AS the ultimate apply rounds have been performed at Sentosa Golf Membership, the dialog among the many world’s finest wasn’t simply in regards to the situation of the greens or the humidity of Singapore. As a substitute, the main focus has shifted to probably the most tough yardage in golf: the ten inches between the ears.
With 17 of the world’s prime 20 gamers and 16 main winners boasting 25 mixed titles, the 2026 HSBC Girls’s World Championship is as a lot a psychological marathon as a bodily one. For World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and World No. 7 Ruoning Yin, the key to conquering the acclaimed Tanjong Course lies in a radical shift in inner narrative.
Jeeno Thitikul’s rise was meteoric, reaching the world’s prime spot at simply 19. Nevertheless, that early stardom got here with a heavy psychological worth. Reflecting on her youthful self, Thitikul admits she was her personal harshest critic.
“All eyes have been watching,” Thitikul recalled. “The strain to carry out at that elite degree meant I felt each shot needed to be excellent.”
Now 23 and contemporary off an emotional victory in entrance of her house crowd in Thailand, Thitikul has traded perfectionism for presence. Whereas she acknowledges that nerves are a everlasting fixture of championship Sunday, her technique is not to suppress them, however to embrace them.
“I like to inform myself, that is the time that it’s essential to get pleasure from it,” she defined. “You want pleasure with the nervous moments. That’s why I sort of attempt to dance within the rain.”
Ruoning Yin, the 2023 Girls’s PGA Champion, mirrors Thitikul’s journey. Having reached World No. 1 inside three years of turning skilled, Yin struggled with the load of expectation and a “unfavorable” response to failure.
Heading into 2026, Yin has undergone a psychological overhaul. Moderately than ruminating on a missed putt, she now treats “unhealthy” pictures as knowledge factors for enchancment.
“I used to be like Jeeno, I used to be so unfavorable once I hit a foul shot once I was youthful,” Yin admitted. “However proper now, it’s simply, how can I study from it? How can I keep away from the identical mistake subsequent time?”
For Yin, the transition from an “immature” mindset to residing within the second has been the important thing to unlocking her 2026 type, which already contains two top-20 finishes this season.
The battleground for this psychological duel is the Tanjong Course, internet hosting the occasion for the twelfth time. Famend for its management in sustainability, Sentosa presents a world-class check that calls for strategic self-discipline. With 4 previous champions and 7 former World No. 1s within the subject, the 72-hole stroke play championship will likely be determined by who can stay grounded when the Singapore warmth and the leaderboard strain begins to rise.
As these younger stars have confirmed, the trophy gained’t simply go to one of the best ball-striker, however to the participant who wins the 10-inch conflict inside.
