ssc_marcomms posted on February 01, 2012 22:19
Koh Sock Hwee clinched the coveted spot in the HSBC Women's Champions 2012 by winning the Host Country Qualifier at Tanah Merah Country Club yesterday. (Photo: Luvin A. Lim)
National golfer Koh Sock Hwee will represent Singapore at
the HSBC Women’s Champions 2012 happening at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC),
from 23 – 26 February.
The 22-year-old finished the two-day Host Country Qualifier
with a final score of 152 total to top nine other contenders at TMCC Garden
Course yesterday.
Koh was fourth in the qualifier after the first round, four
shots behind Amanda Tan who is the surprise day one leader.
However, Koh’s sheer determination led her to finish two
shots ahead of 12-year-old Amanda, to clinch the solitary host nation spot with
a spectacular birdie on the 18th hole.
Singapore Sports School student and day one leader, Amanda,
held onto her lead for the first few holes, however her hopes of becoming the
youngest participant in the history of the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament
started to slide away when Koh executed good drives and putts.
Koh Sock Hwee (in pink) nailed an excellent birdie on the last hole to seal her place in the HSBC Women's Champions 2012 event. (Photo: Luvin A. Lim)
Amanda said, “I was hitting my putts too long, and
my judgment of the irons was not as accurate as yesterday’s. It was all fine on
the front nine but going into the back nine, I tried to play like I did
yesterday. In the end however, I just made more mistakes.”
First round leader, Amanda Tan (in pink) had a tough time on the back nine holes as she gave away her lead due to misjudgement of shots. (Photo: Luvin A. Lim)
Koh, who will now face a stellar field of international
champions in the fifth edition of the prestigious tournament said of her win,
“I made birdies. I hit better, smarter, and played safely. It was just one of
those days where everything came together, I can’t pinpoint a single factor.”
When asked about her targets for the main tournament,
Koh replied, “There’s a lot of work to do. I’m aiming to reach my peak during
the tournament. I’ll be consulting my coach and see if we can work out a game
plan, something to work on for the tournament. I just want to play my best and
see where I stand amongst the best players.”
Mr Hia Hui Kim, Organising Chairman of HSBC Women’s
Champions 2012, TMCC, congratulated Koh on behalf of the host venue. He said:
“Once again today, we see that the standard of women’s golf continues to
improve in Singapore and this is in part due to the support that HSBC has
provided for the last five years in conjunction with the HSCB Women’s
Champions. It has been a fantastic competition and we wish Koh Sock Hwee the
best for the forthcoming LPGA event next month and for her future career.”
(From Left to Right) Mr Darren Friedlander, Head of Marketing of HSBC Singapore, Koh Sock Hwee, HSBC Women's Champions HCQ Winner, Robbie Henchman, Senior Vice President, Global Co-Managing Director, IMG Golf and Mr Hia Hui Kim, Organising Chairman of HSBC Women's Champions 2012, participating in a 'luo hei' session together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year together. (Photo: Luvin A. Lim)
The HSBC Women’s Champions is the third tournament
on the 2012 LPGA Tour calendar, following the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian
Open and the Honda LPGA Thailand 2012 and will see the star-studded field
competing for the coveted ‘Champion of Champion’s’ title and a prize fund of
US$1.4 million on Singapore soil.
Among the top names competing
here this year are world No 1 and five-time Major winner Yani Tseng of Taiwan,
and defending champion and seven-time Major champion Karrie Webb of Australia.
HSBC Women’s Champions 2012 – Local Qualifying
Tournament Results
(Name Day 1 Score Day 2 Score TOTAL)
The 10 local participants for the HSBC Women's Champions Host Country Qualifier 2012.(Photo: Luvin A. Lim)
1)KOH, Sock Hwee 80 72 152
2)TAN, Amanda 76 78 154
3)YONG, Amelia 77 82 159
4)HENG, Su Ann 82 78 160
5)POH, Joey 79 82 161
6)JI, Jiali 83 80 163
7)TAN, Phoebe Nicole 81 87 168
8)GOH, Christabel 89 89 178
9)LIM, Jia Yi 90 91 181
10)ANG, Jessica 96 87 183
For more information on the HSBC Women’s Champions
2012, please visit the tournament website at http://www.hsbcgolf.com/womens.