Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam will send six golfers with the goal of securing podium finishes at the 7th Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP) golf tournament to be held in March in Quang Nam province.
The championship, to be played at Hoiana Shores from March 6-9, will be held in Vietnam for the first time.
This year, 97 players from 23 countries and regions will compete for the trophy. Among the title favourites are Rianne Mikhaela Malixi of the Philippines, who is ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Rankings; Soomin Oh of the Republic of Korea, who is ranked 10th; and Mamika Shinchi of Japan, who is ranked 30th.
The six Vietnamese players are national champion Le Chuc An and her runner-up, Nguyen Viet Gia Han, longstanding Tien Phong Golf Championship winner Nguyen Bao Chau, and young talented rising stars Anna Le, Arena Tran and Nguyen Vu Hoang Anh.
The organisers will cover all expenses for the players during their competitions. The team is set to arrive at the venue for training from late February.
Hoiana Shores is a renowned course, with its spectacular coastline, breathtaking unspoiled terrain and majestic views of the East Sea and Cham Islands. It is also famous for its testing back nine sea breeze and bunkers.
Launched in 2018, the WAAP has been developed by the R&A and Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation to discover emerging talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite female amateurs onto the international stage.
It is one of the leading championships in amateur golf for female golfers. The championship attracts an international field with an impressive list of former winners including McCormack Medal winner Leona Maguire and major champions Georgia Hall and Anna Nordqvist.
After six seasons, it launched the careers of three major champions, Yuka Saso, Patty Tavatanakit, Ayaka Furue, and former world number one Jeeno Thitikul.
The winner will also have invitations to play in three major championships – the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship and The Chevron Championship, as well as elite championships such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open, the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Last year, Wu Chun-wei of Chinese Taipei scored 18-under 270 to bring the title home.
“The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship provides leading women’s amateur golfers with a world-class platform to compete at some of the most renowned golf courses in the region, Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, was quoted as saying on randa.org.
“Golf in Vietnam has grown significantly in recent years, and we are looking forward to taking the championship there for the first time. Hoiana Shores Golf Club promises to be a fantastic venue and an excellent test of golf for the players.
“I am looking forward to seeing who emerges from the field to win the championship and earn the three major championship exemptions on offer, he said.
Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, Taimur Hassan Amin, said: “We’re delighted that the seventh edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is to be held in Vietnam for the first time.
He added that Vietnam was one of the fastest growing golfing markets in the world and the staging of the WAAP would certainly help accelerate the game’s growth in the country.
“Thank you to our partners at The R&A and the Vietnam Golf Association as well as the management at Hoiana Shores for their support. With the region’s finest women golfers showcasing their talent at this stunning venue, it promises to be a memorable week,” he said./.
