Ironically, though, thousands of kilometres from home, that pattern could change at this week's inaugural US$2 million (S$2.8 million) HSBC Women's Champions tournament.

The Americans have superior numbers, comprising a large part of the 78-strong world-class field set to tee off today at Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden Course.

That is not all. World No 5 Paula Creamer, fresh from her fifth LPGA Tour victory at last week's Fields Open in Hawaii, spearheads the 23-member American contingent.

Five other top-20 ranked compatriots - US Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr (world No6), seven-time Major winner Juli Inkster (9), Kraft Nabisco Championship winner Morgan Pressel (11), Stacy Prammanasudh (15) and Brittany Lincicome (16) - could also be in for a shout.

Furthermore, the latter three golfers, along with Creamer, No23 Natalie Gulbis, two-time Major winner Sherri Steinhauer and No32 Angela Stanford, have experience at the challenging Garden Course, to boot.

All seven were part of the 12-member International Team for the 2006 Lexus Cup held on the same greens.

An American triumph looks likely to ride on such credentials - but not if the equally large South Korean connection have their way.

Five-time Major winner and world No13 Pak Se Ri leads the 23-strong South Korean contingent, which also boasts six top-20 ranked golfers.

Jang Jeong (No 8), Kim Mi Hyun (10), Lee Jee Young (14) and Lee Seon Hwa (20), whose combined earnings last year totalled nearly US$4.5 million, will likely be in the fray.

Korean No 1 Shin Ji Yai, 19, will lead the youthful charge of Ji Eun Hee, 21, and Choi Na Yeon, 20 - all capable of giving their seniors a run for their money.

The Champions event, though, is not just a two-nation rivalry.

After all, Asia's richest women's event admits winners on the LPGA Tour and leading money-winners from tours in Europe, Japan, Korea, Australasia and Asia.

Completing the field are 32 golfers from 19 other countries, including the world's top four and outright tournament favourites - Mexico's Lorena Ochoa, Sweden's Annika Sorenstam, Norway's Suzann Pettersen and Australia's Karrie Webb.

And, do not discount Brazil's 2007 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Angela Park and last year's Japan LPGA Tour money-list topper, world No 12 Momoko Ueda.

So, come Sunday, will it be America's day, or will the international field triumph?

If trends are anything to go by, the American golfers will have their work cut out for them.

Last year, Americans won only 12 of the 35 LPGA Tour events. In 2006, seven of 33 Tour crowns were claimed by US golfers.

Mexico's Ochoa alone bagged 14 titles in those two seasons combined.

In the last 28 women's Majors, Americans managed to claim only six.

Still, with such a stellar field assembled, predicting a winner would probably be as hard as sinking a hole-in-one.

Perhaps Webb, who collected her fourth Women's Australian Open three weeks ago, put it best.

Referring to Sorenstam and Ochoa, the former world No 1 said: 'I could play at that standard and not win the amount of tournaments that they win. You know, there's just a lot of variables that go into that.

'But I know I do have the ability to do it. It's just a matter of putting it all together and doing it and sort of being a little bit lucky.

'You have to be a great player, obviously, but there's got to be a lot of things that go in your favour.'

Each player in the Champions field will certainly be hoping so.

jwang@sph.com.sg

HSBC Women's Champions, Day 1
Live, Ch5, noon