Augusta National Treat Awaits Asia-Pacific Trio

Augusta, Georgia, United States: Japanese duo Tsubasa Kajitani and Nanako Ueno and China’s Ye Lei will fly the flag for the Asia-Pacific region in the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Kajitani (145), Ueno (147) and Ye (150) all finished in the top-30 after the opening two rounds at Champions Retreat. As such, they progress to the final 18 holes over the fabled fairways of the Augusta National Golf Club.

There was anguish, however, for Chinese Taipei’s Hou Yu-sang, one of five players who tied for 30th on 151. In the sudden-death play-off it was Sweden’s Maja Stark who snared a birdie to claim the last spot.

Hou Yu-chiang, Yu-sang’s sister, was also left to ponder what might have been after missing out by a solitary stroke on joining the play-off.

There was disappointment, too, for the seven other Asia-Pacific representatives, who missed the cut.

Chinese Taipei’s An Ho-yu and New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey both posted 36-hole totals of 153 followed by Thai Jaravee Boonchant (154), Australian Grace Kim and China’s Liu Siyan (both 155), Malaysian Alyaa Abdulghany (161) and Thailand’s Pimnipa Panthong (164).

Kajitani, winner of the Japan Junior Championship in 2019, was a model of consistency with three birdies against three bogeys in her even-par 72.

She is tied for fifth spot on 145, just two strokes off the pace being jointly set by American Rose Zhang, number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and Swede Ingrid Lindblad.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Ueno added a 75 to her opening 72 for a share of 10th place on 147.

For Stanford University sophomore Ye, who two years ago won the US Girls’ Junior Championship and placed sixth in the Women’s Asia-Pacific Amateur, it was a day of fluctuating emotions.

Following a first-round 76, the China national team member appeared set to bow out after her fourth bogey of day two on the 13th hole.

But she then displayed all her battling qualities with her only birdies of the round coming at the 14th and 18th, both par-fives. That enabled her to sign for a 74 which saw her rise into equal 21st place – and ensure she progressed to Augusta National.

All players will enjoy a practice round at Augusta National on Friday with the leading 30 players teeing-off there again on Saturday morning in the denouement to the second edition of the Augusta National Women's Amateur.