Bigger and better: HSBC extends title sponsorship of Women’s World Championship golf to 2030

[SINGAPORE] HSBC has renewed its long-term title partnership with IMG for the annual HSBC Women’s World Championship golf tournament in Singapore, with the latest deal extended through 2030.

The bank has been involved with the annual event – known as “Asia’s Major” – since its inception in 2008, with the prize money purse going up to US$3 million and the field growing to 72 players.

The 18th edition of the tournament wrapped up at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course last Sunday (Mar 1), with Australia’s Hannah Green lifting the trophy. The 29-year-old also became just the third golfer to triumph twice in Singapore, after South Koreans Park In-bee and Ko Jin-young.

The strong turnout from fans throughout the week and the constant participation of the world’s top female golfers over the years were among the reasons why IMG and HSBC are continuing their partnership.

HSBC’s global head of brand partnerships Andrea De Vincentiis noted that the bank has been working with IMG since the inaugural tournament in 2008, with the event growing in stature and interest ever since.

“Singapore is a big and important market for the bank – in investment, wealth and clientele – and golf has captured the imagination in a big way,” he said in an interview with The Business Times.

Some 450 of the bank’s clients turned up every day over the four days, with many others requesting tickets and asking to return year after year.

“(This) is a worthwhile project (for us). We hope to make it bigger by increasing the prize money, as we have done now from US$1.8 million to US$3 million. And in terms of field size, it used to be 66 players, and (this year) we have 72. There is room for more players in the future.”

De Vincentiis, a Londoner who holds a 20-handicap golf index, noted the importance of maintaining the high quality of golfers who compete in Singapore. The 2026 edition saw nine of the world’s top 10 players in Singapore take to the greens.

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IMG president Adam Kelly, who has been with the global sports marketing agency for 25 years, said: “We don’t build transactional relationships, we build partnerships. The results (of the partnership with HSBC) have been great.”

The four-handicapper who is also based in London said that while IMG is involved in many sports today, golf is one that features highly on the agenda.

“It was the sport on which American Mark McCormack founded IMG in 1960. Golf is important in that it brings close proximity with the players and the action,” he said.

“Golf brings with it the values of discipline, structure, honesty and longevity. It has so much more to offer than any other sport.”