Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open returns in 2024, adding to list of elite golf events
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South Korea's Park Ji-young won the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open in December 2022.
PHOTO: BT
SINGAPORE – Fans here can look forward to back-to-back weeks of top women’s golf action in early 2024, after the organisers announced that the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open will be held from March 7 to 10.
The US$1.8 million (S$2.4 million) HSBC Women’s World Championship, which draws the very best players from the LPGA Tour, will be held the week before at the Sentosa Golf Club.
The Singapore Women’s Open, meanwhile, will take place at Tanah Merah Country Club’s Tampines Course. The one billion won (S$1 million) tournament is jointly sanctioned by the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) and Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and is part of the Ladies Asian Tour Series.
It will also serve as the season opener of the KLPGA Tour.
The 2022 edition was a 54-hole competition and won by South Korea’s Park Ji-young, who claimed the trophy when the third and final round was cancelled due to inclement weather. Some big names who competed included Thai world No. 3 Atthaya Thitikul and former world No. 1 Shin Ji-yai, while Koh Sock Hwee and Shannon Tan were the two Singaporeans who made the cut. They finished joint-28th and joint-53rd respectively.
The 2024 edition has been increased to four rounds and 72 holes and will feature a field of at least 102 players from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and South Korea plus the Republic’s top pros and amateurs. A full list will be announced later.
Singapore’s Aloysa Atienza, 25, silver medallist at the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022, said: “I’m definitely excited. It’s always nice to have the opportunity of playing in your national Open. It’s not very often that we get to play professional events in Singapore and... it’s a good chance for us to put ourselves out there and compete against the region’s best players.”
SGA president Tan Chong Huat was pleased at the increase in tournament days.
He said: “With four rounds of golfing action, local and regional golf fans can look forward to a thrilling display of golf here.
“The experience is invaluable for our players who can only thrive and continue to improve when they have more playing opportunities.”
Singapore will also host high-profile men’s events next season, including the March 21-24 DP World Tour’s Singapore Classic and May 3-5 LIV Golf Singapore.
