HSBC Women’s Champions
Sentosa Golf Club – The Serapong Course
Singapore
Second Round Notes
March 6, 2015
Rolex Rankings No. 45 Carlota Ciganda (-9)
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Inbee Park (-9)
Rolex Rankings No. 15 Azahara Munoz (-7)
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko (-6)
Rolex Rankings No. 38 Jenny Shin (-6)
Rolex Rankings No. 19 Jessica Korda (-5)
Inbee Park and Carlota Ciganda head into the weekend tied at the top of the leaderboard at 9-under at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Ciganda started the day T43 and thanks to the low round of the day, a 6-under 66, she ended the day tied for the lead for the second time in her career. The last time she was in this position was the 2014 CME Group Tour Championship when she was the co-leader after Rd. 2, only to lose in a playoff to Lydia Ko on Sunday that week.
Ciganda is in the hunt for her first career LPGA win. The Spaniard joined the Tour in 2012, the same year she was named the LET Rookie of the Year, Order of Merit winner and the Player of the Year and heads into the weekend not putting any pressure on herself.
“Yeah, I think I’m ready and I think it helps being here a few years,” Ciganda responded when asked if she feels ready to win. “So last year, I finished playing really good in the LPGA and LET. I’m confident, I’m happy, so I’m going to try my best. And if I win, good; and if I don’t win, I just want to keep learning and just keep playing.”
Park carded another bogey free round with her streak now at three consecutive dating back to the final round of last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand. With birdies on three of the final six holes, the World No. 2 was able to catch Ciganda in the end.
“I was lucky enough to hole the last three out of six holes, so I think I thought today was going to end with just no birdies. Nothing wanted to drop today.” Park said. “It could have been a better day but I’m really satisfied the way I finished, especially bogey through two days is a great result.”
LUCKY CHARM
Carlota Ciganda’s father, Jesus, is with her this week in Singapore and his positive attitude has helped her to climb the leaderboard at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Ciganda (-9) had the low round of the day on Friday and afterwards met with the media with her proud dad by her side.
“He’s been a really good influence to me my whole life, and yeah, when he comes, he’s very positive and when I’m playing good, he’s always telling me to have fun out there, to enjoy playing golf. I think that’s the main thing,” Ciganda explained the importance of his presence to the media.
Through Carlota’s translation, Jesus proudly told the media he doesn’t get nervous watching her. “He’s very used to it, because he’s been traveling with me quite a bit and following me at tournaments, so he’s used to it. He loves the sport and he knows that we can win or lose.”
Looking for her first career win, Ciganda feels ready.
“I’m feeling confident and happy, hitting the ball good,” Ciganda said. “I’m happy with my caddie. My dad is here, my uncle and other friends. We are having a great time outside the golf course and I think that’s also very important to enjoy yourself when you’re not on the golf course.”
THIS WEEK
The LPGA Tour is in Singapore this week for the HSBC Women’s Champions, highlighted by a field that includes 19 out of the top-20 in the Rolex Rankings. At last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions, Paula Creamer sank what may have been the putt of her career to clinch her 10th career LPGA victory. Creamer drained a 75-foot eagle putt on the second sudden-death playoff hole to defeat Spain’s Azahara Munoz. “The putt heard round the world” was one of the most exciting finishes in golf last year and we will certainly see the finish on highlight reels for years to come.
Defending champion Paula Creamer is T34 at +1 for the tournament.
WHO HAS WON the HSBC Women’s Champions (*Won in a playoff)
Player Year
Paula Creamer 2014*
Stacy Lewis 2013
Angela Stanford 2012*
Karrie Webb 2011
Ai Miyazato 2010
Jiyai Shin 2009
Lorena Ochoa 2008
ROLEX PROJECTIONS
Lydia Ko will remain the No. 1 player in the world regardless of the outcome of the HSBC Women’s Champions.
HSBC Women’s Champions Airtimes for this Week
Golf Channel will broadcast all the action and all times listed are U.S. EST. Golf Channel will also stream LIVE coverage of Rounds 2, 3, and the Final Round on the Golf LIVE Extra app/golfchannel.com from 11pm-3am ET Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. Follow the action live @HSBCWomenschampions - a daily special two hour program streaming live at https://www.hsbcgolf.com/womens/tournament-info/live/
Friday 3/6
4:30AM – 7:30AM ET
Round 2 (tape delay)
Saturday 3/7
4:30AM – 7:30AM ET
Round 3 (tape delay)
Sunday 3/8
5:00AM – 7:30AM ET
Final Round (tape delay)
Tuesday 3/10
11:00AM – 1:00PM ET
Final Round (re-air)
*Re-air times are subject to change.
