Wednesday, February 22, 2012 9:10 PM :: 279 Views
World Number One, Yani Tseng from Taiwan, will be looking forward to add the HSBC Women' Champions title to her silverware collection. (Photo:Getty Images)
World number one female
golfer on the official Rolex Rankings, Yani Tseng has confirmed her return to Singapore to take part in the HSBC
Women’s Champions at the Tanah Merah Country Club from 23 to 26 February.
Tseng, who has won 12
LPGA titles and 20 international tournaments since turning professional in
2008, will travel to the city state with the aim of winning her first HSBC
Women’s Champions title. She finished third in 2010 and 2011.
The ‘Champion of
Champions’ event has one of the most challenging qualification criteria of any
golf event in the world. To earn a place in the US$1.4 million prize purse, a
player must have won a LPGA tournament in 2011 or finish the year in the Top 20
on the Rolex Rankings. However, this is effortless for the Taiwanese sensation,
who in 2011, at just 22 years, six months and eight days, became the youngest
player ever, male or female, to win five majors after claiming the RICOH
Women's British Open. Tseng also became the youngest player to win consecutive
Rolex Player of the Year awards, clinching the honour with five events
remaining on the 2011 schedule.
Tseng explained, “After
winning four LPGA events in a row and arriving in Singapore straight after the Thailand event last year, I went
into the tournament with high hopes, but had to settle for third place as
Karrie played very well on the back nine and she deserved to win. This year,
I’ll aim to come out even stronger and take the lead from the start. I am very
much looking forward to participating in this year’s HSBC Women’s Champions.”
Reigning HSBC Women's Champions' winner, Karrie Webb will have to play her very best to defend her title in Singapore.(Photo:Getty Images)
The fifth edition of the
HSBC Women’s Champions, also known as “Asia’s Major,” will once again boast an
elite field of players from within the women’s game. Tseng will be up against
the 2011, 2010 and 2009 champions, namely Karrie Webb, Ai Miyazato and Jiyai
Shin, respectively. The field of 63 will also include American duo, Cristie
Kerr and Paula Creamer, as well as Norwegian star Suzann Pettersen, who
finished as the World Number Two at the end of 2011.
Looking to replicate her winning form in this year’s event, Jiyai
Shin said, “I am excited to be playing in the HSBC Women’s Champions again this
year. I always look forward to being back in Singapore and facing the
challenging Garden Course against fellow champions of the game. This tournament
is one of the biggest we play all year on the LPGA schedule and it would
be amazing to win it again and a great way to start the year.”
 2009 winner, Jiyai Shin from South Korea will be looking forward to the highly intense tournament and rely on her winning form to bring back home the HSBC Champions' title. (Photo:Getty Images)
2010 winner, Miyazato said, “I love the HSBC Women’s Champions
tournament here in Singapore. I’m looking to improve my game for 2012 and I
hope I put on a good show for all the fans! I’m really looking forward to it.”
Japanese Ai Miyazato, is defitnitely a serious contender for the HSBC Women's Champions' title as she is the 2010 edition's winner and is no green-horn to the Singapore's course. (Photo:Getty Images)
Mr Alex Hungate, Group
General Manager and CEO, HSBC Singapore said, “The tournament continues to go
from strength to strength and it’s great to see the World Number One take her
place in such an illustrious field. With 49 of the 50 top ranked players on the
final LPGA Official Money List of 2012 heading to Singapore,
it’s no wonder HSBC Women’s Champions has become known as Asia’s Major. Yani made a late run at
last year's HSBC Women's Champions, finishing just three strokes back in third
place. I know that she will be going all out to try to win this champion of
champions event this year.”
Robbie Henchman, Global
Co-Managing Director and Senior Vice-President, IMG Golf said, “We’re thrilled
that Yani will be joining us next week to challenge for the 2012 title here at
Tanah Merah Country Club. It is important for any leading golf tournament to
have the World Number One in the field and we hope the fans will enjoy watching
the world’s best player compete against this elite international field. Yani
truly is the epitome of a champion, with so many accolades already to her name,
and we looking forward to seeing her in action at this year’s HSBC Women’s
Champions.”
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