World Number 1 Jin Young Ko, defending Champion Hyo Joo Kim and World Numbers 3, 4 and 10, Lydia Ko, Inbee Park and Brooke Henderson lead field for 14th edition of ‘Asia’s Major’
Golfers at the official launch of the HSBC Women's World Championship 2022 (L-R) Inbee Park (South Korea), Jin Young Ko (South Korea), Hyo Joo Kim (South Korea), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Brooke Henderson (Canada). PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Singapore, 1 March 2022 – Five of the world’s best golfers gathered this morning at Sentosa Golf Club ahead of the 14th edition of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, taking place this week on The Tanjong course at Sentosa Golf Club, from 3rd to 6th March.
Sentosa Golf Club, a pioneer of sustainability in golf and a two-time winner of ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ category at the World Golf Awards, provided the perfect backdrop for the five Major winners to take time out from their preparations for the HSBC Women’s World Championship to celebrate being back in Singapore, surrounded by the blooming flora and fauna that the City is so famous for.
The much-loved Singapore championship has further enhanced its reputation as ‘Asia’s Major’ with an outstanding world class player line-up.
Golfers at the official launch of the HSBC Women's World Championship 2022 (L-R) Inbee Park (South Korea), Jin Young Ko (South Korea), Hyo Joo Kim (South Korea), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Brooke Henderson (Canada). PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
A perfect blend of champions, legends and new emerging stars will showcase their remarkable talents on the demanding yet stunning Tanjong course.
Twenty nationalities are represented with 20 Major winners in the field, boasting a haul of 33 Major titles between them, along with 21 Solheim Cup players who have made a remarkable 51 appearances in total.
Of the 66-player field, 40 have won at least one LPGA title and 26 have won LET titles, racking up a total of over 150 international career wins between them.
Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Defending Champion Hyo Joo Kim will be up against a star-studded field this week that includes all of the in-form winners of 2022 from the LPGA and LET Tours and seven past Champions.
She commented: “I’m very excited to be back here at Sentosa to try to defend my title. I know it is going to be tough as there are so many great players in the field this week but, from the moment I arrived here at Sentosa, all of the positive memories from last year came back to me and I felt immediately more confident. I was so proud to win the title last year against such a strong field so I hope that I can put up a really strong title defence.”
World No.3 Lydia Ko, a two-time Olympic medallist and already a winner this season, said: “HSBC has been one of the LPGA’s longest standing and most committed sponsors and this is one of our absolute favourite stops on the Tour as they are also wonderful hosts."
Lydia Ko of New Zealand speaks to members of media. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
"The course is always in absolutely perfect condition and everything from the set-up to the facilities, to the posters of us all over the city, to the field, make it feel exactly like a major week", she added.
I think the list of past Champions shows exactly why people refer to it as ‘Asia’s Major,’ with 11 of the 13 past Champions being Major winners, so it is definitely a title we would all love to add to our resumes."
Two-time champion Inbee Park added: “I am not sure there is a more beautiful place on the planet to play golf than Singapore and here at Sentosa Golf Club. As we play this week, I think I will be especially thoughtful to appreciate not only the amazing flora and fauna, but all the ways Sentosa works to be the sustainability champion of the year and grateful to HSBC for their support for us and long-term commitment to women’s golf.”
Former Olympic Champion Inbee Park at a press conference. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Kee Joo Wong, HSBC Singapore CEO said: “The biggest names in women’s golf are back in Singapore and we couldn’t be more excited for the week ahead. This championship has firmly established itself as a world-class event and showcases HSBC’s firm commitment to supporting women’s sports in Singapore. Being known as ‘Asia’s Major’ is very fitting. The tournament will be held at Sentosa Golf Club, one of the most prestigious courses in Asia, and we have a stellar line-up of women golfers competing for the title."
“Our partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and IMG has been hugely successful in creating new opportunities for the sport in Singapore and internationally, at both the elite and grassroots level. Few places, if any, offer all the elements we have in Singapore. A dynamic global hub, the world’s best golfers, emerging future stars, and an incredible setting at Sentosa. We hope the event will inspire the next generation of aspiring women golfers, locally and abroad. I wish the golfers all the best in the competition.”
Partners of the 2022 HSBC Women’s World Championship are: Singapore Tourism Board, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore Airlines, Lexus, Rolex, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Aon, Cisco Webex, Panasonic, ECCO Golf, Epson, OSIM, Under Armour, COBRA Golf, Ice Mountain, PengWine, TikTok, SONY, Titleist, The Glenrothes and 100PLUS.