Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei celebrates winning the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship.
Ting-Hsuan Huang bounced back from a slow start to win the 2022 Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific (WAAP) championship and claim the first title for Chinese Taipei at Siam Country Club in Thailand today.
Facing up to the challenge of the home favourite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, the 17-year-old Huang made six birdies over the last 11 holes to post a three-under par 69 for a winning total of 11-under par 277. That was two shots better than the Thai star, who closed with a one-under par 71, which included bogies on the 16th and 17th holes.
Korea’s Hyosong Lee matched the best round of the day, a six-under par 66, to climb up to tied third place at seven-under par with Japan’s Yuna Araki (69) and Philippine’s Rianne Mikhaela Malixi (72).
Huang, who has notched up nine wins and 23 top ten finishes in the last two years, is committed to UCLA next year and has secured places in two major championships – the AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship – as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA).
“To be able to play in majors is really a dream come true for me. I’d like to thank The R&A and the APGC for giving us this opportunity,” said Huang.
“I did not have any expectations coming into this week. I just wanted to play good golf and enjoy myself on the golf course. To be able to do this is amazing.”
Huang, who is 83rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR), started the day tied for the lead at eight-under par but slipped way behind with bogeys on the 1st and 4th holes. Vongtaveelap, on the other hand, made a birdie on the second hole and then sensationally holed her second shot from 113 yards on the par-4 third hole to open a four-shot lead at the top.
Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei reacts to her victory. (Photo by David Paul Morris/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Despite birdies on the eighth and ninth holes, Huang still trailed her Thai playing partners (Suvichaya Vinijchaitham being the third player in the lead group) when the group reached the par-3 12th hole. On the toughest hole on the course, playing 0.34 shots above par, Huang played perhaps the critical shot of the championship when she birdied from the bunker. Vongtaveelap made a bogey and Vinijchaitham slipped up with a double bogey.
Vongtaveelap’s biggest strength – her ability to hit the ball long, became the chink in her armour. She started the day playing conservatively on the par-5 holes, and then when she tried to go for the green on the par-4 15th hole, where the tee was brought forward to 280 yards, she sprayed her tee shot right and could only manage par. On the par-5 18th, trying to go for a big tee shot, she lost her balance slightly and ballooned the ball, leaving her to have to be content with a closing par.
The Thai WAGR number 38 had a golden chance to tie for the lead going to the final, par-5 hole but she pushed her four-foot par putt. Huang could only make a bogey after her tee shot left her in an awkward position in the fairway bunker, from where she had to lay up.
Huang, who grew up idolising Chinese Taipei legend and five-time major champion Yani Tseng, then hit a brilliant third shot in pouring rain to set up a final birdie from less than three feet. Vongtaveelap once again missed a birdie putt from four feet and failed to put some pressure on the champion.
“I felt very nervous because Sim put some pressure on me over the closing holes. I didn’t do very well on the front nine, but I was thinking very positively on the back nine,” said Huang.
“The shot on the 12th was a turning point, because I got very lucky there. My ball was in a footmark there. But on the 18th(third shot), I didn’t think too much. I just felt very confident on that shot.”
The 19-year-old Vongtaveelap, who was also second in last year’s championship in Abu Dhabi, was left disappointed with her finish and said, “I did my best today and my game was good. I think I lost the tournament because of myself and did not do well under pressure. I could feel that my swing was becoming very fast and aggressive.
“Huang is a tough competitor, and she is very good and I think I am going to learn a lot from this tournament,” said Vongtaveelap, who will be playing the Stage 2 LPGA Qualifier in Florida.
The 2021 Abu Dhabi champion Mizuki Hashimoto made one birdie and 17 pars in her one-under par final round that tied her for the ninth place at five-under par 283. Saki Baba, the highest-ranked player in the field at number three in the WAGR, who was struggling to make birdies, finally found her touch and made six in a bogey-free round that elevated her to tied sixth place at six-under par 282.
The WAAP has been developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to inspire future generations of women golfers and provides the champion with an unparalleled launchpad early in their career through exemptions into multiple women’s major championships and other elite amateur championships.
