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LPGA.com caught up with Karrie Webb, Sun Young Yoo, and Na Yeon Choi to discuss how Tanah Merah Country Club suits their games. They’ve all had top finishes at the HSBC Women’s Champions in the past and look to build upon that this year.

Karrie Webb

LPGA: Do you do anything different when you’re the defending champion?
Webb: I never really change things when I’m defending champion. I like defending because I have great memories from the year before when I won.

LPGA: What is the key to playing well at Tanah Merah?
Webb: The key to playing Tanah Merah is to keep the bogeys off your card and to stay patient on the greens.

LPGA: How does it match with your game?
Webb: Apart from winning at Tanah Merah last year, I have faired pretty well over the years. I’m not sure what exactly matches up with my game but I think that it’s the start of the year which I always look forward to and I have a little more control of my emotions than I tend to do later in the year.

LPGA: What are your favorite holes?
Webb: I think the par 3′s 8 and 11 are challenging holes that somedays require a lot of courage to hit a shot close to the pin. 

LPGA: What are you looking forward to that week?
Webb: I am looking forward to defending and hopefully having another crack at holding up the HSBC Women’s Champions trophy.

LPGA: What are your favorite things to do while in Singapore?
Webb: I love the multi-cultural nature of Singapore. I love all sorts of Asian food so I look forward to dinner every night. A few of my favorites are Indian, Middle-Eastern foods as well as a Singapore local dish of Chilli Crab!

Sun Young Yoo

LPGA: What is the key to playing well at Tanah Merah?
Yoo: My key on that golf course is my driver. Those fairways are tight, so I’m trying not to get scared of that. I’m just trying to make some confidence swings out there.

LPGA: How does it match with your game?
Yoo: It matchs with my game pretty good I think because I’m good at hitting irons and their greens are not that big. Maybe some are but they are not huge so I don’t really worry about hitting greens on that course.

LPGA: What are your favorite holes?
Yoo: My favorite holes I would say 17 and 18. They are good finishing holes and the fairways are tight with some good distance as well. Anything can happen on the last two holes. It’s fun to play.

LPGA: What are your favorite things to do while in Singapore?
Yoo: Everytime I’m over there the weather is so hot, so I’m staying in my hotel room or going down to the shopping mall to look around. I try to save my energy and stay cool!

Na Yeon Choi

LPGA: What is the key to playing well at Tanah Merah?
Choi: I feel the key to playing well at Tanah Merah is driving the ball well and staying cool and hydrated.  The finishing holes (16,17,18) are key to playing well there.  The lead can really change over those holes.  You really need to keep your focus there.

LPGA: How does it match with your game?
Choi: I think the course is difficult.  Players who can fade the ball off the tee have an advantage out there.  For me, I have to play very conservatively and concentrate on making pars.

LPGA: What are your favorite holes?
Choi: My favorite hole is number nine because it is a good chance to make birdie. From the tee it really fits my eye.

LPGA: What are you looking forward to that week?
Choi: I am lookin
LPGA.com News & Entertainment

HSBC Women’s Champions
Tanah Merah Country Club
Singapore
Feb. 22, 2012
Pre-tournament notes

Yani Tseng, Rolex Rankings No. 1 and winner of last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand
Karrie Webb, Rolex Rankings No. 19 and 2011 HSBC Women’s Champions winner
Ai Miyazato, Rolex Rankings No. 9 and 2010 HSBC Women’s Champions winner
Paula Creamer, Rolex Rankings No. 6

The next “Champion of Champions” will be crowned on Sunday at the fifth-annual HSBC Women’s Champions at Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore. Each of the four prior winners of the .4 million tournament has come from the upper echelon of the women’s professional game. At the inaugural event in 2008, then-Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lorena Ochoa won the event by a whopping 11 strokes over Annika Sorenstam and set the tournament record with a 7-under-par 65 in the second round. In 2009, South Korea’s Jiyai Shin won the tournament by two strokes and went on to top the LPGA Official Money List and win the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award at season’s end. Shin would go on to hold the Rolex Rankings No. 1 spot in 2010 following Ochoa’s retirement. A year later, Ai Miyazato became the first player since 1966 to win consecutive season-opening events with her win at the HSBC Women’s Champions and went on to hold the Rolex Rankings No. 1 spot for 11 weeks later in the season. Last season, LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Karrie Webb became the fourth high-profile winner in Singapore with her 37th career LPGA victory at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Webb went on to earn her 38th victory at the season’s next event.