SPANIARDs BUZZING AROUND INBEE
Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, who played in the same Spanish amateur teams in their teens, spent today chasing each other up the leader-board in the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions at Sentosa.
At the end of the afternoon, Ciganda, who posted a 66, was on nine under par and in a share of the lead with Inbee Park, with Munoz lying third at seven under.
The Spanish duo, who featured in the winning International Crown side last year and the successful European Solheim Cup side in 2013, will tell you that they befitted from the best of amateur systems in their homeland. The Spanish Federation take the more promising players under their wing at an early age and pay their expenses as they travel the world amateur circuit.
“Carlota, Beatriz [Recari] and I are much the same age,” expanded Munoz. “We were – and are – all good friends but we enjoyed a healthy rivalry which always worked for us in amateur days. It was tough to get on to the various Spanish teams and that’s probably why we improved so much.”
Munoz was felled by Paula Creamer’s 75-foot in the play-off here a year ago. Not, mind you, that it has haunted her. “If you would have told me that I was going to finish second at the start of the week, I would have been delighted,” she said. “Also, I would far rather lose like that than through making a mistake.”
Ciganda soared to nine under with two birdies in the last three holes. Afterwards, she posed with her proud father, Jesus, a five-handicap man who has never been anything but a positive influence on her career.
“He never put any pressure on me,” said Ciganda, who won the European Women’s championship when she was 14 years of age. “All that mattered to him was that I was having fun. He never used to ask what I had scored and I think that was a good thing.”
Sergio Garcia, who is under the same management umbrella as she is, has always proffered much the same advice. The two have played plenty of golf together across the years and, all the time, Garcia has stressed the importance of making sure she enjoys her career regardless of how she is scoring: “He keeps reminding me that golf can be nice sometimes and at other times not.”
Where Munoz won the Sybase Classic in 2012, Ciganda is still awaiting her first LPGA triumph.
Now, though, she thinks she is ready: “I’ve been playing good golf on tour and I’m learning to stay in the present, which is what I need to do.”
Lydia Ko was something of a wild child in her second round, spraying the ball right left and centre in what she still turned into an eminently respectable two-under-par 70.
Park, on the other hand, was steadiness personified.
For 13 holes, this four-time major winner was doing nothing to write home about other than churn out pars. Much to her irritation, she thought there were ten putts – mostly ten footers or thereabouts – which could just as easily have dropped over that stretch.
Then, though, the old Inbee magic began to surface. She seized a birdie opportunity at each of the 14th and 15th, and another at the 18th, just as she had done in the first round.
“It gives me a good confidence going into tomorrow,” she advised.
Credit: Lewine Mair Global Golf Post/ www.hsbcgolf.com
NUMBERS TO KNOW
7 - Number of different winners at the HSBC Women’s Champions
8 - This is the eighth edition of the HSBC Women’s Champions, which began in 2008
10 -Number of professional wins for Lydia Ko
18- There are 18 players from South Korea in the field this week
20- There are 20 players from the U.S. in the field this week, the most of any of the 20 different countries represented
33- Number of official events in 2015, up from 23 in 2011
48- Rolex Player of the Year points for Amy Yang, who leads Lydia Ko by two points
62 million (USD)- The total purse money in 2015, up from $41.4M in 2011
69.75 - Lydia Ko’s scoring average this year, which leads the Tour
410- Number of live televised hours in 2015, the most in LPGA history
CARLOTA CIGANDA
Q. 66; you were awesome today.
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Thank you, I had a very good day. I'm very happy with my score. Yeah, I feel very comfortable out there on the course and had a great playing with Stacy and Hee Young Park. I really like this course, and I'm playing good, so I'm really looking forward for the weekend.
Q. You hit the ball massive distances, but you control it so well. But is that sometimes your problem with inconsistency, is the control?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, yeah, that's very true. I hit it far but sometimes I can hit it everywhere. So I'm hitting the ball good this week. I change my 3-wood this year and I'm very happy with that.
