WHENEVER Hannah Inexperienced returns to Singapore, she’s impressed anew on the high quality of the gorgeous Sentosa golf course, located on the banks of the town’s spectacular harbour.
It’s the scene of considered one of her greatest wins – final yr’s HSBC Ladies’s World Championship – and this yr, because the defending champion, she’s greeted as she drives to the course by big posters that includes her picture.
“Yeah, my face is in all places, within the resort, on the golf course, within the metropolis,” she stated as we speak. “So it’s uncommon to see it in all places however clearly it provides me a number of confidence, and hopefully I don’t put an excessive amount of added stress onto myself.”
Inexperienced jetted into Singapore on Sunday along with her husband, fellow skilled golfer Jarryd Felton, who missed the lower in final week’s Webex Gamers Collection Sydney at Fort Hill. It’s a uncommon alternative for them to be collectively for a event.
On Monday she performed 9 holes at Sentosa – the again 9, the place final yr she completed birdie, birdie, birdie to win the event.
“I used to be remembering the final three putts I made on 16, 17 and 18,” she stated.” I recreated the putt on 18. This can be a place that I’ve had not solely a win, however some good finishes. So I’m trying ahead to a title defence.”
Inexperienced clearly feels at dwelling at Sentosa. “Each time I come right here, I all the time say the tee packing containers appear like the placing greens. It’s all the time rather well manicured,” she stated.
“It’s nearly like a house occasion. This is identical time zone as the place I reside and solely a five-hour flight. It’s the closest LPGA occasion that we’ve to my dwelling metropolis.”
Inexperienced, whose final skilled outing was a tied fourth within the Founders Cup in Florida in early February, stated she had benefitted from a fortnight along with her long-time coach Ritchie Smith in Perth.
“I used to be actually according to my ball-striking in that final event, and that’s clearly one thing that you just want right here in Sentosa,” she stated.
“Hopefully I can proceed with these. I’d say the greens are a bit bit trickier right here. So hopefully I can hit them to the proper spots and provides myself some birdie alternatives.
“I simply don’t need to put an excessive amount of stress on myself. , being a defending champion is all the time fairly troublesome. So ensuring that I’m simply having fun with this journey, and hopefully I can hit the primary tee shot within the fairway.”
Lining up on the Sky Park infinity pool at Manna Bay Sands are (from left) Yin Ruoning, Jeannie Thitikul, Shannon Tan, Hannah Inexperienced, Lilia Vu and Charley Hull.Photographs courtesy of Andrew Reddington, Getty Pictures
Standing in Inexperienced’s path is Britain’s Charley Hull, ranked No 8 on the earth and making her second LPGA Tour begin of the yr.
“I simply love enjoying golf,” she stated. “Love enjoying in tournaments. Simply being out on the golf course, and I’ve been working onerous over the winter on my recreation.
“I actually like Singapore and I haven’t performed in just a few years. I actually don’t like being away for greater than two weeks on the street. In order that’s why I haven’t performed this one sadly.”
Hull, who prides herself on her health, received’t be in need of stamina.
She flew into Singapore on Monday after a 13-hour flight from the UK. “I slept for 12 and a half hours, she stated. “Acquired off the aircraft and did an 11km run. Went to sleep about 11 o’clock, received up this morning and did a 10km run, so it was fairly a bit.”
The HSBC Womens World Championship, of which Inside Golf is proud to be a media associate, is an early spotlight of this yr’s LPGA Tour. It has been performed 16 instances and on 14 of these events has been taken out by a serious champion.
Performed on the Tanjong course at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Membership, considered one of Asia’s most acclaimed venues, this yr’s occasion has attracted a top-class area, together with world No 2 Ruoning Yin and 9 of the world’s prime 10 gamers.
Providing prize cash of US$2.5 million and sometimes called ‘Asia’s Main,’ the occasion shall be performed from Thursday to Sunday, and televised by Fox Sports activities.
