Atthaya Thitikul feeling the pressure at HSBC Women's World Championship

Atthaya Thitikul is currently at Sentosa Golf Club - Tanjong Course for the HSBC Women's World Championship, hoping to better her performance last year where she finished fourth.

Most of the top stars are present at the Women's World Championship as 38 of the top 50 LPGA stars are competing for the $1.8 million prize money event.

The 20-year-old is feeling the pressure and she knows that people have expectations of her.

“Obviously, when you are at the top of your game, everyone will be watching you and there’s going to be pressure," said Thitikul. "I achieved success really fast in my rookie year and the spotlight has been on me ever since.”

Thitikul was awarded the 2022 LPGA Rookie of the Year for her brilliant run last year, where she secured 16 top-10 finishes, which included two victories. This saw her meteoric rise to World No. 1 Rolex Golf Rankings in November, becoming only the second Thai player to reach the women’s top spot after Ariya Jutanugarn.

Her good form continued this year too as she came close to winning the Honda LPGA Thailand as she finished third, two strokes short of eventual winner Lilia Vu.

The World No. 4 is familiar with tasting success at the Sentosa Golf Club, where she triumphed in the 2018 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific at the age of 15.

She said:

“I love Sentosa. It's always in good condition and the course suits my eye. I have so many good memories here and really looking forward to the week.”

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Elizabeth Szokol leads after the first round of the HSBC Women's World Championship

Elizabeth Szokol had an impressive first round at the 2023 HSBC Women's World Championship

American Elizabeth Szokol posted a career-low round of 8-under 64 to take the early lead on Thursday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. The 28-year-old holed an eagle on the fifth hole and seven birdies in her first round at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.

Szokol started slow on the back nine with a bogey on the 10th but then picked up the rhythm with birdies on the 13th, 16th, and 18th holes. She was brilliant on the front nine as she posted an Eagle and four birdies to post a score of 30.

"I'm really happy about the start," said Szokol after her round. "Great way to start the event. I'm just happy I was hitting my irons better than last week. I felt like I was shaking off a little rust last week from the offseason so very pleased with the start.”

U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso trails behind Szokol as she carded a 5-under, 67 on day one in Singapore. World No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul is at T17 with a score of 2 under 70 in the first round. World No. 2 Nelly Korda went bogey-free in round one and posted a score of 4-under 68 with the help of birdies on Nos. 5, 6, 8, and 17.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko shot a first round of 2-under 70 with the help of 5 birdies but three bogeys cost her.