Phoenix, Arizona, United States: Korean Kelly Sim notched the biggest win of her career at the PING/ASU Invitational to edge closer to breaking into the top-100 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) for the first time.

The Northwestern University student upstaged a strong field including world number two Linn Grant to claim a one-stroke success at the Papago Golf Club in Phoenix.

Sim opened with a three-under-par 69, added a second-round 70 and closed with a 72 to post a five-under 212 total. Sim did her damage on the par-fives, finishing eight-under on the weekend on those holes. Overall she made 11 birdies, tied for the third most, an eagle, and 34 pars.

Thanks to her victory, Sim climbed 75 places to a high of 110th on this week’s WAGR. Further gloss was added to her performance when she was named Big Ten Conference Women's Golfer of the Week.

The strength in depth of female golfers from the Asia-Pacific was underlined by the fact that the region’s 12 representatives at this week’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur all feature in the WAGR’s top-80.

Leading the way is Chinese Taipei An Ho-yu in fifth place. She is followed by compatriot Hou Yu-chiang (seventh), China’s Ye Lei (22nd), Japan’s Tsubasa Kajitani (23rd), Chinese Taipei’s Hou Yu-sang (27th), New Zealander Amelia Garvey (28th), Japan’s Nanako Ueno (33rd), Malaysian Alyaa Abdulghany (34th), Australian Grace Kim (37th), China’s Liu Siyun (56th) and Thai duo Jaravee Boonchant (60th) and Pimnipa Panthong (79th).

Meanwhile, the distinction for being the ‘biggest mover of the week’ in the women’s rankings went to Haruka Kawasaki of Japan.

She broke into the top 2,000 for the first time with a jump of 503 positions to 1,792 after winning the JHGA Spring Championship 15-17 in her homeland.