LPGA players pose at famed Marina Bay Sands in Singapore

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Patty Tavatanakit isn’t drained. That’s what she’s telling herself this week, no less than, as she heads into the HSBC Girls’s World Championship contemporary off back-to-back victories in Saudi Arabia and Thailand. It’s all between the ears.

“I really feel like if I inform myself ‘I’m not drained,’ then I’m not going to be as drained,” she stated, “compared to like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m simply so drained.’ It’s simply actually the way you discuss to your self.”

“I’m engaged on staying contemporary. I type of moved round, get my physique going and feeling a bit bit extra athletic all through the week.”

After ending a three-year victory drought in dramatic vogue, the most important champion headed to Singapore, the place a subject of 66 takes on the sixteenth version of what many name “Asia’s main.”

Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand speaks in a press convention previous to the HSBC Girls’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Membership on February 27, 2024 in Singapore. (Photograph by Kate McShane/Getty Photographs)

Jin Younger Ko has gained the final two HSBC occasions and a victory this week would make the previous No. 1 the tenth participant to win three consecutive occasions on the similar event and the primary since Inbee Park.

Along with her two titles, Ko tied for sixth on the HSBC in 2018 and took a share of third in 2019.

“I had lot of accidents final three years,” stated Ko, “however now I really feel it’s getting higher within the final two years. And sure, I’m getting outdated, however my physique is getting higher, I might say.”

Ko is one in every of three previous champions within the subject this week, joined by Hyo Joo Kim (2021) and Jiyai Shin (2009).

Whereas former No. 1 Ruoning Yin makes her debut on this occasion, Minjee Lee tees it up for the primary time on the LPGA this 12 months. Lee, now in her tenth season on the LPGA, has twice completed runner-up in Singapore in 2019 and 2022.

“I positively assume ball-striking is a giant factor out right here,” Lee stated. “You wish to hit the fairways, hit the greens and also you’ll have good possibilities with birdies.”

Danielle Kang of the US and Ruoning Yin of China smile throughout a follow spherical previous to the HSBC Girls’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Membership on February 27, 2024 in Singapore. (Photograph by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Photographs)

Some of the intriguing storylines this week is the return of Lydia Ko, who gained the season-opening occasion on the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions and misplaced in a playoff the next week to Nelly Korda.

Ko, after all, wants just one extra level to qualify for the LPGA Corridor of Fame, and a victory in Singapore would get her there.

The TOC title made Ko the seventh lady in LPGA historical past to achieve 20 wins earlier than age 27, becoming a member of Nancy Lopez, Karrie Webb, Se Ri Pak, Mickey Wright, Lorena Ochoa and Kathy Whitworth.

Ko at the moment leads the cash checklist with $388,689 and heads into Singapore contemporary off a four-week break.

As for Tavatanakit, the newly-crowned hottest participant on this planet, she’ll intention to not fall again on a well-recognized perfectionist mindset and provides her drained physique some grace.

“The mindset going into this week might be embrace just like the difficulties of the little issues that’s coming alongside,” stated Tavatanakit, “and simply maintain my head up excessive and simply settle for the problem.

“And still have enjoyable. Like, I actually wish to have enjoyable. That is one in every of my favourite weeks to play in.”

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As lots of the sport’s greatest collect in Singapore, take a look at photographs from the swanky welcome reception at Marina Bay Sands: