SINGAPORE: Joining the elite field and making her debut at the 2024 HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore is China’s emerging talent, Miranda Wang. The event takes place at Sentosa Golf Club from 29 Feb to 3 March.
“I am extremely thankful to HSBC for awarding me this invitation and providing me the amazing opportunity to compete in Asia’s major for the first time. Playing on the LPGA tour has always been my dream, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to make my second appearance in just a couple of weeks,” expressed Wang, who graduated in public policy and psychology from Duke University, USA.
“Spending last year playing on the Epson Tour has taught me so much, and hopefully, by learning from these incredible experiences, I will achieve LPGA status by 2025,” added Wang, who boasted a victory at the IOA Championship and four top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour last year.
She will also be joined by three other invitees – South Korea’s Chun In-Gee, Chinese rising star Muni He, and 2016 China Women’s Professional Golf Association Tour winner Shi Yuting.
For 24-year-old Wang, the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore will be her second opportunity to compete in the LPGA circuit. Her first was the Buick LPGA Shanghai in Oct last year.
While she primarily competed mostly in Futures-level tournaments, Wang shone in her final competition in 2023 at the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge, a China LPGA Tour event. She shared the fourth spot with China’s Pan Yanhong and Huang Ching from Chinese Taipei.
Undoubtedly, one of the more familiar faces to golfing fans will be Chun, a decorated golfer among the four invitees.
Currently ranked 38th in the world, she boasts three impressive major titles: the 2022 Women’s PGA Championship, the 2016 Evian Championship, and the 2015 US Women’s Open. She reached her highest-ever ranking in 2016 when she climbed to third place.
China’s Muni will be another invite to look out for at this year’s HSBC Women’s Championship. She won the Prasco Charity Championship during her rookie year on the Epson tour in 2018.
Since her arrival on the LPGA Tour in 2019, her impact has extended beyond the golf course, gaining recognition for her influence in the fashion world and amassing a significant social media following of 773k followers.
The HSBC Women’s World Championship boasts an international field with representation from 20 countries worldwide. Widely recognised as Asia’s Major, seven out of the top 10 ranked players on the field hail from Asian descent.
This includes the world’s top three as well as the fifth and sixth-ranked players, and joining them is South Korean-born Hyo Joo Kim, the champion of the 2021 edition.
World number seven Lydia Ko, who recently clinched her 20th LPGA title at the first event of the season, is eager to be back in Singapore as she aims to win the championships for a record third consecutive time.
“I can’t wait to be back at Sentosa this year, especially since it marks my tenth appearance at this event. The Asian Swing is one of my favourite times of the year; we always have the best time in Singapore, enjoying the restaurants and exploring the city.
Starting the season with a win has given me a great boost for the year ahead, and winning this prestigious event would definitely be a meaningful achievement for me,” said Ko, who won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida in Jan this year.
The four Asian invites will be joined by 15-year-old Singaporean amateur Chen Xing Tong, who clinched victory at the recent HSBC Women’s World Championship national qualifier at Sentosa Golf Club.
Chen’s strong performance over the two-day event, which began on Jan 24, secured her victory by an impressive four shots, earning her a coveted LPGA debut to compete among the world’s top players in just over two weeks.