SINGAPORE – With a nerve-wracking 9-metre birdie putt into the final hole, Australian Hannah Green secured a stunning victory at the 2024 HSBC Women’s World Championship on Sunday (March 3), beating Frenchwoman Celine Boutier by a single stroke at Sentosa Golf Club.
Green, 27, shot a 67 (five under par) for the third consecutive year on the Tanjong Course to secure the $1.8 million LPGA tournament after Boutier took over the clubhouse tour and also shot a 67 for a total of 276 (ten under par).
But Green – the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner – had other plans and stormed into a tie with Boutier with back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17. With a playoff looming, she ensured there would be no overtime when her long birdie putt on hole 18 sank into the hole to loud cheers from the crowd.
“I knew I needed at least a birdie on the last shot to win by one point. When the putt went in, I just thought, ‘Oh my God, I won!’ You have to take advantage of those highs when they come because they don’t always come and golf can be an educational sport sometimes,” Green said after her win.
“Céline played brilliantly today, but in the end she didn’t hold the trophy in her hands. Nevertheless, she can be proud of how she performed under the pressure.”
Canadian Brooke Henderson scored 68 points and shares third place with South Korean Lee Mi-hyang, Japanese Nasa Hataoka and Yuna Nishimura with a total score of 279.
First LPGA victory in Asia for Green
Green began the final round in second place, two shots behind the leader, and birdied the fifth and ninth holes to finish at 34. She dropped her only shot of the day on the tenth hole, but made another birdie on the twelfth to finish brilliantly.
It was the world number 28’s fourth LPGA title and her first win in Asia. It was also sweet redemption in Singapore after finishing second in 2021, ironically after needing three putts on her final two holes.
“I almost won the championship in 2021 when I first played. I remember needing three putts on 17 and then another three putts on 18 to lose. It feels great to have this trophy in my hands now,” she said.
Playing in the second-to-last group ahead of Green, Boutier was under pressure to protect her lead against a fast-moving Green, but she managed only two pars on the 17th and 18th holes, leaving the window open for Green.
“I knew my putt (on the 17th) was going to be important, but it ended up being too short. It was frustrating. I created opportunities for myself. I made some putts and missed some. But these things happen and I can’t be too angry about my round today,” said the 30-year-old.
The HSBC Women’s World Championship featured an international field of participants with representatives from 22 countries around the world. Singapore’s representative, Chen Xingtong, achieved a total score of 306, 18 over par, after four days of stroke play.
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