Joey Poh Wins HSBC Women's Champions local qualifying tournament

Story contributed by Lorna Campbell

Singapore, 6th February 2009 - Joey Poh claimed the coveted Local Host Invite today for next month's HSBC Women's Champions after completing her round with a score of 76 to lift her above her 13 Singaporean opponents.

Fifteen year old Poh went into the final round on the Garden Course at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) in second place, and three shots behind overnight leader Su-Ann Heng. She gained confidence on day two and finished on the 18th narrowly missing a birdie as the crowds cheered her on and congratulated her on her achievement.

"It was really fun and really good out on the course. The putting green is really very difficult and I had a hard time on the first day but I was a lot more confident today," said Poh after digesting her victory.

"I am excited about playing with the top players next month and learning from them as I hope to turn professional in five years time so this will be a great experience for me."

Poh is a member of the HSBC Youth Golf Excellence Programme which caters for 450 students who attend weekly training sessions as part of their school's co-curricular activity. The programme is part of the bank's global sponsorship strategy and long-term investment in golf.

Mr Guy Harvey-Samuel, CEO of HSBC Singapore congratulated Poh on her performance saying, "Our hope is that Joey's fantastic win today will help inspire the fast growing female golfing community in Singapore, and that one day, a Singaporean will emerge as a world-class champion."

Heng finished the tournament with a gross score of 159 after she struggled to maintain her composure from the opening day. She explained, "Today I just didn't really commit to my game plan. I didn't trust myself.

"I am disappointed but it's been a very valuable experience. You take the good and the bad from this and bring it into the next tournament."

Events Director at TMCC echoed congratulations for Poh and all of this year's entrants. He said, "There is one winner today but the rest of you are also winners because of your willingness to come forward in the hope of qualifying for this world-acclaimed event."

TMCC will now provide Poh, who is a member of National Service Resort and Country Club, with complimentary rounds on the Garden Course to help prepare her for the four day stroke play tournament which takes place from the 5th-8th March and will feature the top professional lady golfers from around the world.