Womens Amateur Asia-Pacific

Saki Baba aims for Japanese treble at Siam

The R&A

02 Nov 22

3 mins

Saki Baba, the reigning US Women’s Amateur champion, is determined to use the ‘match play’ mindset that she developed during that victory and put up a strong show in the fourth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship.

The 17-year-old Baba is the highest-ranked player in the field this year, having risen to number four in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR). She followed her stunning 11&9 win in the final at Chambers Bay in August with a superb fourth place finish two weeks later in the individual standing of World Amateur Team Championships in Paris. The last two champions in the championship organised by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) are both from Japan – Yuka Yasuda in 2019 in Japan and Mizuki Hashimoto in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Now Baba wants to put her name next to theirs on the trophy on Sunday when action concludes at the Waterside course of Siam Country Club.

Focused aggression for Baba

“I know Mizuki won this last year and also Yuka. I’m so proud to be a teammate of Mizuki. She is also playing this week. I want to play my best and be someone like them,” said Baba. “In match play, obviously, the results come out hole-by-hole. I was able to stay aggressive on every hole. I have tried to use that feeling in stroke play after the US Women’s Amateur win and I would like to use the same feeling, same aggressiveness in this tournament as well.” Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, the highest-ranked player from the Pacific nations (WAGR number 32), made a hole-in-one on the second hole during her practice round on Wednesday. The 2021 English Women’s Amateur champion could also feel the energy of her compatriot Harrison Crowe’s memorable win last week in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Amata Spring Country Club. “It was pretty cool. To be honest, I didn’t see it go in but it was a really good shot. It would have been good if it was tomorrow but that’s okay,” said Rudgeley when asked about her ace. “It definitely gives us Australians confidence seeing one of our teammates get a win in such a big event. I think we’re all quite motivated from that win.I know I am for sure.”

Watch | Thai Hopes Inspired by Thitikul

High-ranked home hope

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, who is the highest-ranked player from Thailand at WAGR number 36, is keen to go one position better than her tied second place finish in Abu Dhabi. “I played really well last year but made a few mistakes coming in on Sunday. I have learned from those mistakes. I will do my best this year. I think I can do better than last year,” said Vongtaveelap, who turns 20 next week on 9 November. Korea’s Jiyoo Lim is the highest-ranked non-Japanese player at number 14 and started dreaming about becoming a professional golfer at the age of seven. The fact that the WAAP champion gains a start in two major championships – the AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship – as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, was not lost on her. “Just imagining of becoming a winner of the WAAP gives me a lot of special feelings. I always wanted to play the AIG Women’s Open, and this is one of my dreams among the majors. It’s played on unique links courses, which is a very different environment from Korea. I wish I will be able to experience that championship through this week,” she added.

About WAAP

A field of 86 players from 21 countries are taking part in the fourth WAAP. Action begins at 7am local time (midnight GMT) on Thursday. The WAAP has been developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to inspire future generations of women golfers and provides the champion with an unparalleled launchpad early in their career through exemptions into multiple women’s major championships and other elite amateur championships. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is proudly supported by Rolex, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Trust Golf, Hana Financial Group and Samsung. For more information on the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific, visit the championship website at www.randa.org/WAAP. 