LPGA Tour heads to Asia for back again-to-again functions in Singapore and Thailand

The LPGA Tour is headed to Asia for an abbreviated two-celebration program in Singapore and Thailand for the 1st time in 18 months and minus various tournaments simply because of continuing considerations over COVID-19.

The HSBC Women’s World Championship commences Thursday at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore, followed by the May perhaps 6-9 Honda LPGA Thailand at Chonburi around Bangkok. Golfing Channel protection starts Wednesday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.

A third tournament was scheduled in China – the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island – but the LPGA canceled that occasion three months back due to the fact of pandemic travel constraints.

The pandemic seriously disrupted the LPGA Tour’s 2020 agenda, as it did to other big sporting gatherings about the planet. The LPGA played two tournaments in Australia in February 2020 – they ended up canceled this 12 months – and was envisioned to head to Bangkok, Singapore and Blue Bay right up until the emergence of the coronavirus intended people tournaments and some 15 other folks were being shelved.


Full-discipline scores from the HSBC Women’s Planet Championship


In Singapore, 69 gamers will tee off Thursday in the no-slice celebration at Sentosa for the 13th edition of the match, which include planet No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Inbee Park and defending champion from 2019 Sung-hyun Park, all of South Korea.

There will be minimal spectator access to the program. Singapore has experienced only 30 deaths attributed to COVID-19 and most of the current virus circumstances are people who have arrived from abroad and are in quarantine.

Gamers will have to undertake COVID-19 testing in advance of they leave for Singapore and when they arrive, quarantining in their rooms until eventually a unfavorable examination is returned, tournaments organizers reported in a statement to The Related Press on Tuesday.


What drives the best in the LPGA?

What drives the best in the LPGA?

Players and officials will also be required to remain mainly at their accommodations and wear masks and sustain social distancing on the golf study course.

Other top rated 10 gamers at Sentosa will include No. 5 Danielle Kang of the U.S., Lydia Ko of New Zealand, whose gain in Hawaii a week in the past moved her up to No. 7, No. 9 Hyo-joo Kim of South Korea and No. 10 Nasa Hataoka of Japan.

Jin Younger Ko said it’ll be difficult not getting ready to go out considerably, but she has that lined.

“I have a close friend in Singapore, so he shipped a lot of foods yesterday, lunch and supper,” she claimed Tuesday. “I ate lots of dumplings, and I had chilli crabs for supper, so I’m entire continue to.”

Lydia Ko explained she slept for 13 several hours on the 17-hour flight from Los Angeles to Singapore, beating Jin Young Ko’s slumber time by an hour on the identical flight. Lydia Ko claims she accepts all the added COVID-19 principles in influence all through her keep.

“Obviously if those people weren’t there, we would not be ready to occur and play,” the New Zealander said. “Everyone’s obtained the exact participating in subject and anyone is going to go via the exact same course of action. I think you just have to regulate.”

ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit will make her Singapore debut after obtaining a sponsor invitation. The 21-calendar year previous from Bangkok, who played higher education golf at UCLA, received the initially big championship of the calendar year in her rookie period on tour.

She is joined by fellow Thai players Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Jasmine Suwannapura and Pornanong Phatlum, all of whom are predicted to be actively playing once more the adhering to week around Bangkok.

“I’m feeling very good about in which my game is proper now,” Tavatanakit reported following getting her sponsor exemption. “The gain at the ANA Inspiration has not really sunk in still. I have usually adopted the (Singapore) match from home in Thailand, and I’ll be common with the disorders.”

Right after the Thailand event, the LPGA Tour returns to the United States for the Pure Silk Championship at Williamsburg, Virginia.

Latest plans are to have the LPGA return to Asia afterwards this year – from mid-Oct to early November  for 4 tournaments in Shanghai, Busan, South Korea, Taipei, Taiwan and Shiga, Japan. All four tournaments were last played through the identical interval in 2019.