Michelle Wie (Photo by Andrew Redington)
Sentosa will be a city of stars, come Thursday (March 1), when 19 out of the 20 best female golfers around the globe compete in the HSBC Women's World Championship, in Sentosa Golf Club.
The competitors combine for 177 LPGA Tour wins, including 29 majors and among them are the five major winners from last year.
Snagging the tournament's final spot is Thai rising star Atthaya Thitikul, after she secured a wire-to-wire victory at the Women’s Amateur AsiaPacific championship last Saturday. The 15-year-old prodigy will have momentum going into the tourney as she is coming off a 12-month remarkable run.
The 15-year-old is the youngest winner of the Ladies European Tour after her victory in July. She also bagged gold medals in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games individual and team events in Malaysia a month later.
“I am looking forward to everything on offer at the HSBC Women's World Championship which will certainly make me a stronger player for the future,” Thitikul stated. “After two practice rounds and four rounds in regulations, I am comfortable with the course layout and my plans for the week,” she added.
Thitikul will be joined by Hawaiian Michelle Wie whose inclusion in last year’s tournament came after she was invited by the sponsor HSBC. Wie, however, proved that she was worthy of being in the competition by topping the leader board after rounds one and three.
Wie, however, was bested by Olympic Champion Inbee Park who went on to claim the trophy for the second time.
“I put myself in a great position last year but just wasn’t able to carry that through into the final round,” Wie said. “So yes, a bit of unfinished business in Singapore perhaps. It’s a great tournament and the new course really suits my game, so looking forward to getting back out there and giving it another shot.”
Adding to the star power in Singapore will be Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, who will join the event as Guest of Honour, to celebrate the Women’s World Championship’s elevated status.