Final Results
1 HUANG, Ting-Hsuan Chinese Taipei 83 -11 69 69 70 69 277
2 VONGTAVEELAP, Natthakritta Thailand 38 -9 67 73 68 71 279
T3 LEE, Hyosong Republic of Korea 249 -7 73 75 67 66 281
T3 ARAKI, Yuna Japan 12 -7 70 71 71 69 281
T3 MALIXI, Rianne Mikhaela Philippines 236 -7 69 70 70 72 281
T6 BABA, Saki Japan 3 -6 73 70 73 66 282
T6 LU, Hsin-Yu Chinese Taipei 36 -6 71 71 71 69 282
T6 LIM, Jiyoo Republic of Korea 13 -6 68 68 72 74 282
T9 DING, Wai Chung Virginie Hong Kong 409 -5 72 73 68 70 283
T9 HASHIMOTO, Mizuki Japan 16 -5 69 66 77 71 283
T9 SHINCHI, Mamika Japan 53 -5 71 70 70 72 283
T9 VINIJCHAITHAM, Suvichaya Thailand 487 -5 71 68 69 75 283
T13 XU, Fiona New Zealand 91 -4 72 70 75 67 284
T13 KIM, Minsol Republic of Korea 21 -4 75 70 71 68 284
T13 NI, Zixin China 194 -4 71 72 71 70 284
T13 LU, Vivian New Zealand 131 -4 71 73 69 71 284
T13 DURISIC, Liyana Malaysia 196 -4 66 74 72 72 284
18 WONG, Jeneath Malaysia 73 -3 72 70 72 71 285
T19 LEE, Dong Eun Republic of Korea 164 -2 73 72 70 71 286
T19 BOSIO, Justice Australia 96 -2 70 73 70 73 286
T21 SCHMIT, Meva Indonesia 1851 -1 72 75 70 70 287
T21 TEZUKA, Ayaka Japan 59 -1 70 71 74 72 287
T21 TAN, Audrey Malaysia 205 -1 72 70 71 74 287
T21 BENNETT, Kelsey Australia 76 -1 67 72 72 76 287
T25 NG, Jing Xuen Malaysia 337 Par 78 70 71 69 288
T25 PARK, Yeji Republic of Korea 87 Par 71 73 67 77 288
T27 RAWOF, Warda Amira Malaysia 519 +1 70 72 72 75 289
T27 CHOI, Eunseo New Zealand 201 +1 72 74 74 69 289
T29 HAN, Sophie Hong Kong 479 +2 70 75 70 75 290
T29 SRIWONG, Achiraya Thailand 1285 +2 71 73 75 71 290
T29 CHEN, Yu-Chu Chinese Taipei 602 +2 69 75 71 75 290
T29 LIAO, Hsin-Chun Chinese Taipei 139 +2 72 73 74 71 290
T29 HINSON-TOLCHARD, Maddison Australia 102 +2 72 73 74 71 290
T29 JEERAVIVITAPORN, Taglao Thailand 136 +2 73 75 72 70 290
T35 GALITSKY, Eila Thailand 217 +3 71 73 72 75 291
T35 HAMMETT, Sarah Australia 134 +3 71 72 75 73 291
T35 RUDGELEY, Kirsten Australia 35 +3 75 72 72 72 291
T35 HSU, Huai-Chien Chinese Taipei 162 +3 72 75 72 72 291
T39 PEIRCE, Caitlin Australia 165 +5 74 74 70 75 293
T39 LAU, Arianna Hong Kong 277 +5 71 74 74 74 293
T39 FORTUNA, Mikhaela Denise Philippines 342 +5 76 71 72 74 293
42 LEE, Jeong Hyun Republic of Korea 100 +6 72 73 76 73 294
T43 CAO, Xinyu China 334 +7 71 73 74 77 295
FINAL RESULTS 2022
Pos Name Club WAGR To par R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
T43 ATIENZA, Aloysa Singapore 329 +7 71 73 76 75 295
T43 NG, Jaymie Singapore 610 +7 72 76 74 73 295
T46 YE, Lei China 160 +8 74 71 74 77 296
T46 PATEL, Nishna India 906 +8 72 71 77 76 296
T48 NASSER, Zulaikah Nurziana Malaysia 444 +9 69 75 74 79 297
T48 NG, Inez Singapore 784 +9 73 75 77 72 297
50 KANG, Sumin New Zealand 807 +10 74 74 72 78 298
51 WU, Chun-Wei Chinese Taipei 727 +13 73 75 76 77 301
52 HUN, Teng Teng Macau 423 +14 70 78 70 84 302
53 UETA, Miku Japan 40 +15 69 77 79 78 303
