Singapore: Rianne Malixi of the Philippines and Australian Josiah Gilbert have the distinction of ending 2024 as the highest rated Asia-Pacific players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
On the back of a banner year, 17-year-old Malixi has soared into third place in the women’s standings.
For his part, Gilbert, who turned 20 last month, has risen to 22nd in the men’s standings based on consistent performances for Auburn University in the US college system with five top-five finishes to his credit.
The highlights for Malixi were victories in the US Women’s Amateur and the US Junior Girls.
The strength in depth of the women’s amateur game in the Asia-Pacific is borne out by the fact that there are no fewer than 14 players from the region who will enter 2025 in the top-50 in the WAGR – seven Japanese, three Thais and one each from the Philippines, Malaysia, Korea and Chinese Taipei.
Joining Malixi among them are Malaysian Mirabel Ting (fourth), Korean Oh Soo-min (10th), Thailand's Eila Galitsky (19th), Chinese Taipei’s Cindy Hsu Huai-chien (35th) and Thais Suvichaya Vinichaitham (40th) and Achiraya Sriwong (48th).
The Japan contingent is made up of Reika Miyako (21st), Yuna Araki (27th), Hinano Muguruma (32nd), Mamika Shinchi (33rd), Kokoro Nakamura (36th), Rin Yoshida (37th) and Ko Kurabayashi (44th).
In the men’s rankings, Gilbert is one of four Asia-Pacific representatives in the top-50, along with Thai Phichaksn Maichon, Singaporean Hiroshi Tai and China’s Chang Xihuan.
Chang took over as the number one male amateur in the world’s most populous country in October following Ding Wenyi’s move to the professional ranks in the immediate wake of his victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan.
