‘Asia’s major’ HSBC Women’s World Championship missing U.S. stars

Since 2008, the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore has been a staple on the LPGA calendar. Known by many as “Asia’s Major,” the list of champions reads like a Who’s Who in women’s golf.

Of the 13 winners in Singapore, all but two (Ai Miyazato and Ha Na Jang) are major champions. Seven of the 13 are former World No. 1s and three are LPGA Hall of Famers (Inbee Park, Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb).

This week’s HSBC at Sentosa Golf Club is headlined by back-to-back champ Jin Young Ko, current No. 1 Lilia Vu, last week’s winner Patty Tavatanakit, and Lydia Ko who, with a victory, could play her way into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

A no-cut, limited-field affair that once featured glamorous photo shoots and Singapore Slings has long been viewed as an alluring reward for fine play. The HSBC debuted in 2008 with a purse of $2 million, and Ochoa, the event’s inaugural winner, earned $300,000 that first year. The same held true for Jiyai Shin in 2009.

But, as the economy took a hit in 2010, so too did the HSBC purse, which dropped to $1.3 million. In the years since, the purse has yet to reach that original mark of $2 million.

This year’s purse of $1.8 million will offer a winner’s prize of $270,000, the same amount Jin Young Ko won in 2023. In 2022, Ko earned $255,000 for her first HSBC victory.

While the HSBC has been a steady presence in a time of much turnover on the LPGA, it’s hard to look past the fact that the field has taken a hit in recent years, particularly among American stars. Even though the tournament takes care of airfare and hotel costs for players, as well as transportation, not everyone has booked a return ticket to Singapore.

It’s worth noting that players are responsible for the travel costs of their caddies. Last year, Jessica Korda finished last and earned $4,078. Take out taxes and the cost of her caddie, and there’s not much left, if anything.

Lexi Thompson hasn’t played in Singapore since 2019. She traveled to Saudi Arabia earlier this month for an LET event and will play in an Aramco Team Series event next week in Clearwater, Florida. On Monday night, she’s competing in Capitol One’s The Match on TNT in Florida.

Nelly Korda finished second at the 2023 HSBC, but this year, decided to take…