World’s Top Five and All 2022 Major Winners in Field for 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship

Entries have closed for the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore, March 2-5 with 18 of the world’s top 20 ranked players confirmed in the field.

The five best players in the world will lead the stellar line-up as World No.3 Minjee Lee, World No.4 Atthaya Thitikul join previously announced No.1, 2, and 5 Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, and defending champion Jin Young Ko.

Thai star, Thitikul, who tasted victory at Sentosa during her amateur career when she won the 2018 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific as a 15-year-old, finished in 4^th place last year, kicking off a remarkable run that included 16 top 10 finishes, two victories, and saw her crowned 2022 LPGA Rookie of the Year. Thitikul spent two weeks at No.1 on the Rolex Rankings (Oct 31- Nov 13) and a strong finish at the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship could help return her to the top spot.

Australian fan-favorite Lee won two titles in 2022 including her second major title at the US Open. A stunning closing round of 63 saw her finish in tied second place at Sentosa in 2022 and it remains fresh in her mind as she looks forward to returning next month, commenting: “Remembering my final round on The Tanjong course makes me excited to return to Singapore this year. I mean, I’m always excited to visit Singapore as it’s such an awesome city, but any time you finish in second place you are eager to come back and see if you might be able to go one better.”

All of last year’s Major champions are in the line-up including American Jennifer Kupcho, (The Chevron Championship) Minjee Lee, (US Open) South Korean In Gee Chun, (KPMG LPGA Championship 2022) Canadian Brooke Henderson, (The Amundi Evian Championship), and South African Ashleigh Buhai, (AIG Women’s Open 2022) with all looking to win this coveted title for the first time.

Henderson, a two-time Major winner, who finished tied 6^th last year and runner-up in 2018, commented: “I am most looking forward to having fans back at the HSBC Women’s World Championship this year as I definitely missed their support out on the course last year. It’s a special week on our Tour and one of our favorites of the year! HSBC ensures we have a major setup in terms of the course and facilities, Sentosa is such a beautiful setting, everyone’s so friendly and we are made to feel so welcome. And Singapore has some of the best food and shopping anyone could ask for!”

Kee Joo Wong, CEO of HSBC Singapore said: “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 are thrilled to see such a stellar line-up for the 15^th edition of the HSBC Women’s World Championship.”

There are still six spots to be claimed with the winner of the National Qualifier taking place at Sentosa, Feb 8-9, securing the chance to compete amongst the elite of women’s golf. Five sponsor invitations will be announced in due course along with the winner of the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand, if not otherwise qualified.

Partners of the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship already confirmed are Sentosa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Lexus, Rolex, Singapore Airlines, AON, ECCO, Mandarin Oriental, Panasonic, Penfolds, Puma, Epson, COBRA Golf, Titleist, Sony, Ice Mountain, 100 Plus, TikTok.

This year marks the 15^th edition of the HSBC Women’s World Championship and remarkably, of the 14 previous winners, 12 are Major champions, lending yet further credibility to the player’s claim that this is ‘Asia’s Major.’

The 72-hole stroke play tournament will once again be played on the renowned Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, which hosts its tenth edition of the tournament. Sentosa Golf Club is a leading light in driving sustainability initiatives in golf around the world and was recently named ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ at the annual World Golf Awards.

For more information on the HSBC Women’s World Championship and all the latest news, please visit the tournament website at https://www.hsbcgolf.com/womens

About HSBC

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 63 countries and territories in its geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of $2,992bn at 30 September 2022, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

HSBC Group’s history in Singapore dates back to 1877 when its founding member, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, opened its first branch on the island. A qualifying full bank, One of the earliest banks to establish in Singapore, HSBC today is a prominent player in Singapore’s financial services sector serving the banking needs of multi-national corporations, home-grown businesses, private banking clients, institutional and retail customers.

About HSBC Golf Sponsorships

HSBC’s global commitment to golf encompasses all levels of the game, from grassroots to elite.

HSBC recently announced the renewal of three key pillars of its global golf brand partnership portfolio: the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Programme.  All three partnerships are key components of HSBC’s global brand partnership activities and these multi-year title sponsorship renewals secure the future of one of the most successful grassroots golf programmes in the world and two of the biggest golf events in Asia.’

HSBC is also a Patron of The Open Championship, AIG Women’s Open and title sponsor of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Underpinning these flagship events is a longer-term ambition to create a legacy through sponsorship of youth development and grassroots initiatives. In China, the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Programme is a long-term structure upon which the future of Chinese golf is being built.  In Singapore, HSBC’s partnership with the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) plays an important role in helping to encourage golf in the country at all levels. The HSBC Youth Golf Challenge (HYGC), in partnership with the SGA, has helped nurture home talent.  In the UK, HSBC is the umbrella partner of HSBC Golf Roots, The Golf Foundation’s national development initiative which promotes the sport in schools, helps youngsters into clubs and uses golf to promote important life skills.

About Sentosa Golf Club

Sentosa Golf Club is recognised as one of the most established golf clubs in Singapore and Asia, with two world-class championship golf courses – The Serapong and The Tanjong, excellent practices facilities and a contemporary clubhouse. Situated on the premier island of Sentosa, with a breathtaking backdrop of Singapore’s iconic cityscape, the Club regularly receives world-class accolades and is enjoyed by 1,500 distinguished members. Sentosa is currently ranked inside the ‘Top 100 World’s Greatest Golf Courses’ by Golf Digest, ‘Top 100 in the World’ by Platinum Clubs of the World, whilst The Serapong occupies the top spot in Golf Digest’s latest biennial rankings for ‘Singapore’s Best Courses’, with The Tanjong placed third. The club’s two championship ready courses – The Serapong and The New Tanjong – are amongst the most challenging yet exciting golf courses in the region. As well as its thriving reputation, the club has played host to several high-profile professional events, including the SMBC Singapore Open on a record thirteen occasions, where many of the sport’s biggest names compete on The Serapong for one of Asia’s biggest prize funds. The club is also home to the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the marquee LPGA Tour event dubbed ‘Asia’s Major.’ Offering more than a memorable golfing experience, the club has excellent meeting and banqueting facilities for corporate networking, as well as high-end dining options. Following on from becoming the first golf club in the world to sign the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Initiative, the club continued to accelerate its sustainability credentials by becoming the world’s first golf club to commit to carbon neutrality by 2022. The club also collected a number of high-profile awards in 2021, including ‘World’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ for the second consecutive year, as well as ‘Singapore’s Best Golf Course’ for the fourth consecutive year for The Serapong at the World Golf Awards. Sentosa was also named ‘Sustainability Champion of the Year’ at the Britcham 22^nd Annual Business Awards, organized by the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.