So I'm really looking forward to keep playing tomorrow and Sunday and we'll see what happens.
Q. You're looking still for your first win and you had one on the LET, you're looking for your first win but do you feel like the season, the experience of being on the LPGA for a while, do you think you're ready?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think I'm ready and I think it helps being here a few years. So last year, I finished playing really good in the LPGA and LET. I'm confident, I'm happy, so I'm going to try my best. And if I win, good; and if I don't win, I just want to keep learning and just keep playing.
Q. We're in beautiful Singapore, so not all the time is spent on the golf course. What have you been doing when you're not here?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: In Singapore, we went yesterday for dinner to the Marina Square and then I went to the old town, and it's very nice, great people, great food, and the course, everything, the sponsor, I really like this place and I just want to say thank you to everyone for hosting the event.
Q. I understand you play very well when your father is around, and your father is here. Tell us why.
CARLOTA CIGANDA: He's been a really good influence to me my whole life, and yeah, when he comes, he's very positive and when I'm playing good, he's always telling me to have fun out there, to enjoy playing golf. I think that's the main thing.
Q. Does he feel nervous when he watches you play?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: He's very used to it, because he's been traveling with me quite a bit and following me at tournaments, so he's used to it. He loves the sport and he knows that we can win or lose.
Q. You are in a great position, possibly to win your first LPGA title. How are you feeling right now?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: I'm feeling good. I'm feeling confident and happy, hitting the ball good. I'm happy with my caddie. My dad is here, my uncle and other friends. We are having a great time outside the golf course and I think that's also very important to enjoy yourself when you're not on the golf course.
INBEE PARK
Q. So today you had another solid round and you're in a very good position. .
INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was a good round. I had a bogey-free round today, so overall, everything tee-to-green was perfect today, as well.
Just on the greens, until No. 1 to 13, I missed about nine, ten opportunities. I hit the ball great today. It could have been a much better day. I had more opportunities than yesterday but just didn't hole as many.
But I was lucky enough to hole the last three out of six holes, so I think i thought today was going to end with just no birdies. Nothing wanted to drop today.
It could have been a better day but I'm really satisfied the way I finished, especially bogey through two days is a great result.
Q. And the back nine seems to be very kind to you.
INBEE PARK: And the front nine is the tougher nine obviously. But the back nine, there is a lot of birdie chances out there.
And yeah, it seems like my putter wants to drop on the back nine, and hopefully tomorrow, a little bit different. I want to play a little better on the front nine. I had three, four opportunities today but I wasn't able to make them. So, yeah, hopefully I can make up for it on the front nine tomorrow.
Q. Have you ever won a tournament with no bogeys?
INBEE PARK: No, I've never done that before.
Q. 54 holes?
INBEE PARK: I think -- I'm not sure what's exact, my record is. I think for two rounds, I've definitely done it. But maybe third round, I'm not sure.
Q. Is that the most pleasing thing about your round today?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I didn't make much mistakes. Obviously I had a lot of opportunities, but being able to do a bogey-free round on this golf course I think is very good. It's a tough golf course and there is a lot of troubles out there.
Yeah, that just tells me how the ball-striking is very good, so that gives me a lot of confidence going into the next two days.
Q. Was it just about keeping pace with everyone?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I'm surprised with the scores, because last year the winning score was 10-under par and this year it's so much better.
Every week we go and play, it feels like every year is just getting better and better. You've just got to improve yourself every year, and I don't know, I can't see much of a difference in conditions, but I they just everybody is playing well, and I think I need to play well the next two days to win.
Q. At the start of the week you said your putter has to get hot. Is it getting hot?
INBEE PARK: It was hot yesterday, but definitely was but today was definitely not the hot day. I holed good putts coming down the stretch. Yeah, hopefully good momentum for tomorrow.
Q. You birdied 18 yesterday -- good momentum --
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think birdieing 18 is very important for the next day. Usually it gives me a good confidence going into tomorrow, and yeah, 18 is a birdie hole and par is a disappointment. The front nine, I wasn't able to make birdies on the par 5s, or any of those -- I made one birdie for two days.
