Hong Kong SAR, China: The 2024 international calendar is packed with tournaments which will give Hong Kong, China’s rising stars the opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best.
Looming on the horizon is the sixth Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP). To be held at the Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course in Pattaya, Thailand from February 1-4, a new-look line-up will fly the flag for the Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Familiar faces in Sophie Han, Arianna Lau, Wu Siu-ue and Lau Hoi-ki will be joined in Thailand by relative newcomers in Sabrina Wong and Angela Yin Jia-yi.
Beyond that there are tournaments being targeted by the Golf Association of Hong Kong, China (GAHKC) staged everywhere from New Zealand to Canada.
“There’s another busy year ahead for us and we’ll keep travelling and adding to our experiences,” said Golf Association of Hong Kong, China CEO Danny Lai.
“A lot of work goes into mapping out the schedules for our squads and the results we’ve had in the past 12 months give us a lot of confidence going forward,” he added.
The Hong Kong, China squad for the WAAP will head to Thailand with memories of Han’s tied-third finish at Singapore Island Country Club last year – the city’s best result yet at the tournament.
In 2023 there were a number of history-making performances, including Han and Lau’s win in the Girls’ 15-18 team section at the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championship.
Among the other tournaments so far announced – with invitations accepted by the GAHKC - are the 44th Queen Sirikit Cup in May, the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championship in July and the season-ending Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October.
It remains to be seen if Hong Kong, China will have anyone lining up for the Paris Olympics in August.
“There’s a buzz around the squads given what was achieved over the past year and the fact that golf will join the Sports Institute with Tier A status in 2025,” said GAHKC Head Coach Tim Tang.
“As we keep saying, it’s now all about building on those successes and continuing to give our players the support, training and tournaments needed to ensure they reach their full potential,” he added.
