Singapore: The region’s leading lights will be vying for glory in the fifth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship at Singapore Island Country Club this week.
A total of 85 players from 22 countries, including debutants Lebanon and Qatar, are in the field for the championship that starts on Thursday. The line up features three of the top-10, seven of the top-20 and 18 of the top-100 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
WAAP debutant Rin Yoshida of Japan, the highest-ranked player at world number four, is competing outside her home country for just the second time in her career. She finished 20th at last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
It’s a similar story for China’s Zhang Yahui, who won nine WAGR events in her home country to climb to number 34, but competed outside of China for the first time last month at the Queen Sirikit Cup in the Philippines where she tied for 17th individually.
Japan has already produced two champions in the first four editions of the WAAP – Yuka Yasuda (2019) and Mizuki Hashimoto (2021) – and Yoshida leads a talented Japanese contingent this year. All six Japanese players are in the WAGR’s top-100, including 2021 champion Hashimoto who is ranked 19th.
Yoshida’s elder sister, Yuri, played in the first two WAAPs, finishing tied 10th in Singapore and tied 12th in Japan. Rin is hoping advice from her sister and the hard work she’s put in with her coach will help her perform well this week.
“It’s my second time playing abroad. I am not nervous at all, but very excited at the opportunity. I have prepared hard for this championship,” said the 19-year-old.
“I have been talking to my sister a lot about this championship and getting some advice on the conditions in Singapore. Since it is winter in Japan, I did more putting practice with my coach. This is a very difficult course. The greens are not that fast, but the slopes are quite steep.”
Zhang is the highest ranked player from China, who have sent a full contingent of six players for the first time since pandemic-related restrictions were lifted in the country.
Despite her multiple successes on home soil, the 17-year-old, who is now working with new national coach and former Major champion Feng Shanshan, is still trying to make her mark in international championships.
“I learned so much during the Queen Sirikit Cup in the Philippines last month. I was a bit nervous there, since it was my first time playing outside of China. I want to put all those learnings into my game this week,” said Zhang, who has added 20 yards to her drives since she started training with her idol Feng.
Two other players who are in excellent form coming into the championship are Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, who celebrates her 16th birthday on Friday, and 18-year-old Fiona Xu of New Zealand.
Xu, who tied for 13th at the WAAP last year thanks to a closing, bogey-free, five-under 67, has recorded top-10 results in her last five tournaments, including two professional events – the ISPS Handa Australian Open (tied 10th) and the Vic Open (tied sixth).
“I try not to think too much when playing golf. That has helped me play better. My goal for every tournament is to be consistent,” said Xu, who considers the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings number one Lydia Ko as her role model. “She has always been my idol and I have always wanted to work as hard as she has. And yes, my goal is to be on the LPGA like her one day.”
Since finishing joint third at last year’s WAAP, Malixi tied for sixth at the Annika Invitational and placed equal third in last month’s Queen Sirikit Cup.
“I think I have improved drastically the past three years. I certainly gained a lot of experience just playing tournaments,” said Malixi, who shot into the limelight at the 2021 WAAP in Abu Dhabi, where she finished tied 23rd as a 13-year-old.
“I just handle the pressure better. I think I am doing a better job of that. Knowing that I can bring that aspect of my game this week, definitely helps.”
In the first four editions of the WAAP, players from Thailand (Atthaya Thitikul), Japan (Yasuda and Hashimoto) and Chinese Taipei (Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan) have held aloft the sought-after trophy in the event that was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to inspire future generations of women golfers.
The R&A is supported by championship event partners that share its commitment to developing golf in the Asia-Pacific – Rolex, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Hana Financial Group and Samsung.
For more information on the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, visit https://www.randa.org/championships/womens-amateur-asia-pacific-championship
