WAAP Duo Break into World's Top-50

Singapore: Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) participants Fiona Xu and Miku Ueta have broken into the top-50 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

New Zealand’s Xu and Japan’s Ueta finished tied 13th and 53rd respectively in the fourth edition of the WAAP in Thailand at the start of November.

In May, both represented their countries in the Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore. Ueta was part of the Japan team that triumphed, while Xu was a member of the New Zealand team which finished runners-up.

Last week, Xu held her own among the professionals to finish 10th in the ISPS Handa Australian Open. Only a second round 77 stopped her from finishing higher. She opened with a 68 and returned 72 and 69 in the final two rounds to post a three-under 286, two shots ahead of Australian Justice Bosio.

Thanks to that performance, Xu jumped 50 places to 37th in the WAGR. Ueta, meanwhile, moved to 45th following a seven-ranking improvement.

It was a productive week for two other WAAP competitors - Korean Kim Min-sol and Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau.

Kim, joint 13th alongside Xu at last month’s WAAP, was 36th in the ISPS Handa Australian Open enabling her to rise two spots to 20th in the WAGR.

Lau, who tied for 39th at the WAAP, soared into the WAGR’s top-250 for the first time in the wake of her victory in the TrustGolf Singapore Junior Masters.

The Hong Kong native notched her fourth victory of the year with a two-shot success at Laguna National Golf Resort Club following rounds of 67 and 73 for a 140 tally in the event that was reduced from 54 holes to 36 due to inclement weather.

Lau, who won three times in 2021, solidifies her status as her country’s number one woman amateur with a 45-ranking improvement to 245th.

In the men’s ranking, Australian Nathan Page broke into the top 2,000 thanks to victory in the Dunes Medal at the Dunes Links Golf Club in Rye, Australia.

Page built the victory on a second round seven-under-par 65 after opening with a 70. He added further scores of 71 and 74 to post an eight-under 280 tally to win by one shot. He jumps 863 spots rankings to 1,897th.