Staff WriterThe Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific is coming to New Zealand, and Royal Wellington will soon be rattling with the sound of nerves, hope, and the occasional perfectly-struck iron. From 12–15 February, the eighth edition of the championship (WAAP) lands in Wellington with a field that reads like tomorrow’s tour leaderboards, delivered early.
Eighty-four players from 28 countries will tee it up in a championship developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A — a modern pathway built in the old, proven way: proper competition on a proper course, with proper rewards.
A defending champion with something to protect
Malaysia’s Jeneath Wong returns as the reigning champion, chasing the rarest of amateur golf tricks: defending a title when everyone now knows your name, your tendencies, and exactly how stubborn you can be on Sunday.
“I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity to defend my title at Royal Wellington. Any chance to return as a defending champion is special, and doing it at such a well-respected venue makes it even more meaningful.
“From what I’ve heard, it rewards strong ball-striking and smart course management which suits my game well. I’m looking forward to the challenge and preparing myself as best as I can.
“What stands out the most (from winning this year) is the overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride I felt representing Malaysia. Winning the WAAP was incredibly emotional, not just because of the victory itself but because of what it meant for Malaysian golf and myself.”
She won’t be alone at the sharp end. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific field includes 13 of the top-50 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) and 26 from the top-100, with world number 12 Soomin Oh (Republic of Korea) and world number 15 Rianne Malixi (Philippines) arriving with form that travels.
Malixi, still only 18, already owns two top-five finishes at WAAP and will make a record sixth appearance — the sort of repeat attendance you only earn by being good enough to keep getting invited, and tough enough to keep coming back.
Oh’s memories are warm — her ambition isn’t
If Wong arrives with the pressure of defending, Oh arrives with the itch of unfinished business. Runner-up this year before going on to win low individual honours at the Queen Sirikit Cup, she leads a strong Korean contingent and says the feeling is sharper than ever.
“Since this is my third year competing in this championship, I feel an even stronger desire to perform well.
“When I think about the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, I have so many fun and wonderful memories, so I hope to create many good memories again this year.
“My goal is to win. I finished as the runner-up last year so my desire to win is even stronger this time. But rather than getting greedy, I want to focus on gaining good experience and enjoying the championship.”
That’s the classic tightrope of elite amateur golf: want it badly, but don’t squeeze the life out of it. Oh is joined by Sumin Hong and Yunseo Yang, the trio taking places two to four on this year’s WAAP leaderboard, alongside Seojin Park, Gyu Been Kim and Seo Jin Park, as each player looks to etch a Korean name onto the trophy for the first time.
Japan’s depth, Thailand’s winners, and a Kiwi record turnout
| Year | Host club | Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sentosa GC, Singapore | Atthaya Thitikul (THA) |
| 2019 | The Royal GC, Japan | Yuka Yasuda (JPN) |
| 2020 | Not contested | — |
| 2021 | Abu Dhabi GC, UAE | Mizuki Hashimoto (JPN) |
| 2022 | Siam CC, Thailand | Ting-Hsuan Huang (CTP) |
| 2023 | Singapore Island CC, Singapore | Eila Galitsky (THA) |
| 2024 | Siam CC, Thailand | Chun-Wei Wu (CTP) |
| 2025 | Hoiana Shores GC, Vietnam | Jeneath Wong (MYS) |
Japan’s strength in depth is highlighted by five of its six representatives currently sitting within the WAGR® top-100. Mamika Shinchi (88) returns for a fourth time after top-ten finishes in 2022 and 2024, joined by fellow returnees Anna Iwanaga (24) and Aira Nagasawa (33) and debutantes Yurina Hiroyoshi (19), Ai Goto (52) and Tsukiha Nakashima (104).
Thailand will be spearheaded by Achiraya Sriwong (30th in WAGR®), the best-ranked Thai player in the field, and Prim Prachnakorn, who has recorded seven victories in 2025, backed by Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul, Pimpisa Sisutham and Nicha Kanpai.
For the home crowd, there will be nine New Zealanders in the field — a championship record for the most participants from a single nation. At 53rd in the world, Eunseo Choi is the best ranked Kiwi, while Royal Wellington member Darae Chung will have the local fans cheering. They will be joined by Emma Zheng, Teresa Wang, Juwon Kim, Chloe So, Cherry Lee and Caitlin Maurice, who travels home from St Andrews, Scotland to compete in the championship for the first time since her debut in 2021.
New flags, academy graduates, and the cut-line dream
Other notables include R&A Girls’ U16 Amateur Champion Sabrina Wong of Hong Kong, China, Yujie Liu of China (back for a third time), plus Raina Kumar of Fiji and Yanjinlkham Batdelger of Mongolia as the first players to represent their nations at the championship.
Fresh from their high-performance training camp at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Academy are Kumar, Xingtong Chen of Singapore (tied 23rd this year), and Junia Gabasa of the Philippines (42nd). Meanwhile, Tyana Jacot of Guam, Margaret Lavaki of Papua New Guinea and Faith Vui of Samoa will be aiming to make the cut for the first time — the moment every amateur learns whether they belong on this stage.
What the winner gets: majors, invitations, and a life-changing springboard
The WAAP offers life-changing opportunities to the winner, including 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 of America.
The winner will also receive invitations to elite events such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open, The 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
“To view the full field for the 2026 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific please visit randa.org.”
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, Royal Wellington Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Peter Millar, New Zealand Mercedes-Benz, Titleist and Tongariro, as well as investment partners New Zealand Major Events and Wellington Council.
More information on WAAP can be found at the championship website.
