Rising Stars and Historic Firsts Add Spice to WAAP

Wellington, New Zealand: The eighth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship tees-off at Royal Wellington Golf Club on Thursday. Featuring 84 players from 25 Asia-Pacific nations, the championship that has already been a stepping-stone to stardom for the likes of Thais Jeeno Thitikul and Patty Tavatanakit, Japan’s Yuka Saso and Australian Grace Kim will once more showcase the region’s future stars.

Much attention at Royal Wellington will focus on Jeneath Wong, who will not only be bidding to become the first player to defend the WAAP title but also the first player to win the championship twice.
 
Wong, a senior at Pepperdine University in California, said: “It’s quite surreal being the defending champion, I’ve had so many memories come rushing back to me from my win last year. Time has flown past so quickly but I’m excited to be back at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific.

“I had such an incredible year with the opportunity to play in the Majors. I learned so much playing alongside the professionals. To have that chance again would be amazing so it’s definitely on my mind to try and defend. But I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself.”

Among those who will be attempting to prevent a Wong repeat are the four players who finished closest to her at Hoiana Shores Golf Club last year.
 
At the Vietnam venue, Oh Soo-min, the highest ranked player in the field this year at 11th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), finished one shot shy of Wong in second place with her fellow Korean Hong Su-min two strokes further back in third. In joint fourth were another Korean, Yang Yun-seo, and Australian Jazy Roberts.
 
Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, another of the top-ranked players in the field, is one of four competitors – along with New Zealand’s Vivian Lu, Singaporean Inez Ng and Rotana Howard of the Cook Islands – who will be making a record-setting sixth appearance in the championship this week.
 
The 18-year-old Malixi was forced to withdraw from last year’s championship in Vietnam due to a back injury. Having now returned to full fitness, the 2024 US Women’s Amateur and US Girls Junior champion is eager to fulfil a long-held goal of winning the WAAP.

She said: “Now that I’ve been told I’ll be playing my sixth WAAP, it sounds like I’m an old person, which I’m definitely not. The WAAP is one of the championships I look forward to playing each year and I have always yearned to earn that golden plate on a Sunday.
 
“While I had a setback early 2025 with my back injury, I spent the rest of the year doing my best to recover and bounce back. Now that I am much healthier, I’m heading to WAAP with my head held high and to play my best golf.
 
“I’ve been through a lot of things for the past six years. I have faced a lot of highs and a lot of lows. There were memorable wins, but there were heartbreaks and setbacks, which evolved me to the player I am today.”
 

Also making her sixth WAAP appearance is Howard. The oldest player in the field at 33, she returns after missing last year’s championship having given birth to her first child.
 
On the other end of the age scale, 13-year-old New Zealander Elise Barber will be the youngest player to tee it up after receiving a late invite.
 
Barber said: “I’m both excited and nervous. I’m excited because it’s such a huge opportunity, but I’m nervous because it’s the biggest championship I have ever played in. Success for me would be playing confidently, sticking to my routines and enjoying the whole experience. If I do that, I will be happy.”
 
By her own admission, Barber will have one important edge over her rivals, her familiarity with the Royal Wellington Golf Club course, where she is a member.
She added: “It helps a lot because I know the course well. I am familiar with the surrounds, so that gives me a bit more confidence.”
 
While the likes of Malixi and Howard have vast experience of WAAP, two players will break new ground in Wellington as they become the first representatives of their respective countries.
 
Raina Kumar will be the first Fijian to play in the championship, while Mongolia will have their first competitor in 17-year-old Yanjinlkham Batdelger.
 
A second-year student in Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Kumar attended the second edition of the WAAP Academy in New Zealand last year.

“My goal is to represent Fiji and win international events, win a gold medal for Fiji in the Pacific Games, play professional golf and inspire more young girls to take up golf,” said Kumar, the first player from her country to earn an official World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Meanwhile, Zhou Shiyuan may be only 16 years old, but the Chinese star is already ranked inside the WAGR top 20 and boasts three victories on the CLPG Tour.

“Many people have congratulated me, saying that winning three times is incredible and that I have a bright future. But I feel like I’m still the same person. Nothing has changed,” said Zhou.

Yurina Hiroyoshi is another teenage prodigy to watch out for, having climbed to 16th in the WAGR at the age of 15, while Thai Prim Prachnakorn will also be high on confidence after winning the individual gold medal at the recent Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Making her WAAP debut, Hiroyoshi said: “I have been aiming to play in this championship since last year, so I am very happy to be able to compete this year. Since I have the opportunity to play, I will do my best to perform at my highest level.

“Many Japanese players have performed very well in this championship in the past, so I will work hard to put myself in contention for the win as well.”

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 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship 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.