SINGAPORE: Thai golf sensation Patty Tavatanakit does not have to look far for inspiration as she draws positive energy from the presence of American superstar Taylor Swift, who is currently captivating audiences in Singapore.
As the 24-year-old readies herself for the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open (HFGSWO) which tees off on Thursday (March 7), she is also facing the challenge of battling fatigue as she prepares for her fourth successive tournament – her second in as many weeks in Singapore.
However, her determination remains steadfast with no intention of easing. She returns to action at the Tanah Merah Country Club eager to add to her growing list of titles this year. She won the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour last month and followed up with an impressive home victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya.
Last week, Patty certainly didn’t take her foot off the gas, finishing tied-eighth at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Amid her intense schedule, Patty took a well-deserved break in the Lion City to attend Swift’s Eras Tour. Reflecting on the electrifying concert, she revealed that it was more than just a night of entertainment. It was also a source of inspiration.
“I went to the Taylor Swift concert on Sunday and it was amazing. While I had fun, I also learnt a lot of things,” said Patty at the tournament’s official press conference on Wednesday.
“She’s a great performer, and it’s a three-hour-long concert. It has to be somewhat tiring for her at some point, but she showed up every single night.
“To be honest, I’m not feeling 100 percent, this is my fourth week playing, but I’m going to do everything I can to be able to show up and compete at 100 per cent.”
Patty will be determined to make her mark this week at the HFGSWO and clinch her first KLPGA Tour win.
Her fine form is testament of her perseverance. Her stunning Major triumph at the 2021 ANA Inspiration was followed by a title drought of nearly three years. But Patty believes that things are finally falling into place.
The last time she competed in a KLPGA Tour event, Patty came close to victory. She was joint runner-up at the Hana Financial Group Championship in Incheon last year after a three-way play-off with eventual winner Lee Da-yeon and Australian star Minjee Lee.
“To be able to compete in a KLPGA event and represent Hana Financial Group, I know it would mean a lot to them if I could win at their event and represent them at the same time,” said Patty.
“It’s such an important event for them to grow the game in the Asia Pacific. As someone who is part of Asia Pacific, I feel honoured to be here and represent Thailand and hopefully this event can grow and bring a lot more players to the world stage.”
Patty can expect stiff competition from a host of KLPGA Tour stars, including defending champion Park Ji-young, last year’s KLPGA Tour Money List winner Lee Ye-won, KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year Kim Min-byeol, as well as other emerging regional talents such as Ashley Lau of Malaysia and Princess Mary Superal of the Philippines.
Park has expressed her excitement ahead of her title defence.
“I’m very happy to be back in Singapore. As the defending champion, I’m definitely looking forward to it and I’m also very well-prepared,” said Park.
Lee, meanwhile, is determined to conquer the challenging Tampines Course and vie for her first tournament victory abroad. Last year, she asserted her dominance on the KLPGA Tour by clinching three titles and finishing as runner-up four times.
“Coming to this season, I feel like my shots on average have been doing quite well. So I’m definitely really looking forward to it,” said Lee.
“I think for this course, after the tee shot, the second shot is even more important. You really have to read and analyse the whole course properly. So that’s why I think that would be the part I will be focusing more on.”
Six Singaporeans, including professionals Koh Sock Hwee and Amanda, will also be in action at TMCC from March 7 to 10. They will be joined by elite national amateur players Aloysa Atienza, Jaymie Ng, Chen Xingtong and Jillian Kuk.
Koh said: “For me, it’s very exciting to be playing in my own national Open, and I really look forward to it. Thank you to Hana Financial Group and SGA (Singapore Golf Association) for putting together this tournament for us to compete against a really strong field, and I look forward to the week ahead. There are a lot of young girls (from Singapore) playing this week. The Korean Tour is a very stroung Tour, and being exposed to such high levels in the game would help them on their way to turning professional. Just taking in the experience and pressure they’ll face this week will help them a lot in the future.”
The 1 billion Won (S$1.1 million) HFGSWO is jointly sanctioned by the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) and Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and will form a part of the Ladies Asian Tour Series.
Tickets to the HFGSWO are available on Ticketmaster. Updates on the event are available at https://swo.sga.org.sg and on Facebook and Instagram.
