From being on top of the amateur ranks in Malaysia to turning professional to meet the LPGA Q-Series criteria, the end of 2022 was a time of big decisions and new beginnings for Malaysia’s Ashley Lau.

Having begun her journey in golf at a tender age, Ashley had always dreamt of teeing it up on the LPGA Tour, knowing full well the path leading to her goal would be anything but easy.

“When I first started golf, I had really big dreams of playing on tour and all that. But I think as I grew up, reality kind of set in, which made me bounce back and forth on my decision,” said Ashley.

The University of Michigan graduate faced plenty of challenges but fought hard to stay on track. “When I went to college, I told myself I will let my senior year decide if I should go all in as I needed to mentally prepare myself during that time. Thankfully, for me, it went way better than I expected.”

“Better than expected” proved an understatement for the soon-to-be 23-year-old as she racked up multiple individual titles and earned All-America bragging rights throughout 2021 and 2022. Ashley’s thriving senior year only added to her determination in going full-throttle for her childhood dream.

“That’s when I decided I would give it a try and play my best on tour,” she said.

As one would expect, the challenges continued to add degrees of pressure even after turning professional. Ashley’s coach, Fergal McGeown, shared his concerns about the lack of support since putting her amateur status behind her.

“As one of the best amateurs in the world, Ashley had all the support around, so she could just focus on playing golf. Having a team behind her will be very important so Ashley can basically continue doing what she’s been doing to get to where she is,” said Fergal.

Agreeing with her coach, Ashley shared her recent experience during Qualifying School, a glimpse into the everyday life of a touring professional. “During qualifying school I had to basically plan my flights, hotels, car rentals and all that. It was a lot more mentally tiring than I expected.”

In spite of the obstacles ahead, Ashley is determined to keep on swinging. With the help of coach Fergal, she will be putting in the work and going against the odds to achieve her goals in 2023.

“I don’t set a lot of goals, but a main one would be finishing top 10 on the Epson Tour so I can get full status on the LPGA the following year,” noted Ashley.

“Another two would be achieving a win on tour and having a scoring average of below 71 by the end of the season,” she added.
When asked what inspired her to keep on going, the Bintulu lass said it’s the thought of finally living a dream she’s always worked hard towards ever since she was a little girl.

“It still feels a little surreal that I’ve finally turned pro when it had always been a very big dream of mine. Just remembering how little me has wanted to play in the LPGA since the very first day just motivates me to keep going,” said Ashley.

Fergal’s belief in the rookie has never wavered and was glad she had some time off in Malaysia before heading back to the United States.

“Ashley was always going to be a great player; she has the focus and the ability, she just needed the guidance on how to get there,” noted the Australian.

“When you look at the whole year, you know she’s really done an amazing job. I'm glad that she came back to Malaysia to have a bit of a break with her family … to just look back on what she's done, and to assess how she's going to move forward,” added Fergal.

Having spent much-deserved time-off with loved ones back home in Malaysia, while squeezing in some crucial lessons with coach Fergal, Ashley feels grateful for all the support she’s received throughout the years of her career, fuelling her further to stay motivated and reach for the stars.

“I’m so thankful to my parents for being so supportive every step of the way and friends who’ve been sending in wishes and congratulating me since turning pro. I’m also grateful to a number of associations for giving me the exposure I needed as a junior golfer such as the TSM Charity Golf Association, Malaysia Golf Association, Malaysian Ladies Golf Association and Sarawak Golf Association,” said Ashley.

“Not forgetting coach Fergal, my college coaches in the United States and past coaches. I don’t think I would have the skills and knowledge I have today without their guidance.”

With the Epson Tour starting in March, Ashley now has her eyes on the season-opening Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, to be held at Country Club of Winter Haven, Florida from March 3-5.

“I’m going to try to play as many tournaments as I can,” added a determined Ashley, ready to roll up her sleeves and get down to business. “The goal is to play a lot of them so I can get my rankings up.”