Hannah Green (-13) has taken the victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, a tournament of the LPGA Tour that was held at the Tanjong course of the Sentosa Golf Club. The Australian golfer adds the fourth win of her career on the American circuit, after beating Celine Boutier by one stroke in a movie-like finale.
Green has once again shown that she is a professional winner. There are not many Sundays where she leaves herself chances of victory, but when she is around, if she appears stalking the prey, she rarely escapes. A revealing fact. Throughout her entire career, she has achieved almost twice as many titles as second places (eight versus five). If she is close, don’t lose sight of her.
The truth is that the outcome in Singapore has been spectacular. Boutier had the trophy almost gripped with both hands with three holes to go. The Frenchwoman, who came out this Sunday in the penultimate match of the day, one stroke behind Green and two behind Ayaka Furue, was the best of all in the first 15 holes of the day. She was going with a partial of five under par, with five mistakes without failure. A partial of four less between holes 8 and 15 gave the feeling that it had been definitive. She stood with a two-stroke lead over Green with three holes to go.
In the vast majority of unwritten golf manuals it appears that with three pars and a two-stroke lead with three holes to go, you take the victory 95 percent of the time. Today it was the remaining five percent due to a colossal final sprint by Hannah. It was a ‘robbery’ with stealth and treachery.
Green, who played in the last match, just behind Boutier, finished with three consecutive birdies on 16, 17 and 18. The birdie on 16, par 5, was textbook, playing a great hole and sinking a putt of less than two meters. However, both on 17 and, especially, on 18, she pulled off two birdies that don’t exist on any roadmap. On the penultimate hole, par 3, she hit a good shot, but the key was the putt of about five meters that she holed. It was quite noble, but it had to be holed.
CLUTCH!@hannahgreengolf birdies 17 for a share of the lead! pic.twitter.com/2vp54i2xZl
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 3, 2024
The big hit came on 18, a tough par 4 where Boutier struggled to make par. Hannah caught the green and left herself a devilish birdie putt. She had about six meters, downhill and with a lot of fall from left to right. She put it in the kitchen, when it already seemed to be escaping to the left of the hole. Impressive. Three birdies in three holes and victory with one advantage.
Champion's final putt!@hannahgreengolf wins the 2024 @HWWCGolf in style! ✨ pic.twitter.com/FBbTF5JFr0
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 3, 2024
It is Green’s second tournament of the season on the LPGA Tour. She is 27 years old and has confirmed the good habit this tournament has of generating only winners who have had or will have a Major in their careers. The Australian has won the PGA Championship and has defeated in the last rush another Major champion like Boutier. Something about the water of Sentosa when it is blessed. Only once in history has a golfer without Majors won this tournament (Hana Jang).
As for the Spaniards, Carlota Ciganda (+2) has said goodbye with the best round of the week. It’s never too late to recover and add. Always add. Not only points or money, but also good feelings for the next appointments. The Navarrese has made 69 strokes in a day with a lot of movement: four birdies, one eagle and three bogeys. From tee to green it was not very different from the previous days, but today she managed to feel more comfortable with the putter. She finished in 39th place.
Meanwhile, Azahara Muñoz (+6) has been the other side of the coin. Two consecutive double bogeys on holes 3 and 4, derailed a day that she had very controlled, with a par result in the first eleven holes. She made 76 strokes and finished in 53rd place.
