Ai Miyazato of Japan and Melissa Reid of England will join the elite field challenging for the prestigious HSBC Women’s Champions when the showpiece tournament gets underway at Sentosa Golf Club next Thursday.
The pair will take their place in the 63-player field on account of their continued commitment and
contribution to the game, courtesy of an invitation from tournament sponsor HSBC.
Former World No.1 Miyazato won the tournament in 2010, the same year that she held the top spot in the player rankings for a total of eleven weeks.
The 30-year-old Okinawa native’s record speaks for itself, which boasts no less than nine LPGA Tour wins, 58 top-ten finishes and career earnings of over US$7.5 million. Recognised as much for her on-course style as her sweet swing, she is sure to be a popular figure around The Serapong.
Speaking about her invitation, Miyazato said: “I’m delighted to be returning to Singapore for the HSBC Women’s Champions. Of course I have wonderful memories from 2010 and would love to challenge for the title again. Sentosa is a tough course but it’s a wonderful event and I look forward to seeing all the fans there again. I’d like to extend my thanks to HSBC for this opportunity.”
Reid is returning to the tournament for the first time since 2012. The 28-year-old from Derby has continued to make stellar progress on the Ladies European Tour (LET), winning last year’s Turkish Airlines Ladies Open where she led the field from start to finish. Last year she played in 14 LET tournaments, securing nine top-15 finishes and ended the season in 2nd position in the Order of Merit. She also represented Europe at the 2015 Solheim Cup, winning 3 ½ points for her team.
“A big thank you to HSBC for this fantastic opportunity to come back to Singapore and play in the HSBC Women’s Champions. It’s a different course from the last time I played the tournament so I’m looking forward to playing The Serapong – I’ve heard it’s pretty challenging so it will be interesting. It sounds as though there is a lot going on both on and off the golf course, and Take That as well, so am looking forward to landing in the Lion City next week,” said Reid.
The tournament prides itself on delivering a world-class spectacle each year and 2016 will certainly be no exception. Joining Miyazato and Reid in their bid for honours and a share of the US$1.5 million purse, will be the world’s top ten ranked players, a host of Major winners, 2014 champion Paula Creamer, and local talent, and winner of the host country qualifying tournament, Koh Sock Hwee.
Speaking about the exemptions awarded to the two players, Giles Morgan, Global Head of Sponsorship and Events for HSBC, said: “We are delighted that Ai and Melissa will be joining us in Singapore. At HSBC our ambition is to open up the world of golf and help to grow the game and attract new audiences. These two champions have contributed a tremendous amount to the sport in their countries, and are a true inspiration to young girls around the world. We look forward to seeing Ai and Melissa in action at the HSBC Women’s Champions and wish them all the best for the tournament.”
In addition to the on-course action, the 2016 edition of the HSBC Women’s Champions will provide visitors with a four-day festival of golf, music and food. Take That will perform live in Singapore for the first time in over two decades, with a one-off concert on Saturday 5th March while Electronic Dance Music DJ Jack Novak will fly in from the US to join two local DJ talents – DJ FARZ and DJ Li.A – to spin for fans at the end of each day’s play.
Celebrity chef Monica Galetti will headline the culinary element of the event, providing visitors to the HSBC Women’s Champions with a unique preview of the dishes that she will be serving at her London restaurant debut Mere, which opens in London later this year.
For more information on the HSBC Women’s Champions 2016, visit the tournament website at http://www.hsbcgolf.com/womens or official Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/hsbcwomenschampions
