LPGA Tour returns to Singapore, Thailand for 2 activities
SINGAPORE (AP) — The LPGA Tour heads to Asia for an abbreviated two-occasion agenda in Singapore and Thailand for the to start with time in 18 months and minus several tournaments since of continuing problems over COVID-19.
The HSBC Women’s Environment Championship commences Thursday at Sentosa Golfing Club in Singapore, adopted by the May 6-9 Honda LPGA Thailand at Chonburi close to Bangkok.
A third tournament was scheduled in China — the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island — but the LPGA canceled that event three months in the past for the reason that of pandemic vacation limits and just after tips from the China Golfing Affiliation.
The pandemic severely disrupted the LPGA Tour’s 2020 schedule, as it did to other significant sporting occasions all around the planet. The LPGA played two tournaments in Australia in February 2020 — they have been canceled this yr — and was predicted to head to Bangkok, Singapore and Blue Bay right until the emergence of the coronavirus meant individuals tournaments and some 15 other individuals were being shelved.
In Singapore, 69 gamers will tee off Thursday in the no-slash occasion at Sentosa for the 13th edition of the tournament, which include planet No. 1 Jin-youthful Ko, No. 2 Inbee Park and defending champion from 2019 Sung-hyun Park, all of South Korea.
There will be confined spectator access to the program. Singapore has had only 30 deaths attributed to COVID-19 and most of the current virus conditions are all those who have arrived from abroad and are in quarantine.
Other leading 10 players at Sentosa will incorporate No. 5 Danielle Kang of the U.S., Lydia Ko of New Zealand, whose earn in Hawaii a 7 days in the past moved her up to No. 7, No. 9 Hyo-joo Kim of South Korea and No. 10 Nasa Hataoka of Japan.
ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit will make her Singapore debut following receiving a sponsor invitation. The 21-year outdated from Bangkok, who performed faculty golf at UCLA, received the initial major championship of the year in her rookie period on tour.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 envisioned to be actively playing all over again the pursuing 7 days in close proximity to Bangkok.
“I’m emotion fantastic about where my sport is proper now,” Tavatanakit stated after receiving her sponsor exemption. “The earn at the ANA Inspiration hasn’t seriously sunk in yet. I have often followed the (Singapore) match from household in Thailand, and I’ll be acquainted with the disorders.”
Right after the Thailand tournament, the LPGA Tour returns to the United States for the Pure Silk Championship at Williamsburg, Virginia.
Recent options are to have the LPGA to return to Asia afterwards this year — from mid-October to early November — for four tournaments in Shanghai, Busan, South Korea, Taipei, Taiwan and Shiga, Japan. All four tournaments have been last performed in the exact same period of time in 2019.
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