Team Malaysia will have six representatives at the fifth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship, to be held at Singapore Island Country Club from March 9-12.

Leading the Malaysian challenge will be third-time participant Audrey Tan, No 201 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), while making their second starts in the event will be Geraldine Wong and Ng Jing Xuen. Joining the trio will be debutants Amalia Shahzan, Maisarah Hezri and Wang Xin Yao.

Tan, who finished tied 21st at last year’s edition, is looking forward to representing the country once again and battling it out with the best amateurs in the region.

“WAAP is one of my favourite events to play; the hospitality and golf course are absolute world-class, so I’m definitely looking forward to be back for the third time. It’s always a huge honour for me to represent my country especially in big events, so that adds to the excitement,” shared The University of North Texas graduate.

Rising talent Ng will be making her return to the prestigious event after recently representing Malaysia together with Wang Xin Yao in the 43rd edition of the Queen Sirikit Cup, played at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club. With an impressive record of multiple top-five finishes in both national and international tournaments over the past year, the 14-year-old is pumped to be part of the strong field.

“The WAAP is such a good learning opportunity for me as I’ll be playing with the world’s top ranked players, so I’m excited for next week and hopefully I’ll perform,” said Ng.

Having competed in the very first edition of the WAAP in Singapore, University of Minnesota alumni Wong, who’s ranked 644th on the WAGR, will also be making her return to the championship. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a solid amateur career thus far, recently clinching top spot in the South Sulawesi Amateur Open Series II.

Not to be overlooked is the debuting trio of Wang, Maisarah and Amalia.

Ranked 637th on the WAGR, Wang has been making her mark in various international events including the Queen Sirikit Cup, Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex and the Selangor International Junior Championship.

Wayne University freshman Maisarah, ranked 986th, has had a consistent streak of top-five finishes at a series of State Amateur Opens. Her best finish yet was second place at the 2022 Johor Amateur Open held at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club.

Kedahan Amalia, ranked 1001st, chalked up one State Amateur Open title at the Sarawak Amateur Open in 2022, while also achieving four other top-five finishes throughout the year.

The Malaysian squad will be up against some of the world’s best amateurs, including past winners Mizuki Hashimoto and Ting-Hsuan Huang. Rin Yoshida of Japan will be the highest ranked player in the field at No 4 on the WAGR and leads a strong Japanese team that includes No 5 Yuna Araki, No 11 Sayaka Teraoka and No 14 Hashimoto.

The local challenge will be led by Aloysa Margiela Atienza, who is 243rd on the WAGR.

Malaysia’s best finish at the WAAP is sixth, achieved by the country’s Epson Tour rookie professional Ashley Lau in the WAAP’s third edition back in 2021 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide the region’s elite women amateurs a pathway to the international stage. The victor earns starts in three Major championships – the AIG Women's Open, the Amundi Evian Championship and the Chevron Championship – as well as elite events such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, and will receive an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA).