Emerging Talent Primed to Shine at New Zealand Showcase

Wellington, New Zealand: The eighth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship will showcase the depth of emerging female golf talent when it’s staged at Royal Wellington Golf Club next week.

As the revered New Zealand venue prepares to host four days of world-class amateur golf (February 12-15), the WAAP highlights the talent, ambition and diversity that define the region’s future stars.

Among those in the spotlight will be Singapore’s Chen Xingtong, who will be making her fifth appearance at the championship. A consistent performer at WAAP, Chen made history last year as the first Singaporean to reach the final of the US Girls’ Junior Championship and believes the experience gained through repeated exposure to elite competition has been central to her development.

Chen, whose recent participation in the WAAP Academy at Royal Wellington has provided further valuable preparation, said: “I’m very excited for the 2026 WAAP, especially after the amazing opportunity at the WAAP Academy where I was able to play and experience the course. Also, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games team silver medal gives me confidence that I hope to bring to Royal Wellington.

“The opportunity to compete against and learn from the top amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region has definitely helped me in my growth and development as a golfer. I’ve learnt to play in many different conditions and to perform under pressure, which is crucial in golf.”

Chen is joined in the WAAP field by fellow Singaporeans Aamiya Koul, Amelie Bloosom Ng, Sydnie Ng and Inez Ng who is competing for a record sixth time.

China’s contingent will arrive in New Zealand carrying strong momentum, underlined by recent success on the CLPG Tour. Sixteen-year-old Ren Yijia made history last week by becoming the first amateur to claim four victories on China’s domestic professional Tour, securing a wire-to-wire win at the Orient Ningbo Challenge.

She said: “This is my second time competing in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific and compared to last year, my game has become more mature. I’m participating in a training camp organised by the China Golf Association for the national youth team in coming days. So, I will prepare thoroughly for the WAAP, be focused on playing each shot well, and not get too caught up in thinking about the title or the final result.” 

Ren is joined at Royal Wellington by Liu Yujie, who recorded her breakthrough CLPG Tour victory last August, reinforcing the growing strength and depth of China’s amateur ranks and their readiness to compete at the highest level.

As well as Ren and Liu, China will be represented by Zhou Shiyuan, An Tong and Li Menghan. Zhou (21st), Liu (46th) and Ren (49th) are all in the top-50 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Like their Chinese counterparts, Australia’s six-strong line-up will be in confident mood, led by Raegan Denton, who has enjoyed an impressive run of form highlighted by victory at last month’s Australian Master of the Amateurs, where she claimed the women’s title against a high-quality field. That success, combined with consistent performances across elite amateur events, reflects the strength of Australia’s development pathway and positions her as a player to watch in Wellington.

Denton is joined by a group of highly regarded Australian amateurs including Ella Scaysbrook, Rachel Lee, Shyla Singh, Grace Rho and Jazy Roberts, who finished tied fourth last year. Scaysbrook successfully defended her Avondale Bowl title in Sydney last week.

Denton said: “I’m really excited. It’s a championship that I’ve been striving for the last few years. I just missed out last year. To finally make the team is really exciting and I think the team’s looking really strong.

“Obviously, I have expectations of myself and what I would consider a good score and a bad score on the day. But overall, I really just have one goal in mind, which is trying to do my best, which hopefully has me holding a trophy at the end of the championship.”

Indonesian Bianca Naomi Laksono will make her championship debut, inspired by the achievements of Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, the inaugural WAAP champion in 2018. Jeeno’s rise to world number one has become one of the defining success stories of the WAAP and continues to motivate players across the region.

Laksono, who hopes her appearance can further elevate the profile of women’s golf in Indonesia, said: “I watched Jeeno when she was still an amateur. She inspired me to learn more about the game and to strive to become a better golfer. I’ve always wanted to play in this championship. In my opinion, the WAAP has had a strong impact on women’s golf in Indonesia. The level of competition is very high with many top-ranked players, and it motivates Indonesian golfers to work harder and raise our standard.”

Also representing Indonesia are Gemilau Joanna Kurnia, Abigail Rhea Soeryo Wiharko and Thea Jessica Tan.

Fresh from winning the Trang An – AJGA International Pathway Series tournament last week, Vietnam’s Chuc Le An also returns with a clear ambition. Currently the country’s highest-ranked female amateur, Chuc has steadily progressed on the international stage and produced her strongest WAAP performance to date last year.

She views the championship, where she is the sole Vietnamese representative in 2026, as a key opportunity to test herself against the region’s best and to inspire continued growth of the women’s game in Vietnam.

She said: “Competing in the WAAP has played a huge role in my development as a golfer. Playing against the best amateurs in Asia-Pacific has helped me improve not only my technical skills but also my mental strength and course management. Having my best finish in Vietnam (in 2025) was very special, and it gave me a lot of confidence that I’m moving in the right direction. 

“It would mean everything to me (to win the WAAP) and would be a huge milestone for Vietnamese golf. Seeing a first Malaysian winner last year was very inspiring and it shows how much golf in our region is growing.”

The field features 84 players from 26 Asia-Pacific nations who will assemble in Wellington, reflecting both the championship’s competitive strength and its growing regional reach. To view the full field for the 2026 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific please visit randa.org.

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage and the rewards on offer are significant. The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026, the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, The Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States.

The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is proudly supported by Rolex, ISPS Handa, Royal Wellington Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Peter Millar, Titleist, Sparms, New Zealand Mercedes-Benz and Tongariro, as well as investment partners New Zealand Major Events and Wellington Council and host association Golf New Zealand.