Avani finishes in top 10 as Taipei outsider Wu bags WAAP title

By Rahul Banerji

Top Indian amateur Avani Prashanth took a creditable tenth place at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship in Pattaya on Sunday as Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chun Wei pulled off a surprise title charge.

Playing at the Siam Country Club, Avani, India’s only top 50 player, carded a second successive 71 to total 9 under par 279 as Chun tallied an 18 under 270 to annex the regional title.

Avani started strongly with cards of 68 and 69 and then had two level par rounds to close the 72-hole championship for her personal best finish at the WAAP, the Indian Golf Union said.

Saanvi Somu (73) finished tied for 48th in her debut appearance at the event, where the winner gets a spot in three of the year’s major championships.

Avani had three birdies and two bogeys in the final round and said later, “I missed a lot of chances, but the positive is that I could still get 9-under without my ‘A’ game.

“The first 36 holes (7-under) I played great but the last 36 (2-under) was disappointing.”

At the top, Wu survived a nervy final round to pull off a big upset considering her modest 264^th place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR),

Roller-coaster ride

The 19-year-old had to survive some stressful moments before completing her victory with a level par 72 at the Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course over players ranked far above her.

Struggling to find the sort of form she had displayed over the first three days, Wu secured a victory that will catapult her into the global spotlight, the event website noted.

After racking up birdies for the first three days, it proved tough going for the Taipei player as she neared the finish line.

Four shots clear of the field after 54 holes having dropped just the one stroke, the 19-year-old had four bogeys on a final day rollercoaster ride.

With her lead reduced to one shot after 14 holes on Sunday, Wu dug deep to make two crucial birdies in the final four holes, and began her celebrations even before closing 28-foot putt reached the pin.

 “Incredible! This is the first time I’ve won a big tournament,” said Wu, whose 72-hole aggregate of 18-under-par 270 was two strokes clear of runner-up Hyosong Lee, the 15-year-old Korean.

Thai flavour

Thailand’s Achiraya Sriwong was third after the day’s best of 66 and 15 under 273 with compatriot Pimpisa Rubrong, fourth on 14-under-par 274.

Rianne Mikhaela Malixi of the Philippines and Korean Minsol Kim shared fifth place on 13-under-par while Avani was alongside Japan’s Mamika Shinchi in tied 10th.

As well as bettering the previous best WAAP winning total of 272 set by Mizuki Hashimoto at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2021, Wu is only the second champion to lead on all four days, following Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul in Singapore in 2018.

En route to the title, Wu set new championship records for best 36-hole score (132), and best 54-hole score (198).

Rich rewards

Besides the Rae-Vadee T. Suwan Champion’s Medal, Wu will be rewarded with starts in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, the Amundi Evian Championship in France and Chevron Championship in the US.

She also stands to receive invitations to other elite championships including the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, The 121st Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

This week’s starting line-up consisted of 90 players representing 22 countries and territories. Among them were ten of the top 50 and 21 of the top 100 in the latest WAGR standings.

Among those who were not surprised at Wu’s success was her compatriot Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan, winner of the 2022 WAAP at SCC.

Huang, now in college in the US, said: “I’ve known her since I was 10. We’ve been good friends, growing up together, practicing together, representing the national team in international competitions.

“I’ve also been her practice partner, exchanging skills and seeking advice from each other. I’ve always admired her explosive playing style and accurate putting, often asking her for tips.

“I remember when I was winning in 2022 when we were roommates. She confidently told me she would win next time.”

In the first five editions of the WAAP, players from Thailand (Atthaya Thitikul and Galitsky), Japan (Yuka Yasuda and Hashimoto) and Chinese Taipei (Huang) have emerged winners. 

Also read: Avani, five others set for Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific at Pattaya