In-Form Australian Trio Aiming for Singapore Success

Melbourne, Australia: Kirsten Rudgeley, Kelsey Bennett and Caitlin Peirce will be setting their sights on returning Australia to the winner’s podium at the 42nd Queen Sirikit Cup.

Based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and recent performances, Rudgeley, Bennett and Peirce have been selected to represent their country in the Asia-Pacific’s premier amateur team championship for women, to be staged at Singapore’s Laguna National Golf Resort Club from May 24-27.

Brad James, Golf Australia’s General Manager – High Performance, said: “Kirsten, Kelsey and Caitlin have all performed exceptionally well across the amateur circuit and the WPGA Tour of Australasia in recent times, and this opportunity is another great step in their development.

“Kirsten and Caitlin recently received the Karrie Webb Scholarship for their outstanding efforts as our top-ranked amateur and the winner of the Karrie Webb Series respectively, while Kelsey has matched it with the pros this summer and proven herself at amateur level internationally as joint runner-up at last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific.”

Currently, Rudgeley is 33rd in the WAGR, with Bennett in 68th spot and Peirce 111th in the standings.

Rudgeley won both the English Women’s Amateur Championship and Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Championship in 2021, as well as posting a top-10 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship last month.

Peirce’s selection comes off the back of a strong showing in the past six months, taking the title at the Tasmanian Amateur Championship in November, before dominating both the Tasmanian Open Championship in February and the Rene Erichsen Salver this March.

An impressively consistent Bennett won the Port Phillip Open Amateur and Victorian Amateur in December and has recorded a third-place finish at both the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship and the NSW Amateur, as well as top-10 finishes at TPS Hunter Valley and Rene Erichsen Salver this year.

James said: “I know each of them are proud to represent Australia and looking forward to working together as a team. They have a really good rapport and know each other well from previous Golf Australia development trips and seeing each other week in week out at tournaments.

“I’m sure this event will bring out the best in them and they will compete strongly for the title.”

The Queen Sirikit Cup has been dominated in recent times by South Korea, having won 12 of the past 13 editions. Australia’s last triumph came in 2013 when Minjee Lee, Su Oh and Grace Lennon took top honours in Chinese Taipei.

This year will be just the third time the Queen Sirikit Cup has been hosted by Singapore. On the first of those occasions, in 1983, the Australian team of Corinne Dibnah, Edwina Kennedy and Louise Briers emerged victorious at the Singapore Island Country Club.