Manila, Philippines: There’s no denying the grand ambitions of teenagers Oh Soo-min and Arianna Lau.
Listed in the top-100 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Korean Oh and Hong Kong China’s Lau are among the favourites to add to their impressive title collections at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Junior Championships.
For both, success over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Legends Course at Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club from September 4-6 would be another milestone on what they believe is a road to golfing stardom.
Neither is shy to discuss their hopes and lofty dreams.
Oh, star of the Queen Sirikit Cup-winning Korean team in New Zealand in March and 13th in the WAGR, said: “My strength is that I just play without hesitation. I usually get a little less distracted than others when it rains or is windy. I think it’s because I concentrate a little more.
“Golf is so much fun that I don’t want to let go of the club! I want to become a player who surpasses Tiger Woods.”
A thirst for success burns just as brightly with Northwestern University-bound Lau, whose victories at the 2023 APGC Girls’ Junior Championship and this year’s Girls’ 15-18 category at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships have lifted her to 87th in the WAGR.
In a 2021 interview, Lau said: “My long-term goal is to become world number one on the LPGA Tour. I also aspire to play in the Olympics because I was really motivated after watching it. It’s the biggest stage for sports.”
If she continues to develop her game, then there’s no reason to doubt that she won’t fulfil her desire of competing in the women’s golf tournament at the 2028 Olympiad in Los Angeles.
In the more immediate future, Lau and Oh have their sights set on Manila Southwoods and the latest edition of the APGC Junior Championships – an event that has proved a stepping stone for many of today’s outstanding professional golfers.
Among those who played in the APGC Junior Championship during their formative golfing years and have gone on to fame and fortune are Japanese Keita Nakajima, Ryo Hisatsune, Yuka Yasuda, Tsubasa Kajitani and Nasa Hataoka, Australians Harrison Crowe and Grace Kim, Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap and China’s Yin Xiaowen.
Nakajima and Crowe both went on to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship before joining the ranks of the professionals, while Yasuda won the second edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in 2019 and Natthakritta was twice a runner-up.
Following a four-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the APGC Junior Championships made a welcome return to the calendar at Manila’s Orchard Golf & Country Club last year.
There, Lau defied the odds with a stunning success, finishing ahead of Korean heavyweights Kim Min-sol and Seo Kyo-rim, Thais Pimpisa Rubrong and Prim Prachnakorn, Indian Avani Prashanth and compatriot Sophie Han, among others.
Next week, in addition to Oh and her Korean team-mate Jung Min-seo, 152nd in the WAGR, Lau will be prepared for a likely challenge from Malaysian Ng Jing Xuen, women’s individual gold medallist at last year’s Southeast Asian Games.
Also expected to contend are Thais Kanyarak Pongpitahnon and Parat Sukanant, Indian Zara Anand and the Philippines’ duo of Grace Quintanilla and Alethea Paige Gaccion.
In addition to Boys’ and Girls’ divisions, there will be a category for teams, made up of one male and one female player from each country. The aggregate gross score of both players will be the team’s score. Lowest teams scores after 54 holes will be recognised as team champions.