Q. 13 straight pars to start the day, you must have been asking yourself when the birdie was going to come?
INBEE PARK: But it wasn't going to come all day because in 13 holes, I had so many opportunities. I had like ten shots that was within ten feet but just not making any putts. I was disappointed but I really tried to be patient. I thought at some point, one was going to drop, and I dropped three at the end. So it was a good day but just, you know, it could have been much better.
AZAHARA MUNOZ
Q. 7-under is a fantastic round. What was the difference from yesterday to today?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: Both days I actually played pretty good. Yesterday I miss a few short putts that today I didn't, and I still made a few nice 15-, 20-footers.
So you know, I think that was just the difference, and I still hit so many good shots, but it's kind of hard to control the spin on these greens. So hitting a good shot, it went over, but I ended up making nice par saves I guess. So it was overall, it was a really easy day of golf.
Q. Continuing where you left off from last year, because obviously this course suits you. What is it about the course that suits you so well?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: I don't know, I think sometimes when courses are wide open and stuff, I have a hard time focusing. And I think this golf course, every tee shot on every shot into the greens, even though the greens are huge, they are all set up in little -- like the green might be 45 yards long, but it's really only 15. So I think that really helps me focus a little more.
JENNY SHIN
Q. Do you mind talking very quickly through your round? You birdied the fifth?
JENNY SHIN: I did. It was a good putt. That hole, the fifth hole, the tee shot, you need to hit straight and I did do that; and I wanted to keep it left of the hole and I did. Made the putt.
Next hole, I hit in the bunker but hit a great shot out of the bunker, and then seventh, I chipped it to about 2 1/2 feet and made that for birdie.
And then the eighth, I hit it too 15 feet and made that, as well. It was a pretty easy putt straight up into the hill.
Q. So putting was good today?
JENNY SHIN: Yeah, putting was good today. But it seems like I 3-putt at least once a round out here. I feel like my putting saved me and killed me at the same time. It's been like that since Australia. If I could just focus and not miss any 5-footers, that would be great.
On 18, I missed a 4-footer birdie putt, and I missed the 2-footer coming back. Miss-read all those putts. I did that yesterday, miss-read a lot of my 5-footers. It's tough with the grain, and the slope. I've gotten used to it already but some of the holes, it's still a little bit confusing.
Q. You're in a great place, considering you've got this on your mind?
JENNY SHIN: Right. I feel like I shot 5-over today but I still ended up with 2-under par. The double on the 15th killed me.
Q. But you're still left well-placed for the weekend.
JENNY SHIN: Right, three strokes behind, two days left, so I'm not worried too much about it. Just do what I did today ask yesterday, and focus a little bit more.
JESSICA KORDA
Q. Great round today. Got yourself right back into the tournament with a 5-under. What was the difference from yesterday to today?
JESSICA KORDA: Just I think a little bit more of a solid play and made some putts, which was nice.
Q. The scoring has not been so phenomenal for the rest of the girls, so why do you think it worked for you?
JESSICA KORDA: It's a little bit windier, tougher conditions obviously. I got out there this morning, which I think the greens were a little bit nicer and not as stomped on. We were the last group yesterday, so obviously give and take some.
Q. Are you particularly keen on playing in the wind or do you find it not a problem for you?
JESSICA KORDA: Either way, it's fine. I like the tougher conditions. I think it makes you think a little more about the golf course. I don't know, I guess being a longer player, the tougher conditions are more favourable to me.
Q. Difference from yesterday to today, putting, driving?
JESSICA KORDA: Just putts were falling. It's one of those things that sometimes you hit good shots, good putts and they just don't drop and today they were. So hopefully they continue for the rest of the week.
Q. What was the lengths of the putts?
JESSICA KORDA: They were all quite long. I think I only had like one or two tap-ins. They were all 20, 25 feet.
Q. Was there any hole that you think, wow, a particular hole where there was a long one?
JESSICA KORDA: It was on the back nine. It was on 16. 16 was quite a long one, left-to-right kind of swinger, which I was like, whoa, yeah, that looks good.
Q. How long was that one?
JESSICA KORDA: Probably 30 feet.
