Staff WriterCaitlin Maurice is back on home turf with a St Andrews master’s in the bag; Sabrina Wong has crossed 18,000km for her New Zealand debut — and both fancy a proper run at WAAP.
Royal Wellington Golf Club is about to host a week of proper amateur theatre, and the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific has the sort of storyline editors dream about: two young golfers arriving from Scotland — one returning home with a heart full of memories, the other turning up wide-eyed after a 30-hour trek and 18,000 kilometres of “what have I done to my sleep schedule?”
Meet Caitlin Maurice of New Zealand and Sabrina Wong of Hong Kong, China — both based in the ancestral home of golf, both carrying form, ambition, and that unmistakable amateur sparkle where everything still feels possible.
For Maurice, 23, it’s an emotional homecoming. She grew up in the Bay of Plenty and has spent the last chapter at the University of St Andrews, chasing a master’s degree and living amid golf’s holy relics. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific landing in her backyard feels like the universe drawing a neat circle around her story.
“It’s always special to represent your home country, and to have the championship back home is very cool to be a part of. I’m super excited to play against some of the best girls in the world,” said Maurice, who returned to New Zealand six weeks ago having finished her finals in pursuit of her master’s degree at the University of St Andrews.
And if you’ve ever walked St Andrews on a crisp morning — wind in your face, history in your shoes — you’ll understand why she sounds like someone trying not to grin too loudly.
“St Andrews is a very special place. Being a student there is very cool. It’s such a beautiful, cute town with an amazing student vibe,” said Maurice, whose sole previous WAAP appearance came in Abu Dhabi in 2021 where she missed the cut.
That missed cut in 2021 is the sort of detail that either haunts you or fuels you. Maurice looks like the “fuel you” type. Last year she logged one win and six top-10 finishes in World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR)® events. She won the R&A Student Tour Series – Ireland and finished third in the Swedish event — the kind of steady, grown-up results that suggest she’s not just here for the scenery and the meat pies.
Wong, meanwhile, is 14 and already living a life that makes most adults feel like they’ve wasted their afternoons. This is her first visit to New Zealand — a debut that comes “some 18,000 kilometres and 30 flying hours removed from Scotland.” You can almost hear the luggage carousel groan.
Like Maurice, she’s based in Scotland, studying in Glasgow since 2023. She says the academic rhythm is less intense than back home, leaving more time for the thing she actually wants to do: hit golf balls until they behave.
Her progress has been loud. In 2024 she posted two wins and eight top-ten results in WAGR®-counting events, finished runner-up in the Girls’ Junior European Open in Spain, and placed ninth in the R&A Girls’ Under-16 Amateur Championship.
She also debuted at WAAP in Thailand at Siam Country Club — the youngest in the field — and although she missed the cut, she still managed to leave an impression with her skill and bubbly personality.
By the time last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific rolled around at Hoiana Shores in Vietnam, she improved to 46th — and that result “set the tone for a fabulous year,” highlighted by winning the R&A Girls’ Under-16 Amateur Championship, the Under-14 title and the Girls’ Junior European Open.
Add a semi-final run at the R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship in Wales, plus representing Hong Kong, China at the World Amateur Team Championships for the Espirito Santo Trophy in Singapore, and you’ve got a teenager who’s collecting stamps and scorecards at the same pace.
And because modern sporting prodigies must, by law, have a second obsession: Wong is a self-confessed Formula One fan, with a soft spot for Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton. If she can bring even a fraction of that “fast lane” energy to Royal Wellington, the leaderboard might need seatbelts.
“Every time, the WAAP is such a good experience. I really enjoy playing at such high-standard courses. This is my third appearance in the championship but my first time in New Zealand. It’s so exciting to be here,” she said.
Beyond the personal journeys, the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific is built to do something bigger than crown a champion for a photo and a handshake. Developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), it exists to nurture talent and give elite women amateurs a clear runway to the global stage — and the incentives are the kind that make your hands sweat on the first tee.
The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026: the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, The Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States. In other words: win here, and the sport’s biggest doors swing open.
This week’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is also backed by an impressive roll call of supporters — Rolex, ISPS Handa, Royal Wellington Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Peter Millar, Titleist, Sparms, New Zealand Mercedes-Benz and Tongariro — alongside investment partners New Zealand Major Events and Wellington Council and host association Golf New Zealand.
So yes, it’s a championship with serious muscle. But it’s also, at its heart, a week about young players arriving with dreams, passports full of travel, and the sort of hope that can’t be coached.
Maurice has home crowds and a St Andrews education in her back pocket. Wong has distance travelled, momentum built, and the fearless energy of someone who hasn’t yet learned to be intimidated. Put them both on Royal Wellington’s stage and you’ve got two spotlights worth watching.
More information on the WAAP can be found at the championship website.
