THIS WEEK ON THE LPGA TOUR
Week of March 1, 2015
HSBC Women’s Champions
Sentosa Golf Club – The Serapong Course
Singapore
TOP STORYLINES
LPGA RETURNS TO SINGAPORE
The LPGA Tour heads to Singapore this week for the HSBC Women’s Champions for the eighth consecutive season. A field of 63 players (with no cut) will tee it up, including 19 out of the top-20 in the Rolex Rankings, at the Sentosa Golf Club – The Serapong Course.
In the first four LPGA events of 2015, there have been three South Korean (Na Yeon Choi, Sei Young Kim and Amy Yang) winners and one Kiwi (Lydia Ko) and all for were born in South Korea.
Will that trend continue this week in Singapore?
PAULA RETURNS TO DEFEND
At last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions, Paula Creamer sank what may have been the putt of her career to clinch her 10th career LPGA victory. Creamer drained a 75-foot eagle putt on the second sudden-death playoff hole to defeat Spain’s Azahara Munoz. “The putt heard round the world” was one of the most exciting finishes in golf last year and we will certainly see the finish on highlight reels for years to come.
The victory snapped a 79 event winless streak for Creamer that dated back to the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open Championship. Creamer has played the HSBC Women’s Champions six times coming into this year, and has four, top-3 finishes.
KO BREAKING RECORDS
World No. 1 Lydia Ko has won each of the last two tournaments she has played in, the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open two weeks ago and then her national championship, the Women’s New Zealand Open this past week. She is in the field this week and looking for her third consecutive win and second LPGA victory this year.
Ko has now won 10 career professional events and she is just 17-years old. Jiyai Shin was 19 years old when she won her 10th career professional event, Nancy Lopez was 22, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were each 24 years old when they hit the mark and finally Annika Sorenstam was 25. Once again, Lydia Ko finds herself atop most leaderboards.
| Year | Event | Tour |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 |
Bing Lee Samsung Women’s NSW Open |
ALPGA ((as an amateur) |
| 2012 |
CN Canadian Women’s Open |
LPGA (as an amateur) |
| 2013 |
ISPS Handa New Sealand Women’s Open |
LET |
| 2013 |
CN Canadian Women’s Open |
LPGA (as an amateur) |
| 2013 |
Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters |
KLPGA |
| 2014 |
Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic |
LPGA |
| 2014 |
Marathon Classic |
LPGA |
| 2014 |
CME Group Tour Championship |
LPGA |
| 2015 |
ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open |
LPGA |
| 2015 | ISPS Handa NZ Women's Open | LET |
ROOKIES TO WATCH
One of the biggest storylines of the year on the LPGA Tour is the strength of the rookie class. It is arguably the strongest rookie class in the history of the LPGA and the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year race is one that needs to be followed closely throughout the year.
Four LPGA rookies are ranked in the top 25 of the Rolex Rankings. Two rookies, Q Baek and Hyo Joo Kim, won LPGA events in 2014 before they took up LPGA membership while Hyo Joo Kim has already won a major championship. Kim won The Evian Championship in 2014, thanks to an opening-round 61 and became the third-youngest player in history to win a women’s major championship. Kim makes her 2015 LPGA debut this week.
So far in 2015, the rookie class has lived up to the hype. Ha Na Jang tied for second in the seasonopening Coates Golf Championship. Sei Young Kim won the Pure Silk Bahamas Classic with fellow rookie, Ariya Jutanugarn, tying for second after losing in a playoff. Sei Young Kim also tied for fifth at least week’s Honda LPGA Thailand.
For a complete list of LPGA rookies, visit http://www.lpga.com/news/2015-rookies-class
QUICK FACTS
March 2-8
HSBC Women’s Champions
Sentosa Golf Club – The Serapong Course
Singapore
Field: 63 players
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,600
Purse: $1,400,000
Winner: $210,000
Defending Champion: Paula Creamer
TV Times
Golf Channel
March 5 Golf Channel 11:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
March 6 Golf Channel 4:30 - 7:30 a.m.
March 7 Golf Channel 4:30 - 7:30 a.m.
March 8 Golf Channel 5:00 - 7:30 a.m.
All times listed are U.S. Eastern
Sponsor Invitations (2)
Jing Yan
Minjee Lee
2015 LPGA Tour Rookies (3)
Q Baek
Hyo Joo Kim
Sei Young Kim
Rolex Rankings
Top 10: 10/10
Top 20: 19/20
2015 LPGA Official Money List
Top 10: 7/10
Top 20: 17/20
Past Champions
Paula Creamer 2014*
Stacy Lewis 2013
Angela Stanford 2012*
Karrie Webb 2011
Ai Miyazato 2010
Jiyai Shin 2009
Lorena Ochoa 2008
*Won in a playoff
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