2022 Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour Money List leader Min-ji Park will be aiming to pick up where she left off in the inaugural Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open.

The USD1.1 million event, hosted by the Tanah Merah Country Club next week (December 9-11), will serve as the season opener of the KLPGA Tour's 2023 season as the circuit makes its first international stop in three years after the Covid-19 pandemic.

A power-packed 75-member KLPGA contingent will add glitters and glamour to the 102-player event, with nine out of the top 10 finishers of last season's points standings ready to bring their battle abroad.

All eyes will surely be on world number 14 Park, who has been dominating the KLPGA Tour for the last two years. She topped the KLPGA Tour Official Money List consecutively in 2021 and 2022 after securing 12 victories, six top-three outings, and finishing inside the top-10 on eight occasions during the two seasons.

Just three weeks ago, Park clinched her 16th KLPGA Tour title by winning the season-ending SK Shieldus-SK Telecom Championship. Now, she has set her sights on winning her first tournament outside South Korea, noting that the opportunity to tee it up at the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open presents her with a new challenge.

"It feels fresh because we finally get to play in a KLPGA tournament that's held outside South Korea. It's been a while since the Covid-19 pandemic," said Park. "I think the wind, weather, grass and other environments would be a little different.

"I've been playing well in several KLPGA tournaments recently and definitely gained a lot of confidence through the experience. Winning a tournament outside South Korea would be a difficult challenge surely, but I'm relishing it.

"I’m confident I'll be able to get a good result if I continue to practice consistently and manage my conditioning well."

Park is also keen on going on food hunting as she hopes to make her maiden trip to Singapore as memorable as possible on and off the course. "While giving my best and playing well in the tournament is the goal, I'm also looking forward to trying some of the nice food Singapore offers," she quipped.

Also making their way to the Tanah Merah Country Club are recently-crowned KLPGA Player of the Year Suji Kim, Yewon Lee, Hansol Ji, Yunji Jeong, Jiyoung Park, Somi Lee, Hee Jeong Lim and Ga Young Lee.

Former world number one Jiyai Shin is also in the tournament. One of the 61 titles won by Shin was at Tanah Merah Country Club itself when she memorably claimed her LPGA Tour breakthrough at the HSBC Women's Champions in 2009. "It feels like that day was just yesterday. I'm excited just to be back and playing on the same course," she recalled.

Shin hailed Hana Financial Group and Singapore Golf Association’s joint efforts in staging Singapore’s national women's Open and is upbeat about the significant impact the tournament will have on the burgeoning women's golf development in Asia. "It's great to have a stage to showcase the outstanding golf courses and variety of cultures in Asia. Asian golf has been growing stronger and stronger on the world stage, and I think it definitely provides a good development platform for Asian players," she said.

"It does feel different to be playing in a national Open (compared to regular Tour events). I don't think you only see it from the players, but you also see the difference from the many personnel involved during the preparation stage of the tournament," added Shin, who has a good track record at national Opens having won the British Open and Korea Open twice and the Australian Open once.

World number three Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand had earlier confirmed her participation alongside American Solheim Cup team member Yealimi Noh and Philippines' Princess Mary Superal, the Simone Asia Pacific Cup winner last August.