BENEATH her girlish demeanour spiced with giggles, an apparent ease of mind and being oblivious to distractions is a steely inner side that oozes confidence.

Chen Xing Tong is only 15, but the Singaporean amateur golfer finds herself deep in the cauldron of fierce competition alongside the world’s best players when she competes at this week’s HSBC Women’s World Championship.

The 72-hole stroke play tournament, which has US$1.8 million in prize money, takes place at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course from Thursday (Feb 29) to Sunday.

Chen earned her spot in some style, too, defeating eight Singaporeans including three professionals. She was just four shots adrift of second-placed Aloysa Atienza at the recent HSBC Women’s World Championship National Qualifier.

Earlier this month, this reporter had the opportunity to play a round with Chen and Atienza, and if there’s one adjective to describe Chen’s style of play, it would be “fearless”.

The teenager, who studied at Bukit Panjang Government High School before transferring to the Singapore Sports School, is one who is unafraid to take risks.

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Her pin attacks were instinctive and her mind was positive when raiding the greens on par-fives with her favourite five-wood second shot that could easily fly 200 metres.

Showing no signs of disconcert despite having little practice time because of school work and exams, Chen was calm and composed even as she displayed the occasional flaw in her game.

After a round of just one birdie, a bagful of pars and no double-bogeys, she said: “It was an okay round. My distance-reading in the wind could be better and a couple of approaches could have been sharper. But this doesn’t bother me, for I am against myself in the HSBC event.”

Excited she may be, but being a small fish in a big pond where 15 of the world’s top 20 players are on the same course means she does feel some degree of pressure too.

One person who’s rooting for her is Shamuri Sidek, a 77-year-old former professional who took Chen under his wing at Warren Golf and Country Club when she was just nine. “Her rise in golf has been phenomenal because she works hard,” he said.

“In six years, she brought her handicap down to plus-3.9 because she is confident and has the right attitude. She has family support too, especially from her dad, who introduced her to golf.”

Chen’s father Chen Fan, who works as a service engineer, plays social golf and also tries to drive his daughter to practice whenever he can.

Asked about the golfers she admires the most, Chen lists Norwegian Viktor Hovland for his swing, and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul as her favourite player.

Thitikul was 15 years old when she won the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship at Sentosa Golf Club in 2018.

“It would be a dream if I get to play with Atthaya one day,” said Chen, who hopes to go on to play college golf in the US.

Star-studded field

Chen won’t get to see her in Singapore, however, as the 21-year-old Thai is injured and has pulled out of the HSBC championship.

Still, there will be plenty of star power on the greens as all the reigning Major champions are in town.

They have a combined 28 titles, and golf fans are eagerly looking forward to seeing all of last year’s Major winners in the flesh.

They are the world No 1 Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open); Allisen Corpuz (US Women’s Open); Ruoning Yin (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship); and Celine Boutier (The Amundi Evian Championship).

Last year’s HSBC Women’s champion, South Korean Ko Jin Young, will defend a title she’s won twice. Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, meanwhile, is one of the most in-form golfers as she won last week’s LPGA Thailand event and the Aramco Saudi Ladies International the previous week.

The Saudi victory was the first for Tavatanakit on the LPGA Tour since her breakthrough Major win at The Chevron Championship in 2021, the same year she finished joint-third in Singapore.

A perennial crowd favourite is New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, the 26-year-old two-time Major champion who is making her 10th appearance at the HSBC tournament.

The field also features five sponsor exemptions, among them three-time Major champion In Gee Chun and 2019 rookie Muni He.