Record crowds at Sentosa witnessed world no. 2 Inbee Park crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ following a flawless victory in the HSBC Women’s Champions 2015. The South Korean shot a round of 2-under par 70 to win the title, two shots clear of second placed Lydia Ko.
The result saw Park complete a fourth consecutive bogey-free round to finish 15-under par and claim the winner’s cheque of US$ 210,000. Speaking after her victory, a delighted Park said, “It feels great. I thought Singapore wasn't the place that I could win a tournament. Every year has just been really hard to me but last year was the first year I actually had a good finish and that gave me a lot of confidence.
“This week was just incredible. I don't think I can even believe myself that I didn't make any bogeys for 72 holes. If I was afraid of the bogeys, I'd probably make bogeys but I thought, whatever happens, it's just meant to be. I just tried to focus on my game and not think about so many other things.”
Speaking about a bet she made with her father that would see her make US$ 500 for every birdie, but pay out double for each bogey, Park added: “I just took the bet, and it ended up really nicely! It gave me extra motivation I guess. It's so fun and gave me something else to concentrate on. It's good to have a family here and they are a big energy for me.”
For world no. 1 Lydia Ko, it just wasn’t to be. After what was a slow start by her standards, the world no.1 brought herself right back into contention in Rounds 2 and 3, but wasn’t able to reproduce the magic that saw her claim back to back victories prior to her arrival in Singapore.
Playing an aggressive round on the testing Serapong course, Ko carded three bogeys and five birdies to match Park’s 2-under score of 70. But the 17 year old bares all the hall-marks of a true champion. Despite the result, the 17 year old managed a smile as she came off course before signing autographs and posing for pictures with the hordes of fans assembled by the 18th.
Speaking after her round, Ko said, “I started out well on my front nine, shooting 3‑under through my first seven holes. Just things didn’t go well from 8 to 13 – I just lost three shots. On this course, it's not that hard to lose shots. There are some lip‑outs and there are so many close ones. But I finished well with a birdie on 18.
“I had a great stretch of three weeks and I would have never imagined to have one second place and two wins. So it's great. This is my best finish here in Singapore, so I'm really looking forward to coming back next year.”
World no. 3 and 2013 champion Stacy Lewis wasn’t so lucky. The Texan landed a ball in a palm tree on the 10th, necessitating a drop, and a wayward third shot on the 18th in the water hazard saw her drop another, finishing in third place, four shots behind the champion.
Tied in fourth place were Shanshan Feng (China), So Yeon Ryu (South Korea) and Azahara Munoz (Spain). All three players were in consistent form all week, finishing at 10-under par.
Reflecting on another successful tournament at Sentosa, Guy Kinnings, Global Head of Golf, IMG, the tournament promoter, said, "It was an outstanding performance from Inbee Park today in what was a dream final three-ball for the tournament. Record crowds have enjoyed four fantastic days of world-class golf and lots more besides in the HSBC Interactive Village. Our congratulations go to HSBC for all they have done to make this event such a success, and our thanks to all our tournament partners, the LPGA, Sentosa Golf Club and all the fans.”
Local qualifier Koh Sock Hwee recorded her best yet round of 3-over par 75 in Round 4 showing continual improvement over the four days. The 25 year old will take a great deal from the experience. Speaking after her final round, Koh said, “There are a lot of positives to take out of this week. I went out there today to enjoy the whole experience and I had fun. The course is in superb condition, so the more you play the more you get used to it.
"I was expecting a little more from myself, because I know I can do better. I'll learn from the mistakes that I've made and improve. I was very lucky to play with a lot of players, so I got to witness the strength of each player, compare it with my own game to find out where I can improve and do better. Hopefully one day I'll be like one of them playing at this event as one of the top 20 in the world."
Speaking on behalf of the staging venue, Low Teo Ping, President of Sentosa Golf Club, added, "We offer our congratulations to Inbee Park on a very fine victory. Four bogey free rounds on one of the most testing championship courses in Asia is a score worthy of a true champion and we look forward to seeing her back again at Sentosa. Once again it has been a pleasure to welcome the players from the LPGA Tour to our club as well as the thousands of spectators that have made their way through the gates over the last four days. We have witnessed four days of first class sporting action and some wonderful entertainment.”
As the next chapter in the illustrious history of the HSBC Women’s Champions draws to a close, Singapore has another true champion.
