WHILE many of her rivals were competing in the Honda LPGA Thailand this week, Hannah Green has been at her Perth home, quietly preparing for her defence of the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Green, the world No 6 player, won the title at the Sentosa Golf Club last year, birdieing the last three holes to beat France’s Celine Boutier by a stroke.
After she tied for fourth in the Founders Cup in Florida earlier this month – just her second LPGA event for the year – Green headed home for a fortnight’s one-on-one training with coach Ritchie Smith.
Her visit allowed Green to attend the 2024 Western Australian Sports Awards, where Smith was named Coach of the Year – a fitting acknowledgement of a year in which Green won three LPGA events, and his new charge Elvis Smylie claimed the WA Open and the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
Green is pleased with her promising start to the year.
“I’ve made the trip over, so it’s nice to have had some good results, but also see what I need to work on to get ready for my title defence in Singapore,” she said.
“I’ve caught up with my coach as much as possible,” she said. “I think I needed to play a little bit more while I’m home. I felt like when you’re on the range you always hit it good. Just experience some wind or whatever it may be.
“Trying to play a little bit more before I get to Singapore was probably my goal.”
The HSBC Women’s World Championship, of which Inside Golf is a proud media partner, offers prize money of US$2.5 million and is often referred to as ‘Asia’s Major’ golf event.
The event, which has been won by a major champion in 14 of the 16 occasions it has been held, begins on Thursday and will be televised live on Fox Sports.
It has again attracted a top-class field, featuring nine of the world’s top 10 players.
They include 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.
Joining Green are fellow Australians Minjee Lee, already the winner of 10 LPGA events, Gabi Ruffels, who had four top 10 LPGA finishes last year, LPGA Tour winner Grace Kim and Steph Kyriacou, who finished runner-up in last year’s Evian Championship.
One of Green’s fiercest rivals will be New Zealand champion Lydia Ko, the world No 3, who has claimed 22 LPGA Tour wins, including three majors, and is making her 10th appearance in the event.
Ko and Green, respectively 27 and 28 years of age, are among the favourites, Ko having won an Olympic gold medal, the AIG Women’s Open, and the Kroger Queen City Championship in 2024, as well as claiming a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Green, whose first LPGA victory was in the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship, went on capture the JM Eagle Championship and the BMW last year after claiming the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Sentosa Golf Club is one of the world’s premier golf facilities, having won titles for ‘Asia’s Best Golf Course’, ‘Asia’s Best Eco-Friendly Golf Facility’ and ‘Singapore’s Best Golf Course’ in the 2024 World Golf Awards.
