WAAP continues to provide springboard for region's elite amateurs

The region's top amateur women, including China's Zhou Shiyuan and Liu Yujie, Malaysia's Jeneath Wong and South Korea's Oh Soo-min, do not need to look far for inspiration when they reach the crossroads of when to turn professional.

A glance at the final 2025 Women's World Golf Rankings and LPGA Tour points list reveals the same name at the very top, one that has been on the lips of everyone who follows the women's game closely.

Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul was the standout performer last year, cementing herself as the planet's best women's golfer after a stunning rise.

Fittingly, her roots trace back to the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP), the eighth edition of which tees off at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand on Thursday.

Jeeno embodies the strength in depth of women's golf across the Asia-Pacific. Seven players from the region sit inside the world's top 10, and 30 feature among the top 50. The bubbly Thai has often hailed the WAAP as the launchpad for a burgeoning career that now includes seven LPGA victories.

The 22-year-old won the inaugural WAAP in Singapore in 2018, and finished runner-up in her title defense the following year.

Now, a new generation of elite amateurs, including China's Zhou and Liu, are keen to follow in her footsteps.

The 15-year-old Liu, who has won once against the professionals on the CLPG Tour and finished T7 in the WAAP last season, said: "The Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship has always been one of the competitions I look forward to the most every year. I really hope I can perform my best during the week and achieve good results."

The Chinese mainland's hopes of welcoming a first WAAP champion could well rest on the shoulders of 16-year-old Zhou, the highest-ranked Chinese player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

She has already been touted as a rising star after raking in three wins on the CLPG Tour last season, the youngest golfer to achieve a treble.

"Many people have congratulated me, saying that winning three times is incredible, and that I have a bright future, but I feel like I'm still the same person. Nothing has changed," said Zhou.

While China awaits its first champion, Malaysia was over the moon last year when Wong triumphed in Vietnam, holding off the highly-rated Oh.

Wong, a senior at Pepperdine University in the US said: "Growing up, I followed the championship closely and always saw it as one of the biggest goals for an amateur golfer in this region.

"Just qualifying to play was once a dream, so winning it felt surreal. It shows young girls that pathways exist and big dreams are achievable.

"Players like Jeeno are incredibly inspiring. Seeing someone start their journey at the WAAP and go on to achieve so much at the professional level shows what's possible.

"Her success motivates me to stay patient, work hard and trust the process as I continue developing my game. It's reassuring to see a clear pathway from amateur golf in our region, to success on the world stage."

Wong hailed the WAAP for providing elite amateurs with a clear route to the top, especially with the champion earning exemptions into several of the LPGA Tour's leading major championships and elite amateur events.

"The WAAP has had a massive impact on women's golf in the Asia-Pacific by creating opportunities and visibility for young female golfers. Growing up, I followed the championship closely and always saw it as one of the biggest goals for an amateur golfer in this region," she said.

South Korean Oh, the highest-ranked player in this week's field at Royal Wellington at world No 11, will be looking to go one better after finishing second behind Wong last year. "My goal is to win. I was runner-up last year, so my desire is even stronger this time, but, rather than getting greedy, I want to focus on gaining good experience and enjoying the championship," said the 17-year-old, who is a two-time Queen Sirikit Cup winner and a member of the 2024 World Amateur Junior Girls Championships winning team.

A total of 84 players from 26 countries and regions will contest the WAAP, developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation and The Royal & Ancient to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region's elite women amateurs to the international stage.

The writer formerly led marketing and communications for the PGA Tour and Asian Tour for over 20 years.