Title holder Jeneath Wong of Malaysia launched her defence at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship with a battling even-par 72 on Thursday, leaving her eight shots back of first round leader Yang Yunseo of Korea.
The 21-year-old Jeneath, who made history by becoming the first golfer from Malaysia to lift the prestigious title in Vietnam last year, enjoyed a blistering start at Royal Wellington by hitting four birdies in her opening six holes before boarding the bogey train around the turn where she dropped four shots over a five-hole stretch.
Charlayne Chong Shin Ling. Photo: The R&A
Another Malaysian, Charlayne Chong Shin Ling opened with a solid 71 which featured five birdies against four bogeys for a share of 17th place in what is her third WAAP appearance. Foong Zi Yu carded a 73, Nur Diana Syafiqah Abdullah returned a 78 while Nur Maisara Sa’ad shot an 86.
Jeneath, a senior at Pepperdine University in the U.S., was upbeat despite ending the day well off the pace. “I still feel I can do better in the coming days, so I’ll try my best,” she said.
“I was picking up momentum (at the start). My approach shots were pretty close. I guess three, four feet; that’s how I got the four birdies. Then towards the back nine, I had three bogeys in a row. I think the wind picked up a bit, but I still managed to get all par for that.”
The 18-year-old Yang was flawless with a bogey-free 64 to lead the prestigious championship by one stroke over Hong Kong’s Arianna Lau while another Korean, Park Seojin opened with a 67 for solo third place.
Jeneath knows she must navigate the swirly conditions better at the iconic Royal Wellington if she is to haul herself back into the title frame on Friday.
“Definitely just probably being calm even if the wind picks up or I make a bogey. Also just sticking to my game plan as usual and just keep hitting it close,” she said.
“I grew up in Melbourne so the wind is pretty strong there. But Wellington, the winds really just swirl around so makes it a bit harder to decide which club, if it’s into the wind or downwind.”
Korea has yet to celebrate a first WAAP winner since the event’s inauguration in 2018, but the first round leaderboard saw a sprinkling of four Korean names in the top-10, led by the impressive Yang, who snared eight birdies against no bogeys to post her lowest round in what is her second WAAP start.
“I didn’t know if I would be able to shoot this kind of score,” said Yang, who finished tied fourth in Vietnam in her debut last year.
“Some short birdie putts dropped, which helped. I played practice rounds on this course for two days. I believe you need to know the course well to score. Even after finishing the round, I reminded myself it’s only the first day. I’ll concentrate on the ball in front of me. If I do that, I think good results will follow.”
The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage and the rewards on offer are significant. 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.
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, Titleist, Sparms, New Zealand Mercedes-Benz and Tongariro, as well as investment partners New Zealand Major Events and Wellington Council and host association Golf New Zealand.
