WAAP Delivers on Vision to Inspire, Says McKinnon

Wellington, New Zealand: Golf New Zealand’s Talent Development Manager Liz McKinnon hopes the success of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) can act as a springboard for the game in Aotearoa.

With a record 11 Kiwis in the 84-player field and seven making the cut, McKinnon said the week showcased the pathway from grass-roots to international competition.

“I really believe in that mantra – you can’t be what you can’t see,” said McKinnon, who captained the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s Patsy Hankins Trophy team in Spain in 2023.

“So, in that regard, the scale and reach of this championship has been amazing for increasing the profile of women’s golf here in New Zealand and highlighting the incredible opportunities in the game.

“To have the final three hours of play on all four days broadcast live on Sky Sport here in Aotearoa and to a global audience of over 100 million people is just incredible.”

The championship, which was hosted at Royal Wellington, attracted strong spectator numbers and media interest throughout the week, which McKinnon saw as evidence of changing attitudes. 

“I think that shows the respect that women’s sport has in this country, and women’s golf – that there was that much excitement and engagement surrounding the event,” she said.

While some players may have been disappointed not to make the cut, McKinnon emphasised the value of the experience for all participants.

“Regardless of how well they performed, it’s about looking at their systems around how they prepared, how well they were able to continue to focus on their processes and what they can control, and then their reviews,” she said.

Wellington local Darae Chung finished the best of the Kiwi players in 22nd place on five-over par, one shot ahead of top-ranked New Zealander Eunseo Choi and four ahead of Teresa Wang.

Among the standout performances was 13-year-old local Elise Barber, the youngest player in the field, who made the cut and impressed observers with her composure under pressure – particularly when having to hit the opening tee shot on Thursday.

“There was a huge gallery surrounding the tee, TV One News filming, a content creator with a camera close to her face, and she took it all in her stride and nailed one straight down the middle,” McKinnon said. 

“We wouldn’t have been surprised if someone at that age, who hasn’t had a lot of experience in that situation, would be overwhelmed, but she certainly rose to the occasion. That’s a really good showing of her mental strength.”

Beyond the competition, Royal Wellington’s Royal Village hosted ‘She Loves Golf’ initiatives through the week delivered by Golf New Zealand where hundreds of girls and women got the chance to engage with the game.

There was even a drop in from All Blacks legend and ISPS Handa Ambassador Dan Carter, who played a practice hole and threw a rugby ball around with Guam’s Tyanna Jacot, Rotana Howard of the Cook Islands and Golf New Zealand representative Chloe So, before later helping present the championship trophy.

The ninth edition of the WAAP will be held at the Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Japan from April 22-25, 2027.

*Article by Willy Nicholls