SINGAPORE: South Korean golfer Ko Jin-young is targeting a possible third consecutive shot at the HSBC Women’s World Championship as she has confirmed her participation in next year’s tournament, which will be in Singapore from Feb 29 to Mar 3. The 72-hole stroke play tournament will again be played on the renowned Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, which hosts its 11th edition.
The current world number six ranked golfer first won the HSBC Women’s World Championship in 2022 and became the first player in the tournament’s history to successfully defend her title. The win in 2023 was memorably sweet for Ko as it marked her return to the winner’s circle for the first time since her last win at the same venue.
This year’s edition was also a test of mental and physical resilience for Ko. She was met with challenging weather conditions and had to manage a wrist injury that threatened to stop her playing career since her victory in 2022. But she managed to maintain her composure and win the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship by two shots over America’s Nelly Korda in a thrilling finale.
“This year’s win at Sentosa will always mean a lot to me. 2022 was a challenging year, and being able to successfully defend my title at one of Asia’s major events and one of my favourite stops on tour stirred up a lot of emotions for me,” said Ko, who clinched her 14th LPGA victory earlier this year at the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship.
“Singapore is truly an amazing city, and every year, we have the best time taking in the sights and enjoying world-class cuisine. I can’t wait to be back there in February and hopefully aiming for a third consecutive win,” she added.
Following her triumph in Singapore earlier in March, Ko added another LPGA Tour win to her illustrious career. The 28-year-old won the Cognizant Founders Cup in May for the third time in five years. She held off the challenge from 2022 winner Minjee Lee in a first-round playoff at the Upper Montclair Country Club in New Jersey, USA. She was also placed second at the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada in July.
The HSBC Women’s World Championship will be the fourth destination in the 2024 LPGA Tour. There will be two competitions in the USA in January before the LPGA Tour takes a trip to Asia from February to March. Thailand will be their first destination with the Honda LPGA in Chonburi. Singapore will then host the LPGA Tour series with the HSBC Women’s World Championship from Feb 29 – Mar 3, and then it will go to China for the Blue Bay LPGA at Hainan Island. The LPGA Tour will be back in Asia in October, with China, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan hosting a championship.
“HSBC is committed to opening up a world of opportunity for women in sport and to bringing the best of the world to Singapore. We’re delighted to welcome back our defending champion, Jin Young Ko, whose thrilling final-round performance was a highlight of this year’s event. Against the backdrop of Singapore, recognised as one of the world’s most dynamic cities, this world-class tournament finds the perfect stage at Sentosa Golf Club, and we couldn’t be more excited for the 2024 edition,” shared Kee Joo Wong, CEO of HSBC Singapore.
Tickets for next year’s 16th edition of the HSBC Women’s World Championship have been on sale from Thursday, Dec 14. There will be a special early bird offer with a 20% discount on weekend and seasonal tickets only.