Jin Young Ko Retains HSBC Women’s World Championship Title

Korea’s Jin Young Ko has retained the HSBC Women's World Championship title, dominating the tournament thanks to a final card of 69 (-3) and a two-stroke lead over American Nelly Korda.^[0] It was Ko's first victory since last year and the first time a player has retained the title.

Ko began the final round with a two-shot lead and extended it with a birdie on the par-4, 1st. Korda responded with back-to-back birdies on holes 3 and 4 and the pair matched birdies on the par-5, 5th, giving Ko a one-shot advantage.^[1] After Korda faltered with a bogey on the 6th, Ko grabbed another birdie on the 8th to turn in 33 and hold a three-stroke lead.^[2] She gave a shot back on No. 11, making bogey on the most difficult hole of the week, but regained her footing with a birdie on the par-5, 13th and ground out pars on the 16th, 17th and 18th to close out the week with a 3-under, 69.^[2]

Korda finished two shots back of Ko, firing a final round 69 to finish solo second. Corpuz (69) and Kang (68) of America placed 14-under, tying with Furue (67) of Japan in third.^[3]

Kang was steadily gaining ground on Ko throughout the front nine, after starting the round four strokes behind.^[4] On Hole 13, she made her fifth birdie, and was only one stroke behind the South Korean.^[4] However, Ko managed her final round superbly, rarely making errors and holing birdies at the most opportune moments to keep her challengers at bay.^[4]

Kang has achieved a record-tying, bogey-free round of 63 at the Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjong Course, a score which is now her career-low on the LPGA and has been achieved five times^[5] Hyo Joo Kim, Allisen Corpuz and Elizabeth Szokol are three players in Singapore trailing by one stroke behind the leader, who is yet to be identified. The trio have previously won the HSBC champion title.^[5]

0. “Jin Young Ko double winner of the HSBC Women's World Championship” Swing Feminin, 5 Mar. 2023, https://swing-feminin.com/en/jin-young-ko-double-vainqueur-du-hsbc-womens-world-championship/

1. “Jin Young Ko defends title at HSBC World Championship” KPVI News 6, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.kpvi.com/sports/jin-young-ko-defends-title-at-hsbc-world-championship/article_1e097e35-54dc-5e1f-ab8c-4399935f5718.html

2. “Ko Defends in Singapore, Captures Second HSBC Women’s World Championship Title” LPGA, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.lpga.com/news/2023/ko-defends-in-singapore-captures-second-hsbc-womens-world-championship-title

3. “Jin Young Ko wins LPGA Singapore by two strokes” Marca English, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.marca.com/en/golf/2023/03/05/640486df46163f76b58b45b0.html

4. “Ko Jin-young is first golfer to retain HSBC Women's World Championship title” Yahoo News, 5 Mar. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/ko-jin-young-first-golfer-retain-hsbc-womens-world-championship-075121153.html

5. “Danielle Kang thanks Scotty Cameron for her ‘DK Special’ putter as she races to top in Singapore after 63 at HSBC” Yahoo Sports, 3 Mar. 2023, https://sports.yahoo.com/danielle-kang-thanks-scotty-cameron-153003171.html