Dazzling Success of Queen Sirikit Cup Alumni

Singapore: Former Queen Sirikit Cup participants dominated proceedings in the 2021 edition of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, underscoring the Amateur Ladies Asia-Pacific Invitational Golf Team Championship’s reputation as a stepping stone to global fairway fame.

Korean Kim Hyo-joo led the way at Sentosa Golf Club in one of the LPGA Tour’s showpiece events, claiming top honours following a stunning closing eight-under-par 64 as no fewer than five Queen Sirikit Cup alumni featured in the top-six in the final standings and seven in the top-10.

Kim led Korea to victory in three successive Queen Sirikit Cups – 2010 in New Zealand, 2011 in India and 2012 in Singapore. For good measure, she was the leading individual in 2010 and 2012 and runner-up in 2011.

Other ex-Queen Sirikit Cup players who challenged for the HSBC Women’s World Championship title were Australian Hannah Green, Thai Patty Tavatanakit, China’s Lin Xiyu, Koreans Ryu So-yeon and Chun In-gee and New Zealander Lydia Ko.

Bidding for her third LPGA Tour title, Green, who represented her country in the Queen Sirikit Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2016, ended second at Sentosa, one shot shy of Kim.

One stroke further adrift in a share of third spot were Tavatanakit and Lin while Ryu had sole possession of sixth place and Chun and Ko tied for seventh.

Tavatanakit flew the flag for Thailand in the Queen Sirikit Cup in 2015 and 2016, while Lin made her sole appearance in 2011.

Ryu made her Queen Sirikit Cup debut at Australia’s Royal Adelaide Golf Club in 2006 where Korea finished third. The following year at The Country Club in the Philippines, Ryu sparked the first of six consecutive Korean triumphs by claiming the low individual accolade.

Chun played alongside Kim in the triumphant team of 2011 while Ko spearhead the New Zealand challenge in 2010, 2011 and 2012, when she placed second individually behind Kim at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Country Club.

Rae-Vadee T. Suwan, Secretary-General of the Queen Sirikit Cup and a driving force behind the launching of the event in 1979, said: “It gives me a great sense of pride and satisfaction to see so many past Queen Sirikit Cup players faring so well in the professional game.

“It illustrates the importance of providing top-level tournament experience for talented players when they are still in their formative years.”

The Queen Sirikit Cup is part of the portfolio of events of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the region’s ruling golfing body.

Taimur Hassan Amin, APGC Chairman, said: “What an uplifting effort from our Asia-Pacific players at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. And what a fantastic advertisement for the Queen Sirikit Cup which, for more than four decades, has been one of the most important events on the region’s golfing calendar.”

As well as their Queen Sirikit Cup appearances, Green and Tavatanakit were team-mates in the victorious Asia-Pacific team at the 2016 Patsy Hankins Trophy, a Ryder Cup-style match play event between elite female amateur players in Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Tavatanakit also competed in the 2018 event. Last month she gained global headlines when marking her rookie year on the LPGA Tour by winning the ANA Inspiration, only the second Thai to claim a Major championship success.

The 42nd edition of the Queen Sirikit Cup had been scheduled to take place in August. But in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s been postponed until March, 2022 at Singapore’s Laguna National Golf & Country Club.