Haikou hosting golf's top women

Four of the world's top six female golfers are spearheading a strong international field at the World Ladies Championship, which tees off on Thursday at Mission Hills, Haikou, Hainan province.

Leading the charge for individual and team honors in the multi-faceted event is South Korea's world No 1 Park In-bee, defending champion and world No 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Park's teammate Ryu So-yeon (No 5) and China's Feng Shanshan (No 6).

"I had a fantastic time last year, so I am thrilled to be returning to Mission Hills Haikou for this year's event," Park, last year's runner-up by a stroke in the individual competition, told the event's official website.