Sentosa Golf Club – The Serapong Course
Singapore
Second Round Notes
March 6, 2015
Rolex Rankings No. 45 Carlota Ciganda (-9)
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Inbee Park (-9)
Rolex Rankings No. 15 Azahara Munoz (-7)
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko (-6)
Rolex Rankings No. 38 Jenny Shin (-6)
Rolex Rankings No. 19 Jessica Korda (-5)
Inbee Park and Carlota Ciganda head into the weekend tied at the top of the leaderboard at 9-under at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Ciganda started the day T43 and thanks to the low round of the day, a 6-under 66, she ended the day tied for the lead for the second time in her career. The last time she was in this position was the 2014 CME Group Tour Championship when she was the co-leader after Rd. 2, only to lose in a playoff to Lydia Ko on Sunday that week.
Ciganda is in the hunt for her first career LPGA win. The Spaniard joined the Tour in 2012, the same year she was named the LET Rookie of the Year, Order of Merit winner and the Player of the Year and heads into the weekend not putting any pressure on herself.
“Yeah, I think I’m ready and I think it helps being here a few years,” Ciganda responded when asked if she feels ready to win. “So last year, I finished playing really good in the LPGA and LET. I’m confident, I’m happy, so I’m going to try my best. And if I win, good; and if I don’t win, I just want to keep learning and just keep playing.”
Park carded another bogey free round with her streak now at three consecutive dating back to the final round of last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand. With birdies on three of the final six holes, the World No. 2 was able to catch Ciganda in the end.
“I was lucky enough to hole the last three out of six holes, so I think I thought today was going to end with just no birdies. Nothing wanted to drop today.” Park said. “It could have been a better day but I’m really satisfied the way I finished, especially bogey through two days is a great result.”
| Leaderboard | |||||
| Player | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | To Par |
| Carlota Ciganda | 69 | 66 | -9 | ||
| Inbee Park | 66 | 69 | -9 | ||
| Azahara Munoz | 70 | 67 | -7 | ||
| 4 Players tied for 4th | -6 |
LUCKY CHARM
Carlota Ciganda’s father, Jesus, is with her this week in Singapore and his positive attitude has helped her to climb the leaderboard at the HSBC Women’s Champions. Ciganda (-9) had the low round of the day on Friday and afterwards met with the media with her proud dad by her side.
“He’s been a really good influence to me my whole life, and yeah, when he comes, he’s very positive and when I’m playing good, he’s always telling me to have fun out there, to enjoy playing golf. I think that’s the main thing,” Ciganda explained the importance of his presence to the media.
Through Carlota’s translation, Jesus proudly told the media he doesn’t get nervous watching her. “He’s very used to it, because he’s been traveling with me quite a bit and following me at tournaments, so he’s used to it. He loves the sport and he knows that we can win or lose.”
Looking for her first career win, Ciganda feels ready.
“I’m feeling confident and happy, hitting the ball good,” Ciganda said. “I’m happy with my caddie. My dad is here, my uncle and other friends. We are having a great time outside the golf course and I think that’s also very important to enjoy yourself when you’re not on the golf course.”
THIS WEEK
The LPGA Tour is in Singapore this week for the HSBC Women’s Champions, highlighted by a field that includes 19 out of the top-20 in the Rolex Rankings. At last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions, Paula Creamer sank what may have been the putt of her career to clinch her 10th career LPGA victory. Creamer drained a 75-foot eagle putt on the second sudden-death playoff hole to defeat Spain’s Azahara Munoz. “The putt heard round the world” was one of the most exciting finishes in golf last year and we will certainly see the finish on highlight reels for years to come.
Defending champion Paula Creamer is T34 at +1 for the tournament.
WHO HAS WON the HSBC Women’s Champions (*Won in a playoff)
Player Year
Paula Creamer 2014*
Stacy Lewis 2013
Angela Stanford 2012*
Karrie Webb 2011
Ai Miyazato 2010
Jiyai Shin 2009
Lorena Ochoa 2008
ROLEX PROJECTIONS
Lydia Ko will remain the No. 1 player in the world regardless of the outcome of the HSBC Women’s Champions.
