The greens at the Sentosa Golf Club are usually a picture of tranquility, but you can expect the atmosphere to heat up from 2 – 5 March 2023 when the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship returns.
The stellar line-up will see 18 of the world’s top 20 ranked players tee off for the prestigious title once again, including five of the best players in the world today. This includes World No.3 Minjee Lee and World No.4 Atthaya Thitikul, who will join current World No.1, 2 and 5 Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda and defending champion Jin Young Ko.
Jin Young Ko had a remarkable 2022. The South Korean golfer – now a two-time Major winner – took last year’s title after a nail-biting final day. Going into the last hole tied with Jeongeun Lee6, Ko would go on to make birdie, while Lee6 would have to settle for a double bogey, dropping her down into tied fourth place with Atthaya Thitikul, one shot behind both Minjee Lee and In Gee Chun. She will, however, have to be at the top of her game come 2 March, as she’ll face tough competition from the other headliners.
With a recent win in Saudi Arabia, world’s leading female golfer Lydia Ko has her eyes firmly set on the big prize in Singapore. The New Zealander came out tops at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship last year, bouncing back to win the coveted World’s No.1 spot for the first time since the summer of 2017. Her three wins last year also earned her the LPGA Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy for low scoring average of a remarkable 68.99.
“I had an amazing year and to finish the season with a win and a return to the top of the world rankings was very special. Looking ahead to next season, Singapore is one of my favourite cities to visit and the HSBC Women’s World Championship is definitely an event I would love to win one day. It always has such a strong field and an amazing list of past champions that it would be such an honour to add my name to the list,” Ko said.
Hot on her heels is World No.2 and 2021 Olympic gold medalist, Nelly Korda, who took fourth place in the recent HGV Tournament of Champions, and made the news last month having just signed with Nike Golf.
Korda’s win at the Pelican’s Women’s Championship in November last year briefly returned her to World No. 1, until Ko won a week later, making their neck-to-neck battle at the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship all the more thrilling. The 24-year-old American star will return to Singapore for the first time since 2019 with her sister Jessica, both of whom missed the previous tournaments due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“We are so excited to return to Singapore having missed out the last couple of years. It is an awesome event, full of the best players in the world and HSBC really thinks of everything to make it such a special week for us,” said Korda.
Although Lee won the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, she fell just short in becoming Australia’s first female golfer to be World No. 1, so all eyes will be on her as she fights her way up the leaderboard once more this year. On her highly anticipated return to Singapore next month, she commented: “Remembering my final round on The Tanjong course makes me excited to return to Singapore this year. I mean, I’m always excited to visit Singapore as it’s such an awesome city, but any time you finish in second place you are eager to come back and see if you might be able to go one better.”
Meanwhile, Thai wunderkind Thitikul, who once conquered Sentosa at the 2018 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Sentosa as a 15-year-old, finished in 4th place last year. 2022 was especially memorable for her, especially since she was crowned 2022 LPGA Rookie of the Year. Having spent two weeks at No.1 on the Rolex Rankings from 31 October – 13 November 2022, a strong finish at the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship could give her a boost up from World No. 4 to the pinnacle again.
Other Major champions from last year who are also the line-up include American Jennifer Kupcho, South Korean In Gee Chun, Canadian Brooke Henderson, and South African Ashleigh Buhai, all of whom are looking to snag the coveted title for the first time.
Now in its 15th edition, the picturesque Tanjong Course at the Sentosa Golf Club will once again play host to the 72-hole stroke play tournament. Of the 14 previous winners, 12 have been Major champions, so it’s little surprise that the HSBC Women’s World Championship has been dubbed ‘Asia’s Major’.
And what better stage to do it on than at the Sentosa Golf Club. More than just a pretty face, the golf course has also been a beacon for sustainability initiatives around the world, and has done so well that it was recently named ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ at the annual World Golf Awards.
Of course, there’s plenty to look forward to besides a world-class display of the sport at the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship this year.
To fuel the excitement, the tournament this year will see a HSBC Women’s World Championship Fan Village, where the entire family can kick back and relax to good food, fun activities and great vibes all around.
The Par & Bar, for example, is a lounge set up for spectators to relax and unwind, although there’s still a viewing area for guests who want to keep up with all the action. At the Kult Kafe there, grab signature ‘Kultails’, craft beers and artisan coffee, then put your skills to the test at the Beat the Pro challenge nearby. Come sundown on the weekends, party away as a DJ injects a little groove to the venue.
For a different take on golfing in Singapore, take a swing (or two) at the city’s iconic skyline. Here, you’ll have three goes at putting from the top of the platform to try and get the ball in one of the designated holes. You’ll want to bring your A-game for this to win a special prize.
If you get peckish, hit up a selection of local food trucks, which includes the likes of The Halal Food Truck, The Traveling Cow, Quick Greens, and The Good Burger. Sustainable dishes will also be available as part of HSBC’s One Planet Plate initiative. If the heat proves too much for you, hit up the Par & Bar to cool down – with a cocktail in hand, of course.
Then visit the Lexus mini golf installation, cool down with a refreshing F&N popsicle, or shop the latest apparel from Puma and footwear from Ecco. Puma will even be conducting daily fitness assessments for guests who want to test out their fitness.
Another space worth checking out is the HSBC Experience Centre, which will not only host a pop-up store curated by The Art Faculty that features a variety of pieces created and designed by individuals on the autism spectrum, but also the opportunity to win merchandise and exclusive prizes. Visitors can also experience the sport virtually via the ‘HSBC Metaverse Golf Challenge’.
The stage is set for the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship to be the best ever.
For more information on the HSBC Women’s World Championship and all the latest news, visit the tournament website here. Tickets can be purchased here.
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