The LPGA Tour makes its way to Singapore this week for the sixth-annual HSBC Women’s Champions, where 63 of the world’s elite female golfers will compete for $210,000 first-place check and the “Champion of Champions” title.
Defending champion, Rolex Rankings No. 19 Angela Stanford, faces the challenging task of defending her title against 17 of the world's top 20 players on the Official Rolex Rankings. The 13-year veteran on Tour won the 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions after a four-player playoff at the Tanah Merah Country Club, taking victory over Jenny Shin, Na Yeon Choi and Shanshan Feng. Her fifth-career LPGA victory came after a three-year winless drought when she won the 2009 SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Stanford comes into this week after placing in the top-30 in the first two tournaments of the 2013 season.
The all-star line-up this week also consists of four of the most aggressive players so far this season including No. 1 Yani Tseng, No. 3 Stacy Lewis, No. 4 Inbee Park and No. 6 Jiyai Shin.
Tseng is coming off a hot start to the season after two powerful Sunday surges at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and the Honda LPGA Thailand. She came from a few strokes back at each event to finish second and tied for third, respectively. The 2010 and 2011 Rolex Player of the Year is coming off a roller coaster of a season in 2012 where she searched for consistency during the summer, but through her finishes so far this season she has managed to take hold of her game again.
Following a stellar Rolex Player of the Year worthy season, Lewis rolls into the week having lead in Thailand for the first two rounds. She finished in a tie for third last week with Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year So Yeon Ryu, Spain’s Beatriz Recari and Yani Tseng.
Shin and Park enter the week already holding a 2013 title in their hands after clinching the first two victories of the season. Riding on the heels of a successful 2012 season, both Shin and Park in the hunt to be players to beat this year.
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