Golf

Jeneath Wong of Malaysia is congratulated by the Hoiana Shores Golf Club caddies. Photo courtesy of R&A

ĐÀ NẴNG — They call Hội An the city of lanterns and it was Jeneath Wong who shone brightest on her way to winning the seventh edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship on March 9.

With a skilful and courageous display of play, the 20-year-old wrote her name into the record books as the first Malaysian winner of the region’s pre-eminent women’s amateur championship.

Three shots clear of the field overnight, Wong illuminated Hoiana Shores Golf Club with an unflustered closing round of three-under-par 68 – her fourth successive sub-70 return over the links-style layout.

After a tense and intriguing battle with South Korean playing partners Soomin Oh and Sumin Hong that went right down to the wire, it was the diminutive Malaysian who was walking tallest.

Tied at the top with World Amateur Golf Ranking No 9 Oh with two holes remaining, two-time All-American Wong, who is in her third year at Pepperdine University in California and is nicknamed ‘Pocket Dynamite’, found another gear.

With Oh and Hong within birdie range at the par-3 17th, Wong launched a stunning seven-iron that came within inches of a hole-in-one, a tap-in birdie enabling her to regain a one-stroke lead to take to the par-5 last hole.

While Oh made the green in two and had a 35-foot putt for eagle, Wong was 40 yards short of the putting surface. From there she struck a precise pitch for her third shot, her ball coming to rest four feet below the hole.

After watching Oh’s attempt for a three slip agonisingly past the cup, Wong coolly slotted home her birdie putt to set the seal deal in one of the finest-ever performances by a Malaysian amateur.

Having been embraced by her local caddie, Wong was then engulfed by her Malaysian teammates and members of the Australian team with whom she grew up, having moved to Melbourne, Victoria when aged 10.

With rounds of 65, 69, 64 and 68 at Hoiana Shores, Wong’s 72-hole aggregate of 18-under 266 was the lowest winning total in WAAP history, surpassing the 270 total of Chinese Taipei’s Chun-wei Wu in Thailand last year.

Wong, No 123 in the latest WAGR standings, also became the first non-teenager to win the region’s most prestigious women’s amateur title. Wu was previously the eldest winner at 19 years, two months and five days.

“It’s unreal. I’m in shock,” said Wong. “It’s really exciting, giving me the experience to play in those top LPGA tournaments that I want to play in the future.”

Lê Chúc An had the best result for Việt Nam in history at the WAAP. Photo of VGA

Lê Chúc An signed off with a one-under-par 70 to underline her standing as Việt Nam’s number one female amateur golfer. Her four-day total of 284 meant she finished in a share of 30th place, comfortably bettering the previous best performance from a Vietnamese player in the WAAP, the 51st spot posted by Đoàn Xuân Khuê Minh in 2023.

As well as being invited to compete in the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship and the Chevron Championship, Wong will gain entry to the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 122nd Women's Amateur Championship and, by tradition, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. VNS