HSBC Women’s Champions Airtimes for this Week
Golf Channel will broadcast all the action and all times listed are U.S. EST. Golf Channel will also stream LIVE coverage of Rounds 2, 3, and the Final Round on the Golf LIVE Extra app/golfchannel.com from 11pm-3am ET Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening. Follow the action live @HSBCWomenschampions - a daily special two hour program streaming live at https://www.hsbcgolf.com/womens/tournament-info/live/
Friday 3/6
4:30AM – 7:30AM ET
Round 2 (tape delay)
Saturday 3/7
4:30AM – 7:30AM ET
Round 3 (tape delay)
Sunday 3/8
5:00AM – 7:30AM ET
Final Round (tape delay)
Tuesday 3/10
11:00AM – 1:00PM ET
Final Round (re-air)
*Re-air times are subject to change.
SPANIARDs BUZZING AROUND INBEE
Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, who played in the same Spanish amateur teams in their teens, spent today chasing each other up the leader-board in the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions at Sentosa.
At the end of the afternoon, Ciganda, who posted a 66, was on nine under par and in a share of the lead with Inbee Park, with Munoz lying third at seven under.
The Spanish duo, who featured in the winning International Crown side last year and the successful European Solheim Cup side in 2013, will tell you that they befitted from the best of amateur systems in their homeland. The Spanish Federation take the more promising players under their wing at an early age and pay their expenses as they travel the world amateur circuit.
“Carlota, Beatriz [Recari] and I are much the same age,” expanded Munoz. “We were – and are – all good friends but we enjoyed a healthy rivalry which always worked for us in amateur days. It was tough to get on to the various Spanish teams and that’s probably why we improved so much.”
Munoz was felled by Paula Creamer’s 75-foot in the play-off here a year ago. Not, mind you, that it has haunted her. “If you would have told me that I was going to finish second at the start of the week, I would have been delighted,” she said. “Also, I would far rather lose like that than through making a mistake.”
Ciganda soared to nine under with two birdies in the last three holes. Afterwards, she posed with her proud father, Jesus, a five-handicap man who has never been anything but a positive influence on her career.
“He never put any pressure on me,” said Ciganda, who won the European Women’s championship when she was 14 years of age. “All that mattered to him was that I was having fun. He never used to ask what I had scored and I think that was a good thing.”
Sergio Garcia, who is under the same management umbrella as she is, has always proffered much the same advice. The two have played plenty of golf together across the years and, all the time, Garcia has stressed the importance of making sure she enjoys her career regardless of how she is scoring: “He keeps reminding me that golf can be nice sometimes and at other times not.”
Where Munoz won the Sybase Classic in 2012, Ciganda is still awaiting her first LPGA triumph.
Now, though, she thinks she is ready: “I’ve been playing good golf on tour and I’m learning to stay in the present, which is what I need to do.”
Lydia Ko was something of a wild child in her second round, spraying the ball right left and centre in what she still turned into an eminently respectable two-under-par 70.
Park, on the other hand, was steadiness personified.
For 13 holes, this four-time major winner was doing nothing to write home about other than churn out pars. Much to her irritation, she thought there were ten putts – mostly ten footers or thereabouts – which could just as easily have dropped over that stretch.
Then, though, the old Inbee magic began to surface. She seized a birdie opportunity at each of the 14th and 15th, and another at the 18th, just as she had done in the first round.
“It gives me a good confidence going into tomorrow,” she advised.
Credit: Lewine Mair Global Golf Post/ www.hsbcgolf.com
NUMBERS TO KNOW
7 - Number of different winners at the HSBC Women’s Champions
8 - This is the eighth edition of the HSBC Women’s Champions, which began in 2008
10 -Number of professional wins for Lydia Ko
18- There are 18 players from South Korea in the field this week
20- There are 20 players from the U.S. in the field this week, the most of any of the 20 different countries represented
33- Number of official events in 2015, up from 23 in 2011
48- Rolex Player of the Year points for Amy Yang, who leads Lydia Ko by two points
62 million (USD)- The total purse money in 2015, up from $41.4M in 2011
69.75 - Lydia Ko’s scoring average this year, which leads the Tour
410- Number of live televised hours in 2015, the most in LPGA history
CARLOTA CIGANDA
Q. 66; you were awesome today.
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Thank you, I had a very good day. I'm very happy with my score. Yeah, I feel very comfortable out there on the course and had a great playing with Stacy and Hee Young Park. I really like this course, and I'm playing good, so I'm really looking forward for the weekend.
