Womens Amateur Asia-Pacific

Three new nations represented at WAAP

The R&A

03 Nov 22

3 mins

Tiger Woods folded his arms in his unmistakable style and stood a few feet away.

“Let’s see what you’ve got. Hit a few for me,” said the 15-time major champion. The unwavering gaze of one of the greatest of all time would have unnerved even the most hardened professionals. But not the 18-year-old amateur. She stepped up and ripped a few down from the back side of the Medalist Golf Club’s cavernous driving range, more than impressing Woods. His assessment? “That’s a really good swing. You don’t have to change anything. Just keep enjoying the game and keep working hard.” Those words are still ringing in Pratima Sherpa’s ears as if it happened yesterday. Having impressed Woods, she is now set to make a mark in the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific (WAAP) championship, where she became the first ever player from Nepal to compete in the championship since it began in 2018. Through the 22-year-old Sherpa, Nepal joins Pakistan (Humna Amjad) and Macau (Teng Teng Hun) as three nations making their debut in the region’s premier amateur championship. The number of participating countries has increased to 21 in just the fourth year of its hosting, gladdening the hearts of founding partners The R&A and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC).

Life dream realised for Sherpa

Now in her final year at Cal State Los Angeles, where she is majoring in business studies, Sherpa is delighted to be at the Siam Country Club. “I came here and saw the Nepal flag flying outside and I got goosebumps. I am so proud. This is what I have dreamed of all my life – playing for Nepal in the biggest tournaments in the world,” said Sherpa, who grew up in a small shed near the third green of Royal Nepal Golf Club in Kathmandu, and started playing golf only at the age of 11. She is used to fame – ESPN made a 24-minute documentary on her ‘A Mountain to Climb’, which was part of the reason Woods got to know about her and invited Sherpa through his Foundation.

Tiger Woods inspiration

“Meeting Tiger Woods and getting a lesson from him was a surreal experience. I will never forget any of it. I have tried to follow whatever he has told me. He is my hero. When he won the Masters in 2019, I was jumping around the room, and crying, and laughing for hours,” she added. “I consider myself so lucky. Golf has changed my life. Nobody could have imagined that I’d go to the US and be in a college. I have been living a dream and I want to give back as much as possible to my country and my people. A good performance here would be a great start, but just by being here, I think I am able to send a strong message to so many kids back home about what is possible.”

Breakthrough for Pakistan

For 18-year-old Amjad, daughter of a Pakistan Air Force officer, golf has become the love of her life. She spends most of her day at the golf course and even enrolled in home schooling so that she does not have any issues with traveling or her practise. “I used to play tennis, and after a few months, I was still struggling, especially with the lob before service. My dad saw it and told me I should take up some other sport. He was posted in Jacobabad, which became famous because it recorded temperatures of 52C and was the hottest place on Earth! There was a golf course, and he took me there. I started hitting the ball well from the first day. And that was it!” reminisces Ahmed, who now lives in Karachi and plays at Airmen Golf Club. “Not many girls play golf in Pakistan, but things are changing. We are about 15 girls now who are serious about the sport. We have more tournaments now, and we can play events like WAAP. I definitely have ambitions of playing golf as a professional and be on a big Tour in the future,” said Amjad, who admires Nelly Korda in equal parts for “having a beautiful swing”, and for being “so cute”.

Macau boost

Teng Teng was surprised when told she was the first player from Macau to participate in WAAP. “Oh, really? I feel really happy to represent my country. I feel very happy,” said Teng Teng. “I really enjoy being here. My expectations are that I want to play under par for four days. Just knowing that if I win this tournament I can compete in two majors, it’s very exciting, and it encourages me to play better golf this week.” The 2022 WAAP champion will earn starts in the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA).