The City of Lanterns Shines Bright with Jeneath Wong’s Victory
Championship Win
THEY call Hoi An the city of lanterns and it was Jeneath Wong who shone brightest en route to winning the seventh edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship.
Outstanding Performance
With a skilful and courageous display of front-running, 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.
Tense Finish
After a tense and intriguing battle with 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 (WAGR) number nine 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.
Unforgettable Moment
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.
Sealing the Victory
After watching Oh’s attempt for a three slip agonisingly past the cup, Wong coolly slotted home her birdie putt to set the seal on one of the finest-ever performances by a Malaysian amateur. Having been embraced by her local caddie, Wong was then engulfed by her Malaysian team-mates and members of the Australian team with whom she grew up, having moved to Melbourne, Victoria when aged ten.
History Made
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. Over the course of the four days in Vietnam, Wong made 24 birdies against just four bogeys and one double-bogey. Wong, 123rd 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.
Reflections
"It’s unreal. I’m in shock," said Wong, who received the Rae-Vadee T. Suwan champion’s medal and earns places in three major championships in 2025 – the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, The Chevron Championship in Texas and Amundi Evian Championship in France. "It’s really exciting, giving me the experience to play in those top LPGA tournaments that I want to play in the future," said Wong, who joins Thais Jeeno Thitikul and Eila Galitsky, Japanese Yuka Yasuda and Mizuki Hashimoto, and Chinese Taipei’s Ting-Hsuan Huang and Wu on the WAAP roll of honour.
Championship Partners
The R&A and APGC are supported by championship event partners that share their commitment to developing golf in the Asia-Pacific. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is proudly supported by 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.
Conclusion
The 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship has come to a close, and Jeneath Wong’s victory will be remembered for years to come. Her impressive performance has set a new standard for Malaysian golf, and we look forward to seeing her continue to thrive on the international stage.
FAQs
Q: Who won the 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship?
A: Jeneath Wong of Malaysia
Q: What was Jeneath Wong’s winning score?
A: 18-under 266
Q: Who finished in second place?
A: Soomin Oh of Korea
Q: What was the lowest winning total in WAAP history prior to Jeneath Wong’s victory?
A: 270 by Chun-wei Wu of Chinese Taipei
Q: What are the major championships that Jeneath Wong will compete in as the champion of the 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship?
A: The AIG Women’s Open, The Chevron Championship, and Amundi Evian Championship in 2025.