Staff WriterThe WAAP Asia-Pacific Championship action was in full swing at Hoiana Shores Golf Club as Sumin Hong, the determined Korean teenager, claimed the halfway lead with a stellar four-under-par 67.
Battling blustery winds on a links-style course that could humble even the most seasoned players, Hong’s performance set the tone early in this prestigious event.
Hong’s round was a masterclass in controlled aggression. At just 18, she navigated the tricky conditions with birdies at the 3rd and 8th holes, reaching the turn in two-under-par and posting a 36-hole aggregate of 10-under-par 132.
“Right now, I’m really happy and satisfied with how I played and stayed patient. I’m leading at the moment, but I try not to think about the final goal and result.
I just want to enjoy this with my peers, teammates and friends from other countries,” she remarked.
The competition, featuring 92 players from 24 countries, was not for the faint-hearted.
Only 20 competitors managed to better par in the face of challenging winds—a stark contrast to the 34 who found some respite on the calmer first day.
Malaysian Jeneath Wong and Australian Jazy Roberts trailed Hong by two strokes, benefiting from morning conditions that were less demanding than those encountered later in the day.
World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) number nine Soomin Oh, who ended with an eventful round of 67, finds herself alone in fourth place on 135, after eight birdies and four bogeys defined her journey.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei’s Jieen Lin (69) occupies fifth place on 136, with Australian Lion Higo (72) and the Korean duo of Seojin Park (69) and Yunseo Yang sharing sixth. Notably, Yang’s bogey-free, five-under-par 66 remains the best round of the day.
In a twist befitting a seaside showdown, Seo Jin Park—who had led the first round with a 74, ten strokes off her earlier performance—finds herself among a quartet tied for ninth on 138.
As the players faced nature’s relentless challenge, controlling ball flight, seizing every birdie opportunity, and avoiding mistakes became paramount.
While Hong methodically built her lead, the afternoon witnessed a more relaxed atmosphere among some competitors.
Roberts, for instance, described her round candidly: “It was pretty solid again. I hit a few shots in close and rolled some putts in. I had a bit of trouble down the last few holes.
It was getting really windy, but I managed to get through. It’s what you expect when you come to a course that’s next to the ocean.
You have to play smart.” After finishing her round, Roberts humorously added, “I’ll maybe scroll through TikTok – just get my mind off golf and restart tomorrow. Anything can happen on a course like this. I’m honestly not too fazed.”
For Wong, the day began with a hiccup—a double-bogey seven on the long 10th—but she quickly regrouped.
“I was in the fairway bunker and had two shots to get out of there, so I was a bit flustered.
But I kept composed and just waited for pars and birdies,” she explained, a testament to the resilience required at the WAAP Asia-Pacific Championship.
Other noteworthy performances include Soomin Oh’s early aggressive play that saw her tie for the lead before wind and course management challenges saw her slip back, and Chuc An Le’s impressive recovery that kept her at the forefront among the Vietnamese contingent.
Le’s back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th transformed a difficult round into a respectable finish of 76, securing her status as the top Vietnamese player.
The championship, developed by the APGC and The R&A, is more than just a contest—it’s a gateway for Asia-Pacific’s elite women amateurs to shine on the international stage.
The winner at Hoiana Shores will earn invitations to three of this year’s major championships: the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship, and the Chevron Championship.
Additionally, opportunities await at the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship, and, by tradition, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Event partners such as Rolex, ISPS Handa, Hoiana Shores Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, New World Hoiana Hotel, Peter Millar, G Link Logistics, and Titleist share in the commitment to foster golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
For more details on the WAAP Asia-Pacific Championship, interested readers are encouraged to visit the championship website.
