SOCK HWEE KOH HOLDS HER NERVE IN NATIONAL QUALIFIER TO CLAIM RECORD FOURTH START IN HSBC WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Sock Hwee Koh booked her place in Singapore’s marquee golf tournament for a record fourth time today, following a thrilling victory in the HSBC Women’s World Championship National Qualifying Tournament at Sentosa Golf Club.
Sock Hwee Koh wins HSBC Women’s World Championship National Qualifying Tournament. Credit: IMG Singapore
Playing at her home club, the 33-year old carded a second-round score of 75 to go with her first round 73, to claim an impressive two-shot win over Singapore No.1 Amanda Tan who shot rounds of 76 and 74. 24-year old amateur Aloysa Atienza finished in third place with an aggregate score of 158.
Speaking about her appearance in the HSBC Women’s World Championship, which returns to Sentosa from 3rd to 6th March, Koh said:
“It means a lot because it’s the first really competitive round that I’ve played in two years, so glad to have hung on and sealed the deal.
“I’m definitely really excited because the last time I played, I believe it was 2016, so that’s quite a few years ago. This year is a bit more special because we haven’t been able to compete the past two years due to Covid, so everybody wanted that spot because it’s Asia’ Major.
“It’s the qualifier everybody wants to play in. It’s the one event everyone wants to win, so we get that spot to play in HSBC Women’s World Championship. It’s a great start for us, because we have a bit of home advantage, familiar with the course and conditions.
“For me as a pro, it’s good to see the gap – how the others prepare for a tournament, what they do during practice round and during the week that separates them from us. The HSBC Women’s World Championship is great for golf, especially ladies golf in Singapore, so a lot of aspiring juniors can work towards competing in this event.”
Sock Hwee Koh at HSBC Women’s World Championship National Qualifying Tournament. Credit: IMG Singapore
Asked who she would most like to tee-off with in two weeks’ time, Koh added, “I would like to play with Lydia Ko, I played with her as an amateur, I think it was 2011. She’s in great form now, and it would be nice to play with her again.”
Despite the disappointment, Amanda Tan, who was also vying for a fourth start in the tournament, was philosophical about her result:
“I thought I played pretty good on the front 9, made some really good saves. But a bit more sloppy on the back 9 so that cost me. And the last hole, I had about 7-8 feet for par, and obviously I didn’t make it. But it’s all good. Move forward, learn from this week and keep improving I guess.”
The 2022 HSBC Women’s World Championship National Qualifying Tournament was contested by seven amateur and three professional Singaporean golfers over 36 holes of stroke play on the championship’s Tanjong course.
In addition to a place in the HSBC Women’s World Championship, Sock Hwee Koh also received a uZap Massage Gun and a uDiva 3 Massage Sofa from tournament partner OSIM.
Partners of the 2022 HSBC Women’s World Championship are: Singapore Tourism Board, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore Airlines, Lexus, Rolex, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Aon, Panasonic, ECCO Golf, Epson, OSIM, Under Armour, COBRA Golf, Ice Mountain, PengWine, TikTok, Sony, Titleist and 100PLUS.