For Invitations To Samsung World Championship, October 6-12, at The Woodlands Resort

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - It's not only the temperatures that are on the rise during the summer months. Points races are heating up too, in Europe, Korea and Japan for three precious invitations to compete in the Samsung World Championship, which will be played Oct. 6-12, at The Tournament Players Course (TPC™) at The Woodlands Resort.

The leading international players from the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Japanese Tour (JLPGA) and the Korean Tour (KLPGA) will be awarded three of the places in the 20-player field.

England's Laura Davies and Germany's Elisabeth Esterl are currently the top two players on the LET. The leading players from the JLPGA areYuri Fudoh and Ok-Hee Ku, while Mi Na Lee and Il Mi Chung are the top candidates from the KLPGA.

Davies, unquestionably Britain's most outstanding female golfer of the modern era, is two points away from qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame. In her three LET events this season, Davies has a first and two second-place finishes. A 64-time winner throughout the world - 20 victories on the LPGA Tour, 44 international wins - Davies became the first player, male or female, to win tournaments on five different tours in the same year with 1994 victories in Thailand, Japan, Australia, England and the United States. She has won four major championships - two McDonald's LPGA Championships, one U.S. Women's Open and one du Maurier - and was the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year in 1996.

Esterl, a golf professional since 1995, is having a breakout season. During one stretch of five tournaments, she had one victory (Tenerife Ladies Open), two runners-up and a fifth-place finish. Born in Germany, she started playing golf at the age of 10 on a course built by her grandfather on the family's farm in Bavaria. Other leading players from the LET are Ana Belen Sanchez from Spain and Ludivine Kreutz from France.

Fudoh, a two-time winner of the Daikin Orchid, has been Japan's leading player since 1999. During a three-year stretch, she won 13 tournaments on the JLPGA Tour. She was the team captain of Japan's stunning upset over the United States in the 2000 Cisco World Ladies Challenge.

Ku, born in Korea, has been a professional since 1985. She has been a member of the LPGA, KLPGA and JLPGA tours. The 46-year-old veteran was the first player from South Korea to win on the LPGA Tour when she won the Standard Register PING in 1988. She is a 23-time winner around the world, including a victory in last year's Japan PGA Championship. Other leading players from the JLPGA are Ji-Hee Lee, Michiko Hattori and Woo-Soon Ko.

Lee, one of Korea's "Seoul Sisters," burst upon the scene on the KLPGA tour last year as a 20-year-old rookie and came away with the money title and player of the year honors. She played in two LPGA Tour events last year, including the Samsung World Championship, where she finished 19th. She is hoping to get into the field again.

Chung, another "Seoul Sister," has been one of the top players on the KLPGA tour since turning pro in 1995. She finished second on the money list last year and is in second place this year. Known as the Smiling Queen, Chung's most notable victory came last year when she won the Korean Open. Other leading players from the KLPGA are So-Young Park, Hyun-Ju Shin and Sun-Hwa Lee.

Besides the top international players, the Samsung World Championship field includes the winners of the four LPGA major championships-the Kraft Nabisco Championship (Patricia Meunier-Lebouc), the McDonald's LPGA Championship (Annika Sorenstam), the U.S. Women's Open (Hilary Lunke), and the Weetabix Women's British Open-as well as the 2002 Vare Trophy winner (Sorenstam), the defending champion (Sorenstam) and the LPGA Tour's leading money winners from 2002 (Sorenstam) and the current year. Rounding out the field are other leading money winners from the LPGA Tour's current year.

The 72-hole Championship is an officially sanctioned LPGA Tour event. It is a world-wide event which has been contested on five continents in its rich 22-year history. It will be broadcast on NBC on Saturday and Sunday, with ESPN providing early round coverage on Thursday and Friday.

The Championship purse is $800,000 with $167,500 going to the winner. In 2002, Sorenstam broke the Championship scoring record by shooting a 22-under par 266 at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, Calif., to defeat Cristie Kerr by six strokes (also a Championship record).

The talented field will be thoroughly tested at the TPC™ at The Woodlands Resort, a par-72 course that measures 7,018 yards from the back tees. TPC™ at The Woodlands Resort, which had been the home of the PGA TOUR's Shell Houston Open for the past 17 years, is a picturesque course that places a premium on hitting fairways. The two closing holes on the layout rank among the top-four toughest holes in the state of Texas.

For sponsorship, volunteer or general information about the Samsung World Championship, call the championship office, locally at 281-419-4141 or toll free at 1-888-345-LPGA (5742). Or visit the championship website at www.SamsungUSA.com. Tickets are currently on sale to the public.

About Samsung

Samsung is a world leader in electronics, finance, and trade and services. Headquartered in Korea, Samsung operates 285 offices and facilities in 67 different countries. The company employs approximately 173,000 people worldwide, with 2001 net sales of US $98.7 billion.

Samsung believes that sports play a unique role in unifying people regardless of age, race, or gender. Samsung is a passionate supporter and active corporate sponsor of amateur and professional sporting events, training programs, teams and individual athletes in Korea and around the world.

The company extended its commitment to sports by becoming a worldwide Olympic Partner in 1997. Samsung's official Olympic Games partnership will continue with the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

For more information, please visit our website: www.samsung.com.

About The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

Nestled in pristine woods 27 miles north of Houston and just 20 minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center is an award-winning, multi-faceted resort that features 490 deluxe rooms and suites, unique restaurants and lounges, plus more than 60,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including 32 dedicated meeting rooms. Recreational activities are highlighted by the new Forest Oasis Waterscape(tm), two additional pools, a full service spa and fitness center as well as six golf courses. For further information, contact The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center: 2301 North Millbend Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380; Telephone: 800-433-2624; Fax: 281-364-6299; Web site: www.woodlandsresort.com.

About The Woodlands

The Woodlands is a 27,000-acre forested community where people live, work, play, and learn as families and companies. Located 27 miles north of downtown Houston on I-45, it encompasses seven residential villages with an eighth now in development, three commercial centers, a resort and conference center, a luxury hotel and convention center, hospitals and health care facilities, and exceptional shopping, dining, entertainment, and recreational amenities. More than 70,000 people live in The Woodlands, and 30,000 people work in the community. The Woodlands is a project of The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P., a Crescent Real Estate Equities and Morgan Stanley limited partnership. For more information, visit www.thewoodlands.com, or call 1-888-504-5050.