Harvard-Bound Wang Ready for Queen Sirikit Cup Test

Hong Kong: Iris Wang Xinyi is fully aware her life will soon change – and she’s ready to embrace whatever the future holds. On the immediate horizon for the Florida-based 19-year-old is the 42nd Queen Sirikit Cup, where she will fly the flag for Hong Kong in the 13-nation event.

Joining Wang in the Hong Kong team for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship at Singapore's Laguna National Golf Resort Club from May 24-27 will be Arianna Lau and Chloe Chan.

Wang can’t wait to test her talents against the best in the region on what will be her first trip to the Lion City.

In an interview published on the Hong Kong Golf Association website, the plus-four handicapper said: “This is definitely the most prestigious event that I’ve played for Hong Kong. I’m excited … I’ve never been to Singapore before. I’m really honoured to have these opportunities. I haven’t played in Asia in a long time, so I’m a little bit nervous, but it’s the good kind of nervous.

“I still have connections with some of some of the other Hong Kong players but I haven’t seen them for a long time. I’ve been looking at everybody and how everybody’s doing in tournaments and I am just excited and I am also ready to play.”

After Singapore, Wang will turn her attentions to beginning life as a freshman at the esteemed campus of Harvard University in Massachusetts.

Wang said: “I couldn't believe it when I committed last year. I’m going to Harvard, and I’m going to play golf for them … but I’m also going there for the academics. So it’s all great motivation for me to keep trying to get better in all aspects of my life.”

Wang leaves high school having won the American Junior Golf Association’s Rome Junior Classic, played at Georgia's Coosa Country Club, in 2020. She’s been based out of Florida across her high school years and has been among the lucky golfers, globally, in terms of being able to maintain some sort of active schedule, despite the global pandemic. She’s also been able to continue working on developing her swing.

She said: “I’m lucky. I’ve been able to have a pretty good balance, even though there haven’t been that many tournaments to play. I try to play at least one tournament every month but this year I have also just been trying to enjoy my senior year while still focusing on developing my golf. Since summer last year I’ve been going through a swing-change process and now getting more and more consistent.

“I feel great with my game right now. I need to finalise some details in my game, especially since the Queen Sirikit Cup is coming up – that’s such a prestigious event. I need to focus on small details in my game and to refine my game a little bit more. Then I will be ready to give it my best.”