LPGA moves to Singapore
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2011 HSBC Women's Champions | Preview | 23 Feb 2011
From Thailand the LPGA Tour moves to Singapore for this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions event at the Tana Merah Country Club’s Garden Course.
The 64 player field is again laced with the game’s leading players headed by the recently crowned world number one, Yani Tseng, who continues to increase her lead atop the Rolex World Ranking.
As was the case at last week’s season opener in Thailand, the field contains all but one of the leading ten players in the female game the only exception being Sun Ju Ahn who led the Japan LPGA Tour money list in 2011.
There is every reason to expect another Tseng victory following her consecutive victories in Taiwan, Melbourne, Queensland and last week in Thailand. Tseng finished 3rd in this event last year and appears almost unstoppable in her current form.
The defending champion is Ai Miyazato but she was the defending champion last week in Thailand also and finished 29th. It is difficult to see her successfully defending her title.
Jiyai Shin has played this event very well in the last two years, putting together an unbelievable weekend in 2009 to win by two over Katherine Hull and then finishing tied for third last year behind Miyazato. Shin was very disappointing last week when 35th in Thailand and will need significant improvement.
Michelle Wie served notice last week in Thailand that this could be a great year for her. Her 15th place finish in this event last year was pretty solid and there is little doubt she is a much improved player now.
In Kyung Kim finished 7th in this event last year and played well last week, contending for much of the tournament after an opening round of 63.
The Australians in the field are Karrie Webb, Katherine Hull and Lindsey Wright, Hull playing well here in 2009 when finishing runner-up behind Shin.
Webb improved significantly last week from her indifferent effort at the ANZ Ladies Masters and if she can continue that improvement then she stands some sort of chance.
The tournament carries a purse of US$1,400,000 with US$210,000 to the winner.
