Lilia Vu, making her second appearance at the US$1.8 million HSBC Women’s World Championship this week, is optimistic about navigating the challenges on the golf course and executing her game plan effectively.
“You’ve got to be really strict and disciplined off the tee, and then today was a little windy, too, when we played in the Pro-Am. Greens are fast and not as receptive, so they are definitely on the more difficult side, which I enjoy. So I think just being very disciplined off the tee will put you in a good position,” said the 26-year-old American pro who rose to number one in the Women’s World Golf Ranking and became LPGA Tour Player of the Year after winning four titles, including two majors at the 2023 Chevron Championship and the 2023 Women’s British Open.
Vu also emphasised the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and outlined her aspirations for the year, which included qualifying for the Olympics and securing multiple tournament victories while emphasising the need for realistic and attainable goals.
“I try to stick to my game plan of just having fun, and I think it’s really fun to go to a golf course and try to birdie every single hole. And that’s literally my goal, and if I don’t birdie, I just move on to the next hole and try again.”
“The course is playing really nice. I think it’s even — this course is beautiful, and it was beautiful last year, but I think it’s in even better condition this year. I think it will be more challenging than last, and I think it will be a good test for all the girls.”
Celine Boutier of France. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Celine Boutier shared her thoughts as she prepares for her fifth appearance at the LPGA Tournament, which begins on Thursday at Sentosa’s Tanjong Course.
Reflecting on her stellar performance last year, which included four victories and a major championship title, the world number three described it as an unforgettable year. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, she emphasised the importance of setting achievable goals and focusing on continual improvement rather than succumbing to pressure.
Regarding the course adjustments, Boutier acknowledged the addition of a new bunker on the 18th hole would impact her play strategy.
“I think it makes it definitely harder. The line is going to be more towards the right, and it makes the fairway narrower. It’s a little bit tricky, especially for the right pins or back right.
“I think it’s a good addition and definitely, harder. The bunker looks really great,” said the French woman, who is famous in Asia for winning the nine-hole playoff against Thailand’s Atthaya Thitkul in the 2023 Maybank Championship.
The 2024 HSBC Women’s World Championship will feature 15 out of the world’s top 20, and all the reigning major champions are set to compete at Sentosa Golf Club. All the reigning major champions are also set to compete alongside 19 major champions, 43 LPGA winners with a combined total of 175 titles, seven former world No. 1s, and 18 Solheim Cup players with 46 appearances between them.
The major champions in the field have a total of 28 titles between them and include all of last year’s major winners: Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), Ruoning Yin (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), and Celine Boutier (The Amundi Evian Championship).
The HSBC Women’s World Championship boasts an international field with representation from 20 countries across the world.
Widely recognised as Asia’s Major, seven out of the top 10 ranked players on the field hail from Asian descent. This includes the world’s top three as well as the fifth and sixth-ranked players, and joining them are South Korean-born world No. 7 Hyo Joo Kim, the champion of the 2021 edition, and world No.9 Lydia Ko, who recently clinched her 20th LPGA title at the first event of the season.
The 72-hole stroke play tournament will again take place at the renowned Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club, which hosts its 11th edition. Celebrated for its global commitment to sustainability initiatives in golf, Sentosa Golf Club proudly holds the titles for ‘World’s Best Golf Course,’ ‘Asia’s Best Golf Course,’ and ‘Singapore’s Best Golf Course’ as awarded at the 2023 World Golf Awards.
