World-beaters set for Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Vietnam  02:40, 25/02/2025

Underlining the strength of women’s amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region, the 2025 WAAP will feature two of the top-ten players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) – world number four Rianne Malixi of the Philippines and Korean Soomin Oh (number ten).

In total, the field will include seven players from the WAGR’s top-50 and 17 from the top-100 – all of who are capable of adding their name to the impressive list of past winners in the championship which was developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage.

In 2024, Malixi wrote her name into golf’s record books as only the second player to win both the US Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship and the US Women’s Amateur in the same year.

The 17-year-old has prepared for her fifth tilt at the title by becoming just the second woman, after major champion Michelle Wie West, to participate in an Asian Tour event, narrowly missing the cut in January’s Philippine Open after posting rounds of 75 and 72.

“Just competing with the men was a really good opportunity for me to grow as a player and was fantastic preparation for the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific,” said Malixi, who has two top-five finishes in the WAAP to her credit.

Like Malixi, 16-year-old Korean schoolgirl Oh is already being widely tipped for the top following a succession of outstanding performances last year.

Among many highlights were team and individual glory in the Amateur Ladies Asia-Pacific Invitational Team Championship for the Queen Sirikit Cup in New Zealand, triumphs in the Korean Women’s Amateur and Korean Junior, and an eight-stroke victory in the World Junior Girls’ Championship in Canada.

In October, she shared 23rd place at the BMW Ladies Championship, finishing ahead of defending champion Minjee Lee, world number two Lilia Vu, and a host of other LPGA stars.

Among WAAP contenders, Malixi and Oh are not alone in having distinguished themselves against the professionals.

China’s Ren Yijia and Sophie Han of Hong Kong, China were both victorious on the China LPGA Tour in 2024 and were members of the APGC team that defeated their European Golf Association counterparts in the Solheim Cup-style Patsy Hankins Trophy in the United Arab Emirates in January.

Five other members of that team are also in the starting line-up at Hoiana Shores – APGC Junior Girls’ champion Arianna Lau of Hong Kong, China, Japan’s Mamika Shinchi and Aira Nagasawa, Korean Jung Min-seo and New Zealander Vivian Lu.

Leading the bid to maintain Thailand’s proud record in the WAAP will be Achiraya Sriwong and Pimpisa Rubrong. In addition to the successes of Jeeno Thitikul in 2018 and Eila Galitsky in 2023, a player from Thailand has finished in the top-three in all previous six stagings of the WAAP.

Since finishing joint third at Siam Country Club in last year’s WAAP, Sriwong has been in winning form, the Singha Thailand Amateur Open among five victories in 2024.

Rubrong, too, will arrive in Vietnam in a bullish mood having participated in the Honda LPGA Thailand in the penultimate week of February. The 18-year-old won the National Qualifiers to secure her spot in the LPGA Tour showpiece.

For host nation Vietnam, the WAAP presents an opportunity for the country’s emerging players to gauge their progress – and to better the previous best finish of a Vietnamese player, the 51st position posted by Xuan Khue Minh Doan in 2023.

The six-strong Vietnamese contingent includes Nguyen Viet Gia Han, An Le Chuc and Anna Le, all of whom will be aiming to put into practice the lessons they learned at the inaugural WAAP Academy, staged in Thailand in December.

"I see this as a special mission and will focus on preparing to achieve the best results while also learning as much as possible, as this championship brings together many of the world's top amateur talents. I also believe this is a great opportunity to further promote Vietnam and its people to the international community," Chúc An enthusiastically shared.

Competing in the WAAP for the first time, Nguyen Vu Hoang Anh added, “The presence of this championship in Vietnam affirms that our country has world-class golf infrastructure. I feel proud to be part of such a prestigious championship, which is why I have trained hard and will give my best in the competition.”

Vietnam will also boast the youngest player in the field in 12-year-old Nguyen Bao Chau, while former professional Nadene Gole is at the other end of the scale at 56-years-old

Last year, Gole won the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship and became the first Australian to claim the US Senior Women’s Amateur title, making her the top-rated senior golfer in the WAGR. She was also a member of the Australian line-up that won the inaugural APGC Women’s Senior Team Championship in Malaysia in 2022.

The 2025 WAAP will also be notable for the participation of Jordan’s Lilian Fuad and Margaret Lavaki of Papua New Guinea. It will be the first time that either of the countries have been represented in the WAAP.

The WAAP aims to inspire future generations of women golfers and provides the champion with life-changing opportunities through exemptions into three women’s major championships and other elite amateur championships. The winner will be invited to compete in three major championships, including the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship and the Chevron Championship. In addition, they will also be invited to the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, The 122nd Women's Amateur Championship and, by tradition, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The R&A and APGC are supported by championship event partners that share their commitment to developing golf in the Asia-Pacific. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is proudly supported by Rolex, ISPS Handa, Hoiana Shores Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, New World Hoiana Hotel, Peter Millar, G Link Logistics and Titleist.

The Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific championship

The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship has been developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage and the opportunity to play in three major championships.

The seventh edition of the region's premier women's championship will be played at Hoiana Shores in Vietnam from 6-9 March 2025. The 2025 WAAP champion will earn starts in the AIG Women's Open, The Amundi Evian Championship and The Chevron Championship as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 122nd Women's Amateur Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA).

About The R&A

The R&A group of companies was formed in 2004 to take on The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ responsibilities for governing the Rules of Golf, staging The Open, golf’s original championship, and developing the sport. The R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews is part of The R&A group.

Together The R&A and the USGA govern the sport of golf worldwide, operating in separate jurisdictions with a commitment to a single code for the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status and Equipment Standards. The R&A, through R&A Rules Ltd, governs the sport worldwide, outside of the United States and Mexico, on behalf of over 62 million golfers in 147 countries and with the consent of 166 organisations from amateur and professional golf.

The R&A has responsibility for running a series of world class amateur events and international matches in women’s and girls’ as well as men’s and boys’ golf. The R&A stages the AIG Women’s Open and works with the DP World Tour to stage the Senior Open.

The R&A is committed to investing £200 million over ten years in developing golf and supports the growth of the sport internationally, including the development and management of sustainable golf facilities. For more information, visit www.randa.org.

About the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation

The APGC is the representative body for 47 male and female national golf associations. Golf across Asia-Pacific is growing at a considerable rate with approximately 18 million golfers and 4,000 golf courses in the region. As well as acting as the hosting partner for major amateur events in the region, the APGC supports member organisations in the development of golf in their respective countries. The APGC also works to ensure adherence to the Rules of Golf as approved by The R&A, and partners with The Masters Tournament and the International Golf Federation in the promotion of golf.