HSBC Women’s Champions preview

The HSBC Women’s Champions takes place this week in Singapore. Paula Creamer is the defending champion at Sentosa GC and World Number 1 Lydia Ko is in the field.

Lowdown: The HSBC Women’s Champions takes place this week in Singapore. Paula Creamer is the defending champion at Sentosa GC and World Number 1 Lydia Ko is in the field.

There’s an incredibly strong line-up of players ready to do battle over the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club including both last week’s winners – Lydia Ko and Amy Yang.

Yang took the win in the Honda LPGA Thailand after finishing second the week before in Australia. Ko followed her victory in Australia with another in New Zealand.

Other great players in the field include: Inbee Park, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen and Karie Webb.

This tournament was first contested in 2008. Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa dominated the field at Tanah Merah Country Club that year to take the title by 11 strokes.

Since then, the winners of the tournament have been: Jiyai Shin, Ai Miyazato, Karrie Webb, Angela Stanford, Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer. Evidently, this is a competition that tends to produce quality champions.

In last year’s event, Creamer came through a playoff against Azahara Munoz of Spain to take the title. Creamer sank an outrageous eagle putt across the 18th green to take the title.

“The Pink Panther” is looking forward to a return to the scene of her 2014 triumph.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing in Singapore – I think the course at Sentosa suits my game well. I came close in 2013 and then won so will be doing my very best to hold on to the trophy in 2015.”

Opened for play in 1985, the course at Sentosa was originally designed by Ron Fream, it was remodelled in 2007 by Andrew Johnston. The attractive parkland layout is set just beside Singapore Harbour.

It’s going to be hot this week in Singapore and there’s every chance of a rogue thunderstorm interrupting play.

Venue: Serapong Course, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore Date: Mar 5-8 Course stats: par 72, 6,600 yards Purse: $1,400,000 Defending Champion: Paula Creamer (-9)

Player Watch: Lydia Ko – It’s hard to look past the young New Zealander at the moment. The World Number 1 has won her last two tournaments.

Amy Yang – Another player on red-hot form. She won last week’s LPGA Thailand.

Stacy Lewis – She won’t be fazed by the early season form that Ko and Yang have displayed. She was second last week in Thailand and a former winner of this tournament.

Key hole: 18th. A tough par 5 of just under 500 yards, this is a great finishing hole. Reachable in two for some, a lake lurks all down the left hand side. The hole turns from right to left so anything with a touch too much draw on it could end up wet.