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Hong Kong golfer Tiffany Chan ahead of the 2023 HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Photo: David Ash/Singaporemaven

HSBC Women’s World Championship: Chan targets top 10 and hopes to get season off to a flyer at ‘Asia’s major’

  • Tiffany Chan among strong field in Singapore for her first tournament of the season
  • 29-year-old will be playing in front of family and friends and hopes solid display will create some momentum for the year
LPGA Tour
Adam Hancock

Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching begins her season in Singapore at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday, with a top 10 finish in mind.

The 29-year-old has been invited to compete in the no-cut event, which features nine of the world’s top 10 players, at Sentosa Golf Club.

Chan had her best season on the LPGA Tour last year and was optimistic about her chances in her first tournament of 2023.

“Being able to play in Singapore is great and hopefully I can get a top 10 this week, that would be a great start for the year,” she said.

Ranked world No 378, Chan tee off in the last group of the morning, alongside Thailand’s ​​Ariya Jutanugarn and South Africa’s Paula Reto, after receiving one of five sponsor’s invites. Other spots were given to Chinese pair Yu Liu and Shi Yuting.

World No 1 Lydia Ko shares a laugh with the media ahead of the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. Photo: David Ash/Singaporemaven

A strong field and rich history of winners has earned the tournament the nickname ‘Asia’s major’, with the winner earning almost US$300,000.

And being back in the region also means Chan can enjoy the backing of some of her own supporters.

“My family and friends are going to come here this week to support me, it’ll make a big difference,” she said. “Being lonely by myself playing to stay on the LPGA is definitely a little different than having family and friends supporting me.”

Chan, who was speaking at the launch of a special necklace for players this week created by local jewellery brand RISIS in collaboration with HSBC, said she hoped a solid display would “create a good momentum” for the season.

Reigning champion Jin Young Ko is defending her title in Singapore, with the Korean world No 5 coming into the tournament on the back of a top 10 finish at the Honda LGPA Thailand event last week.

Tiffany Chan and her caddie walk off the course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore after completing a practice round ahead of the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Photo: David Ash/Singaporemaven

World No 1 Lydia Ko will also be in action, and Chan, who still hopes to break through and reach the top of the sport, is aware of the strength of the women’s game.

“Golf is tough,” she said. “The girls are so good nowadays. Everyone is a great golfer, in order to be one of them, you’ve just gotta keep grinding.

“Being able to play and learn from other players in the past five years has definitely helped me a lot and I definitely see a big improvement in myself.

“Like Tiger [Woods] said, every time he goes for a tournament he shows up to win and I think that’s the mentality that everyone in this field has.”

If past performances in Singapore are a sign of future success, then things are looking good for Chan.

Her previous outing in the country included a hole-in-one at the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open last December. The first time she had achieved the feat.

“That was my last tournament of last season. I’d been playing well with two top tens last year and my first hole-in-one only two months ago in Singapore,” she said. “I’m definitely really looking forward to performing in 2023.”

Sentosa Golf Club will allow fans for this event for the first time since 2019, with Singapore removing almost all Covid-19 restrictions a few weeks ago.

South Korea’s contingent will again be the ones to watch, with six of the past seven Women’s World Championships won by that nation’s golfers.

However the weather is likely to play its part, with Singapore hit by almost daily rainstorms in recent months.

A huge deluge on Tuesday night forced the cancellation of the curtain-raising Pro-AM on Wednesday, although tournament organisers remain confident the championship itself will not be affected.

This week’s tournament in Singapore is the second of six scheduled women’s events in Asia this year.

The Aramco Team Series, which is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, will also host events in Singapore and Hong Kong in 2023, with Chan hoping to “definitely try to play” in her home event if her schedule allows.

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