Lexi Thompson will line up at Sentosa next month. Picture by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Singapore: Sentosa Golf Club, an Asian Golf Industry Federation Golf Facility Member, is once more preparing to welcome the world’s best golfers.
Less than five weeks after hosting male world number one
Jordan Spieth in the Singapore Open, Sentosa’s award-winning Serapong Course will roll out the red carpet for the game’s finest female exponents in the ninth edition of the HSBC Women’s Champions.
Indeed, organisers have confirmed that the top-10 players in the world ranking will compete in the US$1.5 million event from March 3-6.
Joining world number one
Lydia Ko and world number two and defending champion
Park In-bee will be the next eight highest ranked players in the world.
Stacy Lewis,
Lexi Thompson and
Brittany Lincicome, the world’s third, fourth and 16
th ranked golfers respectively, along with 2014 HSBC Women’s Champions winner
Paula Creamer will lead the American challenge.
Two-time Major champion Lewis said: “The HSBC Women’s Champions is one of the toughest tournaments on the Tour as the quality of the field is always exceptional. Lydia and In-bee are the in-form players at the moment; they are great competitors and deserving champions. But I am working hard on my game. I came third last year behind them but I have won this before, so no reason why I cannot do it again.”
Supporting Park in a strong Korean contingent are
Ryu So-yeon [world number five],
Kim Sei-young [seven],
Amy Yang [eight],
Chun In-gee [nine] and
Kim Hyo-joo [10].
Flying the flag for China will be
Feng Shanshan, joint runner-up in Singapore in 2012 and tied fourth last year.
The world number six said: “The HSBC Women’s Champions is one of my favourite tournaments and one that I have been close to winning. Training has gone well over the off-season and I am looking forward to a good start in 2016. I am looking forward to catching up with my fans in Singapore and experiencing the new-look and feel of the event.”
Off the course,
Take That will perform live in Singapore for the first time in more than two decades, giving a one-off concert on March 5.
Meanwhile, Electronic Dance Music DJ
Jack Novak will fly in from the US to join local DJ
FARZ and DJ
Li.A to spin records for fans at the end of each day’s play.
Celebrity chef
Monica Galetti will headline the culinary element of the four-day festival. Visitors to the HSBC Women’s Champions will be among the first in Asia to sample the Samoa-born Galetti’s critically acclaimed dishes.