HSBC returns to sponsor LPGA event

SHANGHAI (AP)—The HSBC Women’s Champions will remain part of the LPGA Tour schedule for the next three years after the title sponsor announced a three-year contract renewal.

The HSBC Women’s Champions will be played Feb. 25-28 in Singapore with a $1.3 million purse.

Saturday’s announcement was a boost for the LPGA Tour, which goes into 2010 trying to keep as many title sponsors as possible.

The HSBC Women’s Champions will have a 63-player field determined largely by LPGA Tour winners and top players from the women’s world ranking. Jiyai Shin, who is leading the LPGA Tour money list, won the tournament this year.