Miyazaki, Japan: Oh Soo-min combined a breathtaking display of stroke-making with a putting masterclass to lead Korea to the brink of victory in the 45th Queen Sirikit Cup.

For the third day in succession, 16-year-old Oh took centre stage on the Tom Watson Golf Course at the Phoenix Seagaia Resort, adding a stunning 10-under-par 62 to earlier rounds of 69 and 67.

With a 54-hole total of 18-under 198, she holds a seeming unassailable 12-stroke advantage in the individual standings and appears certain to become just the second player in the event’s history to top the leaderboard two years in a row.

Oh’s mastery of the tree-lined Miyazaki course has also enabled her country to close in on a 24th victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship.

Heading into Friday’s final round, the Korean trio of Oh, Jung Min-seo and Hong Su-min have a team total of 27-under 405 in the event in which the best two daily scores are counted.

That’s no fewer than 17 strokes in front of second-placed Japan (422) who are followed by Thailand (424), China (425), India (432), Australia and Hong Kong, China (both 439), Chinese Taipei (440), Singapore (441), Indonesia (444), Malaysia (446), Vietnam (464) and the Philippines (471).

Oh was simply unstoppable, compiling 11 birdies against a solitary bogey in a performance that underlined why she is 10th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the highest rated player in the high-quality field that features 39 players representing 13 nations/territories.

“It was really perfect. My putting had been just a bit off for the first two days, but today it was really good and I made a lot of putts,” said Oh, who set the tone with five birdies in her first seven holes. A dropped shot at the par-three eighth saw her turn in four-under 32, extending her lead and that of her team.

Rather than resting on her laurels, the runner-up in the 2025 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific in Vietnam in March put her foot on the accelerator, picking up further shots at 10, 12, 13 and 15.

As if to emphasise her dominance, Oh finished off her round in suitable fashion, snaring birdies at 17 and 18, further deflating ger rivals.

“I’ve never won the same tournament two years in a row, so if I can win it would be a great memory,” added Oh, who indicated she won’t take undue risks in the final round. “When it’s a situation where I need to play it safe, I think it’s important to stick to that strategy.”

Putting her round into perspective, only three other players bettered 70, Thai Achiraya Sriwong, Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Ping-hua and Australian Jazy Roberts all returning 69s.

Full Third Round Team Scores

405 – Korea (139-133-133)
422 – Japan (138-140-144)
424 – Thailand (143-142-139)
425 – China (146-138-141)
432 – India (149-141-142)
439 – Australia (150-148-141); Hong Kong, China (147-145-147)
440 – Chinese Taipei (151-147-142)
441 – Singapore (147-147-147)
444 – Indonesia (150-143-151)
446 – Malaysia (151-149-146)
464 – Vietnam (149-158-157)
471 – Philippines (158-156-157)
 

Full Third Round Individual Scores

198 – Oh Soo-min (Korea) 69-67-62
210 – Aira Nagasawa (Japan) 69-71-70
211 – Prim Prachnakorn (Thailand) 71-70-70
212 – Zhou Shiyuan (China) 75-66-71; Hong Su-min (Korea) 70-71-71; Jung Min-seo (Korea) 74-66-72
216 – Jazy Roberts (Australia) 71-76-69; Zara Anand (India) 73-71-72; Thitikarn Thapasit (Thailand) 72-72-72; Liu Yujie (China) 71-72-73
217 – Jaymie Ng (Singapore) 70-73-74; Anna Iwanaga (Japan) 69-73-75
218 – Elin Wang (Hong Kong, China) 74-71-73
219 – Hsieh Ping-hua (Chinese Taipei) 74-76-69; Mamika Shinchi (Japan) 76-69-74
221 – Achiraya Sriwong (Thailand) 76-76-69; Xu Ying (China) 75-76-70; Sophie Han (Hong Kong, China) 73-74-74
222 – Wu Shuang (Chinese Taipei) 77-72-73; Bianca Naomi Laksono (Indonesia) 72-73-77
223 – Rachel Lee (Australia) 79-72-72; Hee Jie Piang (Malaysia) 72-79-72; Xin Yao Wang (Malaysia) 79-70-74
224 – Heena Kang (India) 76-78-70; Chen Xingtong (Singapore) 77-74-73
225 – Sabrina Wong (Hong Kong, China) 75-74-76; Mannat Brar (India) 77-70-78
230 – Chang Ting-yu (Chinese Taipei) 80-75-75
232 – Caithlyn Ong (Indonesia) 78-80-74
234 – Sarah Hammett (Australia) 83-78-73; Thea Jessica Tan (Indonesia) 83-70-81
235 – Reese Allyson Ng (Philippines) 81-80-74; Nguyen Vu Hoang Anh (Vietnam) 76-78-81
238 – Arena Tran (Vietnam) 82-80-76
240 – Grace Quintanilla (Philippines) 77-78-85
244 – Lisa Sarines (Philippines) 83-78-83
245 – Anna Le (Vietnam) 73-88-84
249 – Adrianna Prewa Sim (Malaysia) 82-84-83
Sydnie Ng* (Singapore) NR-NR-88

*Ng was unable to compete in the first two rounds due to illness