The LPGA is on Singapore time this week for the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the first of two stops in Asia.
Headlining the 13th edition at Sentosa Golf Club will be a Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Patty Tavatanakit, Danielle Kang, Jin Young Ko, and Sung Hyun Park, the defending champ (2019).
As we do each week, here’s our list of the top-5 players who’ll be teeing it up on Sentosa’s New Tanjong Course.
1. Lydia Ko – The New Zealander star is back to being one of the tour’s very best. In six starts this season, the 23-year old Ko has a win and two runner-ups. In her six career starts at the HSBC, the former world No. 1 has four top-10s, including a runner-up. Her two finishes outside the top-10 were both T15.
2. Inbee Park – Korean legend has made four starts in 2021 and produced: 1, T7, T2, and T15. The event’s only two-time winner, Park scored victories in 2015 and 2017.
3. Jin Young Ko – The current world No. 1 has made five starts this season, and owns four top-10s, including three top-5s (T3, T7, 4, 4). Ko has teed it up twice at the HSBC and came away with T3 and T6.
4. Patty Tavatanakit – In five starts to the season, owns a (major) win, a top 5 and top 20. She enters off a CUT in L.A. but she entered the ANA off a CUT and won. The 21-year old Thai is making her debut in Singapore.
T5. Danielle Kang – Bailed out of the L.A. last week at the last minute, citing need for rest. In six starts the American owns three top-10s including a runner-up at season-opener. Ranked 11th in CME race, and 6th in Rolex Rankings. Kang does not have a great track record in this event(relative to her status as one of the world’s best): in six starts she’s has posted just two finishes inside the top-20, but both were top-5s (T2 2018, T5 2013).
T5. Sung Hyun Park – The defending champion is not the same player who won here in 2019. The former world No. 1 has struggled since injuring herself at the tail end of 2019. She hasn’t posted a top-10 result since a solo 8th place at the British Open on August 1, 2019. The 27-year old Korean, though, is way too talented to continue in this slump and this course seems to fit her game. Could this be the week she busts out of her slump?