Karrie Webb is set to defend her HSBC title this week following a strong showing in Thailand. Last week, the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member tied for ninth and was in the hunt on Sunday until a quadruple-bogey nine at the seventh hole knocked her out of contention. Despite the mishap, Webb remains positive about the way her game is progressing this season. “I was pleased with the way I played last week, although I had one bad hole that set me back a bit,” said Webb. “I had a chance until then and that’s all I can really ask for, but I probably didn’t even expect that much after the way I played in Australia. It was a good improvement.”

Webb admitted today that her victory at last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions was more about mental toughness than flawless play. “Sometimes when you don’t win for a long time, you think you have to be at 100 percent to win,” she said. “But it wasn’t the perfect Karrie Webb golf game. It was huge for me mentally to know that I don’t have to be at 100 percent to win.” In addition to holding off Chie Arimura, Webb also defeated Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng by three shots en route to her “Champion of Champions” designation last year.

Following her win at last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng returns to Singapore in hopes of adding an HSBC title to her ever-growing résumé. The 23-year-old now boasts 13 career LPGA victories – including eight in the last 12 months – and leads the race for a third-consecutive Rolex Player of the Year award. “Last week, it was a good start for me and I think that’s very important for me that I know I can keep winning tournaments, keep playing good golf and have mental set up and mentally be to
LPGA.com News & Entertainment

The third stop on the LPGA’s Asia-Pacific swing takes place this week at the fifth-annual HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.

The Tanah Merah Country Club welcomes back the reigning "Champion of Champions" Karrie Webb after an outstanding finish last season when she defeated JLPGA star Chie Arimura by one stroke with a four-day tally of 13-under-par 275. It is the second best finish in tournament history behind Lorena Ochoa’s 20-under-par 268 in 2008. This win marked her 37th victory in her 16-year career and is only the second player to cross the million mark in career earnings (Annika Storenstam). Webb went on to win her 38th win at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup just weeks after.

Several competitors in the top 10 of the Rolex Rankings list for 2012 are slated to be in the field this week including, No. 1 Yani Tseng and No. 7 Jiyai Shin.

Tseng is coming off her 13th LPGA win last weekend at the Honda LPGA Thailand, finishing just one stroke ahead of Ai Miyazato. At the 2011 HSBC Women’s Champions, Tseng placed third after falling just three strokes behind Webb’s pace.

Shin is looking for her first LPGA victory since 2010 (Mizuno Classic and Evian Masters.) She won her first LPGA career event at the 2009 HSBC Women’s Champions and went on to record two more victories that season at the Wegmans LPGA and the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship.

Rolex Rankings No. 11 Miyazato will also be on the "must watch" list for the 2012 season after finishing in second at the Honda LPGA Thailand last weekend. She was the 2010 "Champion of Champions" and recorded four other victories that season.

Other top competitors likely to breakout this weekend include Amy Yang, Jimin Kang, ShanShan Feng, Amanda Blumenherst, Stacy Lewis, Jenny Shin, and Karrie Webb, who all finished in the top 10 at the Honda LPGA Thailand last weekend.

LPGA.com News & Entertainment

Every week throughout 2012, we will spotlight one LPGA player and provide an in depth look into her life — both on the course and off of it. Keep coming back each day to learn more about Tiffany Joh.

All Jokes Aside, Tiffany Joh Wants To Be A Contender
By Lisa D. Mickey

Just mention the name of Tiffany Joh and people smile.

Her fellow LPGA Tour members talk about her solid playing skills and penchant for producing entertaining videos. Her fans describe her approachability and willingness to chat and sign their proffered stuff. The media marvels at her intelligence and highly quotable commentary. And her former college teammates gush about how much fun she brought to their team.

The good news is, all of this is true.

Joh borders on comic genius when it comes to writing songs, singing, rapping, playing musical instruments and producing her own videos, which have a regular following on YouTube. Her creativity is off the charts for a professional athlete and her likeability meter makes her a player in demand among fans and media alike.

But while Joh moved the needle this year during her rookie season for reasons off the course, when pressed for an answer, the San Diego native admits she has one key focus on the LPGA Tour.

“The main reason we’re all out here is to be No. 1 in the world at some point,” said Joh, who is celebrating her 25th birthday on Dec. 8. “Sure, I want to be a contender, but maybe the other things I do [off course] is my way of taking off a little bit of pressure and just enjoying what I do. I don’t really mind if nobody takes me seriously.” More >>

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