Q. You hit the ball massive distances, but you control it so well. But is that sometimes your problem with inconsistency, is the control?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, yeah, that's very true. I hit it far but sometimes I can hit it everywhere. So I'm hitting the ball good this week. I change my 3-wood this year and I'm very happy with that.
So I'm really looking forward to keep playing tomorrow and Sunday and we'll see what happens.
Q. You're looking still for your first win and you had one on the LET, you're looking for your first win but do you feel like the season, the experience of being on the LPGA for a while, do you think you're ready?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: Yeah, I think I'm ready and I think it helps being here a few years. So last year, I finished playing really good in the LPGA and LET. I'm confident, I'm happy, so I'm going to try my best. And if I win, good; and if I don't win, I just want to keep learning and just keep playing.
Q. We're in beautiful Singapore, so not all the time is spent on the golf course. What have you been doing when you're not here?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: In Singapore, we went yesterday for dinner to the Marina Square and then I went to the old town, and it's very nice, great people, great food, and the course, everything, the sponsor, I really like this place and I just want to say thank you to everyone for hosting the event.
Q. I understand you play very well when your father is around, and your father is here. Tell us why.
CARLOTA CIGANDA: He's been a really good influence to me my whole life, and yeah, when he comes, he's very positive and when I'm playing good, he's always telling me to have fun out there, to enjoy playing golf. I think that's the main thing.
Q. Does he feel nervous when he watches you play?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: He's very used to it, because he's been traveling with me quite a bit and following me at tournaments, so he's used to it. He loves the sport and he knows that we can win or lose.
Q. You are in a great position, possibly to win your first LPGA title. How are you feeling right now?
CARLOTA CIGANDA: I'm feeling good. I'm feeling confident and happy, hitting the ball good. I'm happy with my caddie. My dad is here, my uncle and other friends. We are having a great time outside the golf course and I think that's also very important to enjoy yourself when you're not on the golf course.
INBEE PARK
Q. So today you had another solid round and you're in a very good position. .
INBEE PARK: Yeah, it was a good round. I had a bogey-free round today, so overall, everything tee-to-green was perfect today, as well.
Just on the greens, until No. 1 to 13, I missed about nine, ten opportunities. I hit the ball great today. It could have been a much better day. I had more opportunities than yesterday but just didn't hole as many.
But I was lucky enough to hole the last three out of six holes, so I think i thought today was going to end with just no birdies. Nothing wanted to drop today.
It could have been a better day but I'm really satisfied the way I finished, especially bogey through two days is a great result.
Q. And the back nine seems to be very kind to you.
INBEE PARK: And the front nine is the tougher nine obviously. But the back nine, there is a lot of birdie chances out there.
And yeah, it seems like my putter wants to drop on the back nine, and hopefully tomorrow, a little bit different. I want to play a little better on the front nine. I had three, four opportunities today but I wasn't able to make them. So, yeah, hopefully I can make up for it on the front nine tomorrow.
Q. Have you ever won a tournament with no bogeys?
INBEE PARK: No, I've never done that before.
Q. 54 holes?
INBEE PARK: I think -- I'm not sure what's exact, my record is. I think for two rounds, I've definitely done it. But maybe third round, I'm not sure.
Q. Is that the most pleasing thing about your round today?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I didn't make much mistakes. Obviously I had a lot of opportunities, but being able to do a bogey-free round on this golf course I think is very good. It's a tough golf course and there is a lot of troubles out there.
Yeah, that just tells me how the ball-striking is very good, so that gives me a lot of confidence going into the next two days.
Q. Was it just about keeping pace with everyone?
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I'm surprised with the scores, because last year the winning score was 10-under par and this year it's so much better.
Every week we go and play, it feels like every year is just getting better and better. You've just got to improve yourself every year, and I don't know, I can't see much of a difference in conditions, but I they just everybody is playing well, and I think I need to play well the next two days to win.
Q. At the start of the week you said your putter has to get hot. Is it getting hot?
INBEE PARK: It was hot yesterday, but definitely was but today was definitely not the hot day. I holed good putts coming down the stretch. Yeah, hopefully good momentum for tomorrow.
Q. You birdied 18 yesterday -- good momentum --
INBEE PARK: Yeah, I think birdieing 18 is very important for the next day. Usually it gives me a good confidence going into tomorrow, and yeah, 18 is a birdie hole and par is a disappointment. The front nine, I wasn't able to make birdies on the par 5s, or any of those -- I made one birdie for two days.
