Wie Saves Best Until Last In Nail-Biting Finish

Fan favourite takes dramatic victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship

Michelle Wie gave the galleries at Sentosa Golf Club a finish to remember, securing victory in the US$1.5 million purse HSBC Women’s World Championship and taking the winner’s cheque of US$225,000 with an epic 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

The win put paid to memories of 2017 when she led the tournament after the first and third rounds, before fading on the last. Her bogey-free round of seven-under-par 65 saw her add her name to a list of champions that includes some of the true greats of the game, including Lorena Ochoa, Ai Miyazato, Karrie Webb, Paula Creamer, and Inbee Park.

Teeing off in the penultimate flight of the day, and four shots behind overnight leader Nelly Korda, the Hawaiian maintained pressure on the leaders with birdies on holes 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, and 14 before producing the shot of the tournament on the last, to take the outright lead. It looked as though Korda, playing in the last flight of the day, would force a play-off; her superb approach to the 18th leaving her with a five-foot birdie putt, but it wasn’t to be.

Speaking about her fifth win on tour, Major-winner Wie said, “You know, I just kind of wanted to get revenge after last year a little bit. I kind of came with a slight chip on my shoulder in the morning, and I knew that I had to shoot low to even have a chance, and everyone played great today. I'm just really proud of myself for making a lot of birdies and keep going, and never really getting out of my head, which I'm really proud of doing today. But my caddie did a great job of keeping me in the game and keeping me entertained throughout the round. It was a lot of fun today.”