Thailand’s Jeeno the hot favourite at HSBC World Women’s Championship at Sentosa

[SINGAPORE] Those who watched Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul at putting practice at the Sentosa Golf Club earlier this week could scarcely believe this was the world’s top-ranked female golfer in front of them.

For about an hour on the greens, onlookers witnessed about 70 per cent of her roll-ins from 12 feet missing the target – hardly the kind of form that one would expect from the much heralded 23-year-old Thai.

Perhaps the immense weight of the world No 1 ranking and the pressure of being the favourite to win this week’s US$3 million HSBC World Women’s Championship are starting to take its toll.

Even so, on the surface, Jeeno remains unfazed. She was clearly the star attraction during the practice session, and she arrived in Singapore fresh from her triumph at last Sunday’s (Feb 22) Honda LPGA Thailand tournament in Pattaya.

Of course, it was her fine putting that ended up being the key to her victory eight years ago on Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course when she clinched the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.

Then just 15 years old, Jeeno secured a wire-to-wire victory in a dramatic four-way play-off that blew away the challenge from Japan’s Yuka Saso and Yuna Nishimura, and Keh Wenyung of New Zealand.

On Thursday, Jeeno begins another quest to try and win the HSBC title – dubbed “Asia’s Major” – on the very same course, having finished joint second last year.

Asked by reporters on how she deals with pressure in the big moments, a composed Jeeno said: “It is so exciting (to face the) nerves and pressure. You have to beat the nerves. You need (to feel) joy with the nervous moments.”

That will be her inspiration for a star-studded event that boasts nine of the world’s top 10 golfers, 17 out of the top 20, 16 Major winners, four past champions and seven former world No 1 players.

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In the past 17 editions of the championship, 15 have been won by Major champions, underscoring the tournament’s reputation as a showcase for the world’s elite golfers.

Defending champion Lydia Ko from New Zealand – who has played in all but one edition of the HSBC event since its inception in 2008 – will pose the main challenge to Jeeno.

Ko, the world No 6, said this week that it took her 11 attempts before she finally laid her hands on the trophy last year after she won the 72-hole stroke play championship by four shots.

“The win was pretty special. I feel like I made a lot of good friendships, having played in Singapore for many years. From seeing some of the junior girls who were literally up to my hip, and now they’ve grown so much. A lot of the time, they even draw little signs for me,” said the 28-year-old LPGA Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medallist.

“I think that’s what’s always been the special part of this week. The result was kind of secondary, and I just wanted to put on a good show, play a lot of good golf in front of the friends and fans that I’ve made in Singapore,” said Ko.

Among the Singaporeans on the course is Shannon Tan. She may be ranked 90th in the world but she has a strong game that can give any of the other competitors a run for their money.

Fresh from her breakthrough season on the Ladies European Tour where she won the Order of Merit title, the 21-year-old is keen to be a match for the world-renowned ladies with her mind set on securing a prestigious LPGA card.

Among the other golfers to watch in the 72-player field are Australia’s Minjee Lee and Hannah Green, Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, Charley Hull from the UK, China’s Yin Ruoning and South Koreans Kim Hyo-joo and Kim Sei-young.

Also in the mix is Singapore amateur Chen Xingtong, 17, who won the national qualifier last month by a massive 15 strokes and will have professional Aloysa Atienza as her caddie.