The LPGA makes its annual trip to Singapore for the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the second day of three consecutive weeks of competition in Asia. The 16th edition of the tournament, which has recently become known as the “Asia’s Major,” will feature a limited number of 66 players who will compete uncut across 72 holes for a prize of $1.8 million. Here are his five things to know when the Tour stops at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course.
Who is in the field?
Lilia Vu, No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, will headline the HSBC Women’s World Championship, looking to build on the momentum she achieved in Thailand last week with her first top 10 of the season. She will be joined in Singapore by fellow major champions Celine Boutier, Arisen Corpus, Hannah Green, Brooke Henderson, Kim Hyo-joo and Ying Ruoning, to name a few. Lydia Ko also plans to return to competition after missing last week’s event in Thailand. She got off to a strong start in 2024 with a win at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, finishing runner-up at the LPGA Drive On Championship despite losing in a playoff to Nelly Korda fulfilled. There are also five sponsor exemptions in this field, including three-time major champion Ying Gee Chun and 2019 rookie Muni He.
Will Tavatanakit be able to hit the triple?
As Pati Thavatanakit competes in the HSBC Women’s World Championship, there is no denying that the young Thai star has been one of the hottest names in the women’s game in recent weeks. She will once again be a player to watch in Singapore, riding on her momentum generated from her back-to-back weeks of wins on the European Women’s Tour and the LPGA Tour. Tabatanakit surged into the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly three years with a commanding seven-stroke victory at the Aramco Saudi Women’s International Tournament, and a stunning performance in front of her friends and family as she won in her home country by one stroke. At Honda LPGA Thailand, he confirmed this with his performance. For Tavatanakit, her win on the LPGA Tour was her first since her major win at the 2021 Chevron Championship. In the same year, she tied for third place at the Singapore Games, the best result of her career.
Ko Jin Young seeks a three-peat in Singapore
Thavatanakit will not be the only one looking for a third straight win this week, as Jin Yong Ko returns to Singapore in search of his third win. She is the defending champion at the HSBC Women’s World Championship for the second year in a row, winning by two strokes over Nelly Korda in 2023 and finishing two strokes behind Minjee Lee in 2022. Ko made her season debut in Thailand last week and opened. She finished T20 in her seventh year on the LPGA Tour. For the 28-year-old, who is returning to competition for the first time since withdrawing from the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship due to her knee injury, it was a good opportunity for her to assess not only her stamina but also her play. became.She said she feels better this week than she did last season, but she continues to work on improving her swing.
Players preparing for season debut
The HSBC Women’s World Championship will be held for the fourth time this year, but for some players the 2024 LPGA Tour season has just begun. Minjee Lee will make her first start of the season in Singapore, but this is the second year in a row that Lee has opted to start playing a little later to allow for her extended break. Lee finished the season with two wins in her final four games and she will be a player to watch as she looks to pick up where she left off last season. Considering she finished the season, it would not be surprising to see Lee compete in Singapore. She was the runner-up in the 2022 competition.
Like Minjee Lee, Alison Lee is also expected to perform well in 2023 and make her first start of the season in Singapore this week. With four second-place finishes and a LET win in her last five tournaments of the year, Allison Lee is hungrier than ever for a win on the LPGA Tour and will look to repeat that form at the start of the new season. I will try my best. However, she was bitten on the hand by her dog during the offseason, requiring stitches, which could affect her return to competition. This will be Leigh’s fourth appearance at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, and she will be aiming to break into the top 30 for the first time.
How to watch
Singapore is 13 hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone and will be watching the LPGA Tour late this week. The HSBC Women’s World Championship will be broadcast from February 28th to March 2nd from 9:30pm to 2:30am EST on Golf Channel and Peacock.