World No. 9 Atthaya Thitikul is set to lend her star power to the second edition of the Simone Asia Pacific Cup in Indonesia from December 21-23, alongside Filipino star Princess Mary Superal, who returns to defend her individual title.
The 20-year-old Atthaya ranks highest among the 58 participants in this impressive showdown hosted by Asian Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF), all vying for a substantial prize purse of US$750,000 at the famed Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta.
A thrilling battle is on the cards as these players not only compete for individual glory but also vie for their country’s honour through the team event, with the Simone Asia Pacific Cup bringing together 29 teams from 13 APAC golf associations, including formidable contenders such as South Korea, Japan, and Thailand in Indonesia.
The tournament employs a 54-hole stroke play format, with US$500,000 allocated for the individual contest and an additional US$250,000 up for grabs in the team competition.
The former world No. 1, Atthaya, will certainly be the one to look out for, as she has been performing exceptionally well in recent months on the LPGA Tour, finishing no worse than seventh position in the last seven starts.
During this period, Atthaya also impressed with three runner-up finishes, including the Maybank Championship in Malaysia last month, where she was involved in an epic nine-hole playoff battle with Celine Boutier of France, tying the record for the second-longest playoff in LPGA Tour history.
The Thais certainly mean business as they field formidable combinations in their bid to dethrone South Korea in the team competition. The Koreans secured victory in the inaugural edition last year through So-yeon Lee and Bomee Lee.
Atthaya will join forces with Jaravee Boonchant, who is making her second Simone Asia Pacific Cup appearance. Meanwhile, Chanettee Wannasaen, who sensationally clinched the Portland Classic as a Monday qualifier in September, will team up with Hanoi SEA Games doubles gold medallist Natthakritta Vongtaveelap.
Princess Mary Superal of The Philippines
Princess will be looking forward to returning to the scene where she claimed the biggest win of her professional career in grand fashion.
She finished the tournament with a 12-under-par total, beating major winners So-yeon and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko by three and four shots, respectively.
This time, Princess is back with a dual mission for Team Philippines— not only to defend her individual crown but also to vie for team honors once again, following last year’s second-place finish with Pauline Del Rosario.
Teaming up with Princess this year is the accomplished Bianca Pagdaganan, currently competing on the LPGA Tour.
The Pondok Indah Golf Course holds special significance for Bianca, as it was the venue where she contributed to the Philippines’ team gold and secured an individual bronze during the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games.
Despite the absence of So-yeon and Bomee, the Korean team remains formidable, with their KLPGA Tour stars ever ready to take over the baton.
Stepping into the spotlight are reigning six-time KLPGA Tour winner So-young Lee, KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year You-min Hwang, Da-yeon Lee and Min-byeol Kim, all of whom rank among the top 80 players in the Rolex Rankings.
You-min has set her sights on a better showing in her second appearance.
“When playing last year, I felt that the course was very difficult. But now, with the chance to play again, I’m confident I can perform well. I’m honoured to have such an opportunity again, and with this second chance, I’ll strive to deliver my best performance,” she said.
Da-yeon said, “I feel honoured and bear a great responsibility in representing my country for the first time. I look forward to this meaningful event, especially since the players I’m competing with are close friends of mine.”
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka. Photo: Asia Golf Leaders Forum
Japan will be represented by world no. 18, Nasa Hataoka, who has six wins on the LPGA Tour and six on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf (JLPGA) Tour. Taiwan is represented by sisters Vivian Hou and Yu-Sang Hou. They are joined by two-time JLPGA Tour winners Pei-Ying Tsai and Peiyun Chien.
AGLF Secretary General Paul Park said, “The event will bring together some of the world’s most promising young golfers from each Asia Pacific country, and we’re excited to see them on one field.”
The AGLF was launched in 2020 with the vision of developing women’s golf in the Asia Pacific region. It is comprised of 14 national governing bodies (KGA and KLPGA in Korea) from 13 countries, including South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Myanmar, and Singapore.
“Last year was all about firsts,” added Park.
“We worked hard to establish our organisation and build relationships between 14 golf federations in 13 countries. This year, in our second year, the communication has been seamless, and we have been able to gather a lot of great players from all over the world. It’s great to see the future of women’s golf in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, coming together in one place.”
