WHILE lots of her rivals had been competing within the Honda LPGA Thailand this week, Hannah Inexperienced has been at her Perth dwelling, quietly making ready for her defence of the HSBC Girls’s World Championship in Singapore.
Inexperienced, the world No 6 participant, received the title on the Sentosa Golf Membership final 12 months, birdieing the final three holes to beat France’s Celine Boutier by a stroke.
After she tied for fourth within the Founders Cup in Florida earlier this month – simply her second LPGA occasion for the 12 months – Inexperienced headed dwelling for a fortnight’s one-on-one coaching with coach Ritchie Smith.
Her go to allowed Inexperienced to attend the 2024 Western Australian Sports activities Awards, the place Smith was named Coach of the 12 months – a becoming acknowledgement of a 12 months during which Inexperienced received three LPGA occasions, and his new cost Elvis Smylie claimed the WA Open and the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Inexperienced is happy along with her promising begin to the 12 months.
“I’ve made the journey over, so it’s good to have had some good outcomes, but additionally see what I have to work on to prepare for my title defence in Singapore,” she mentioned.
“I’ve caught up with my coach as a lot as potential,” she mentioned. “I feel I wanted to play a little bit bit extra whereas I’m dwelling. I felt like whenever you’re on the vary you at all times hit it good. Simply expertise some wind or no matter it could be.
“Attempting to play a little bit bit extra earlier than I get to Singapore was most likely my purpose.”
The HSBC Girls’s World Championship, of which Inside Golf is a proud media companion, presents prize cash of US$2.5 million and is sometimes called ‘Asia’s Main’ golf occasion.
The occasion, which has been received by a serious champion in 14 of the 16 events it has been held, begins on Thursday and shall be televised stay on Fox Sports activities.
It has once more attracted a top-class discipline, that includes 9 of the world’s high 10 gamers.
They embrace world No 2 Ruoning Yin, from China, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, American Lilia Vu, Haeran Ryu of Korea, Ayaka Furue of Japan, Celine Boutier, and Charley Hull of England.
Becoming a member of Inexperienced are fellow Australians Minjee Lee, already the winner of 10 LPGA occasions, Gabi Ruffels, who had 4 high 10 LPGA finishes final 12 months, LPGA Tour winner Grace Kim and Steph Kyriacou, who completed runner-up in final 12 months’s Evian Championship.
Certainly one of Inexperienced’s fiercest rivals shall be New Zealand champion Lydia Ko, the world No 3, who has claimed 22 LPGA Tour wins, together with three majors, and is making her tenth look within the occasion.
Ko and Inexperienced, respectively 27 and 28 years of age, are among the many favourites, Ko having received an Olympic gold medal, the AIG Girls’s Open, and the Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship in 2024, in addition to claiming a spot within the World Golf Corridor of Fame.
Inexperienced, whose first LPGA victory was within the 2019 Girls’s PGA Championship, went on seize the JM Eagle Championship and the BMW final 12 months after claiming the HSBC Girls’s World Championship.
Sentosa Golf Membership is without doubt one of the world’s premier golf services, having received titles for ‘Asia’s Finest Golf Course’, ‘Asia’s Finest Eco-Pleasant Golf Facility’ and ‘Singapore’s Finest Golf Course’ within the 2024 World Golf Awards.
