Staff WriterIn the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship, diminutive powerhouse Jeneath Wong proved that great things come in small packages.
At Hoiana Shores Golf Club, the five-foot, one-inch Malaysian—affectionately known as ‘Pocket Dynamite’—strolled the fairways in style, posting a brilliant seven-under-par 64 in the third round.
Building on earlier rounds of 65 and 69, Wong now boasts a commanding 15-under-par total of 198. With her precise play under mild conditions, she surged into a three-stroke lead after day three.
Tied for second on 12-under-par 201 were Koreans Soomin Oh (66) and Sumin Hong (69), with Yunseo Yang (67) and Australia’s Jazy Roberts (70) trailing by three strokes in a tie for fourth.
Hot on the trail in sixth place on eight-under-par 205, we find China’s duo Yujie Liu (64) and Ying Xu (66), Thailand’s Pimmada Wongthanavimok (66) and New Zealand’s Eunseo Choi (67).
The tournament’s spirit was elevated by a special tribute for International Women’s Day.
The Vietnam Golf Association presented players, female officials, and spectators with flowers at the 1st and 10th tees and in the clubhouse—a welcome contrast to the blustery conditions of the early days.
On a course where red figures, marking birdies, dominated the leaderboard, the six-strong China contingent notched an impressive 43 birdies during the day.
Notably, ten of these belonged to Liu, who, along with her compatriot Ren Yijia and pace-setting Wong, matched the low round of the day.
At just 20 years old and in her third year at Pepperdine University, Wong demonstrated enviable consistency, finding both fairways and greens with regular precision.
Her touch with the putter was equally exceptional. “This week, just minimising bogeys is one of the main goals, and then just keeping it on the fairways and greens,” she explained, recalling fond memories from Vietnam where she had previously clinched an individual bronze medal at the 2022 SEA Games.
Wong, currently ranked 123rd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®), took the lead when she recorded her fourth birdie of the day on the long 7th.
From there, her determination never waned—she capitalized on additional opportunities at the 8th and 15th holes, holed a ten-foot birdie at the short 17th, and then showcased a brilliant up-and-down from a sandy waste area near the green to secure another stroke at the final hole.
Despite trailing by three strokes, both Oh and Hong remain confident in their ability to overtake Wong and potentially become the first Korean winner in this prestigious event.
Oh, the field’s highest-rated player at ninth in the WAGR®, has been steadily improving, with scores of 68, 67, and now a 66—even after mixing two bogeys with five birdies and an eagle at the 10th.
There, she produced one of the shots of the week—a towering fairway wood approach from 240 yards that almost resulted in an albatross-two. “I will always be happy on the course.
Even if I make a mistake, it’s okay, I’m not depressed. I really do not mind at all,” she remarked, confident that her carefree approach will carry her through the final round.
She added, “To be honest, I have not thought about winning this championship. But now I’m picturing that if I won, it would be a huge honour, not only for myself. I would become the first Korean to win the WAAP, so it would be a great honour.”
Hong, whose third round was marred by a double-bogey on the 16th that pushed her to one-over, clawed her way back into contention with a birdie on the 17th and an eagle on the 18th, finishing with a solid 69.
“I was not expecting to be one of the leading players after the third round. I’m just focused on my game.
I’m happy to be playing with Soomin in the final round because we’re so close. That will make me very comfortable and confident,” she said.
Thailand’s Pimmada Wongthanavimok, representing her country’s enduring tradition of top-three finishes since the championship’s inception in 2018, acknowledged the favourable weather.
“I would say that Mother Nature was a little kind to us today. There was only a slight breeze and it made the game way easier,” she noted during her third year at the University of Arizona.
Also in the mix was Chuc An Le, the sole Vietnamese player to make the cut, who continued her steady play with an even-par 71 to tie for 29th on 214.
Developed by the APGC and The R&A, the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship not only nurtures emerging talent but also paves the way for elite women amateurs to shine on the global stage.
The champion at Hoiana Shores will earn invitations to compete in three of this year’s major championships—the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship, and the Chevron Championship—as well as other prestigious tournaments, including the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship, and, traditionally, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Supported by renowned partners like 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, this championship remains a cornerstone in the development of golf in the Asia-Pacific region. For more details on the tournament, please visit the championship website.
By blending competitive spirit, elegant precision, and a touch of understated humour, the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship continues to be a stage where rising stars carve their names into the annals of golf history.
More information on the WAAP can be found at the championship website.
