Life-Changing Opportunities on the Line

Wellington, New Zealand: Life-changing opportunities will be on the line when the eighth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) tees-off at the venerable Royal Wellington Golf Club tomorrow.

With large crowds expected to flock to the historic venue in New Zealand’s capital city to witness many of the world’s most exciting young golfers showcasing their talents, a thrilling week is in store with the winner guaranteed to reap rich rewards – appearances in three Major championships and numerous elite amateur events.

With a star-studded field of 84 players representing 25 nations, there are a host of intriguing storylines waiting to unfold.

If Malaysian Jeneath Wong is to become the first two-time winner of the championship and the first player to successfully defend the title, she’ll need to overcome a line-up that features 12 players from the top-50 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Among her main rivals are Korean Oh Soo-min, last year’s runner-up in Vietnam and the highest-ranked player in the field at 11th in the WAGR, former US Women’s Amateur champion Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, and powerful contingents from China, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand.

There are high hopes, too, for New Zealand, whose 11-strong selection is led by Eunseo Choi, Vivian Lu, Caitlin Maurice and Darae Chung, who is drawing on advice from 2024 AIG Women's Open champion Lydia Ko on how best to cope with the extra pressure that comes with having home advantage.

Chung took the initiative and messaged her Hall of Fame compatriot. “I asked her what she does to combat the nerves or the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd. She responded, which was really awesome. She just advised me to work on my process and to focus on myself. How you carry yourself on the course is really crucial to your performance. I'll take that advice into this week.”

Choi has been drawn in the marquee pairing for tomorrow’s first-round, alongside Wong and Oh, the top-two finishers at Vietnam’s Hoiana Shores Golf Club last year.

She will not be overawed. “I played with Soo-min at last year’s WAAP and I’m team-mates with Jeneath at Pepperdine University, so we practice together regularly. We’ll have some fun out there. But definitely I'm going to be motivated and trying to focus on my own game because I know they are great players.”

Lu, who is playing in the championship for a record-equalling sixth time, predicts a winning score of 15-under and knows she’ll need to remain calm if she’s to contend. “I remember my first WAAP in Japan (in 2019). I think I was 14, so not much older than our youngest player. I feel like it was not that long ago, but I'm older now and I've matured a lot. I can stay calmer now. When I was younger I used to get quite flustered being in big events. Now I feel I'm more calm.”

To date, players from Chinese Taipei, Japan and Thailand (twice each) and Malaysia (once) have their names etched on the WAAP’s striking golden plate that is awarded to the champion.

For the participants from all other countries, there’s a sense of optimism that they can rise to the challenge this week, most notably Australia, China and Korea.

The Australian challenge is being spearheaded by Raegan Denton, Jazy Roberts and Ella Scaysbrook, all of whom have already triumphed in significant events this year. Rachel Lee, Shyla Singh and Grace Rho add further depth.

Of Australian prospects, Lee said: “We’ve got a lot of good players here. Reagan won the Master of the Amateurs; Jazy won the Australian Amateur and Ella’s been really consistent. Shyla’s in college and I’m sure she’s had a lot of good experiences there – and I’ll try my best, as well.”

For their part, Korea will be looking to Oh, Hong Su-min and Yang Yun-seo, who placed second, third and tied fourth respectively in Vietnam last year.

Meanwhile, the China trio of Ren Yijia, Zhou Shiyuan and Liu Yujie all feature in the WAGR top-50 and all have the distinction of having tasted victory against the professionals on the CLPG Tour.

The omens for a China triumph appear favourable. Nine years ago here at Royal Wellington, Lin Yuxin won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship – the men’s equivalent of the WAAP. “That inspires me,” said Zhou.

Malixi is also inspired to raise the trophy she most desires, but was denied the chance last year due to injury that forced her to withdraw after just a handful of holes.

“To be very blunt, to win this week would be the greatest comeback, at least as far as my amateur career. I know it's quite a reach to achieve that, but anything is possible and I'm willing to put in the hard work,” said Malixi, who needed four flights to arrive here from North Carolina, where she is studying at Duke University.

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 WAAP 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.