Q. 13 straight pars to start the day, you must have been asking yourself when the birdie was going to come?
INBEE PARK: But it wasn't going to come all day because in 13 holes, I had so many opportunities. I had like ten shots that was within ten feet but just not making any putts. I was disappointed but I really tried to be patient. I thought at some point, one was going to drop, and I dropped three at the end. So it was a good day but just, you know, it could have been much better.
AZAHARA MUNOZ
Q. 7-under is a fantastic round. What was the difference from yesterday to today?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: Both days I actually played pretty good. Yesterday I miss a few short putts that today I didn't, and I still made a few nice 15-, 20-footers.
So you know, I think that was just the difference, and I still hit so many good shots, but it's kind of hard to control the spin on these greens. So hitting a good shot, it went over, but I ended up making nice par saves I guess. So it was overall, it was a really easy day of golf.
Q. Continuing where you left off from last year, because obviously this course suits you. What is it about the course that suits you so well?
AZAHARA MUNOZ: I don't know, I think sometimes when courses are wide open and stuff, I have a hard time focusing. And I think this golf course, every tee shot on every shot into the greens, even though the greens are huge, they are all set up in little -- like the green might be 45 yards long, but it's really only 15. So I think that really helps me focus a little more.
JENNY SHIN
Q. Do you mind talking very quickly through your round? You birdied the fifth?
JENNY SHIN: I did. It was a good putt. That hole, the fifth hole, the tee shot, you need to hit straight and I did do that; and I wanted to keep it left of the hole and I did. Made the putt.
Next hole, I hit in the bunker but hit a great shot out of the bunker, and then seventh, I chipped it to about 2 1/2 feet and made that for birdie.
And then the eighth, I hit it too 15 feet and made that, as well. It was a pretty easy putt straight up into the hill.
Q. So putting was good today?
JENNY SHIN: Yeah, putting was good today. But it seems like I 3-putt at least once a round out here. I feel like my putting saved me and killed me at the same time. It's been like that since Australia. If I could just focus and not miss any 5-footers, that would be great.
On 18, I missed a 4-footer birdie putt, and I missed the 2-footer coming back. Miss-read all those putts. I did that yesterday, miss-read a lot of my 5-footers. It's tough with the grain, and the slope. I've gotten used to it already but some of the holes, it's still a little bit confusing.
Q. You're in a great place, considering you've got this on your mind?
JENNY SHIN: Right. I feel like I shot 5-over today but I still ended up with 2-under par. The double on the 15th killed me.
Q. But you're still left well-placed for the weekend.
JENNY SHIN: Right, three strokes behind, two days left, so I'm not worried too much about it. Just do what I did today ask yesterday, and focus a little bit more.
JESSICA KORDA
Q. Great round today. Got yourself right back into the tournament with a 5-under. What was the difference from yesterday to today?
JESSICA KORDA: Just I think a little bit more of a solid play and made some putts, which was nice.
Q. The scoring has not been so phenomenal for the rest of the girls, so why do you think it worked for you?
JESSICA KORDA: It's a little bit windier, tougher conditions obviously. I got out there this morning, which I think the greens were a little bit nicer and not as stomped on. We were the last group yesterday, so obviously give and take some.
Q. Are you particularly keen on playing in the wind or do you find it not a problem for you?
JESSICA KORDA: Either way, it's fine. I like the tougher conditions. I think it makes you think a little more about the golf course. I don't know, I guess being a longer player, the tougher conditions are more favourable to me.
Q. Difference from yesterday to today, putting, driving?
JESSICA KORDA: Just putts were falling. It's one of those things that sometimes you hit good shots, good putts and they just don't drop and today they were. So hopefully they continue for the rest of the week.
Q. What was the lengths of the putts?
JESSICA KORDA: They were all quite long. I think I only had like one or two tap-ins. They were all 20, 25 feet.
Q. Was there any hole that you think, wow, a particular hole where there was a long one?
JESSICA KORDA: It was on the back nine. It was on 16. 16 was quite a long one, left-to-right kind of swinger, which I was like, whoa, yeah, that looks good.
Q. How long was that one?
JESSICA KORDA: Probably 30 feet.
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