A year on from an historic win, Malaysiaâs Jeneath Wong is aiming for more accolades as she attempts to become the first player to successfully defend the Womenâs Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship, which begins at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Jeneath wrote her name into golfâs annals by becoming the first Malaysian to triumph at the WAAP, the regionâs preeminent womenâs amateur championship, in Vietnam last year.
She faces a stellar field at Royal Wellington featuring 12 players from the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, including last yearâs runner-up Soomin Oh, who at No. 11 is the highest-ranked player in the field, 2024 U.S. Women Amateur champion Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, Chinaâs Zhou Shiyuan and some of New Zealandâs leading amateurs.
âIâm obviously very grateful to be here as the defending champion. Iâm looking forward to this week and itâs very exciting. Playing at a really nice course with great weather, so Iâm looking forward to the challenge,â said Jeneath at a press conference on Wednesday.
Since the championshipâs first edition in 2018, no player has won back-to-back titles, with inaugural champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, now the world No. 1 in womenâs professional golf, finishing runner-up in her title defence the following year.
A senior at Pepperdine University in the U.S., Jeneath arrived in New Zealand armed with more power in her game and invaluable experience from rubbing shoulders with LPGA Tour stars.
âI think now Iâm a lot stronger. Iâve gained a couple more metres, so I think it will benefit me when hitting into the greens with shorter irons,â she said.
At Hoiana Shores last year, Jeneath, powered by a magical third-round 64, edged Koreaâs Soomin Oh by a single stroke, earning exemptions into three major championships and other elite amateur events.
The Melbourne-based Malaysian said winning the title was beyond her wildest dreams. âWhat stands out the most is the overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride I felt representing Malaysia. Winning the WAAP was incredibly emotional, not just because of the victory itself, but because of what it meant for Malaysian golf and for myself,â said Jeneath, who is one of five Malaysians in this weekâs field.
âSeeing the support from home and knowing that the win inspired others made it even more special. Personally, it was a moment that validated all the hard work and sacrifices over the years.â
The rewards that followed enabled her to travel the world and play alongside many of the gameâs top professionals. âI was able to play the final round of the AIG (Womenâs Open) with Yani Tseng. She used to be my idol when I was young, so it was cool to be next to her at that time,â she said.
After the heartbreak of finishing runner-up last year, the highly rated Oh is looking to be third-time lucky in the championship. âI have very good memories from the past two years, and Iâm expecting to make good memories this year too,â said the 17-year-old, who is a two-time Korean Womenâs Amateur champion and the 2024 World Junior Girls champion.
âI will do my best. A little bit sad about missing the win last year.â
The other Malaysians in the field this week include Charlayne Chong Shin Ling, Nur Maisara Saâad, Foong Zi Yu and Nur Diana Syafiqah Abdullah.
The field features 84 players from 25 Asia-Pacific nations who will assemble in Wellington, reflecting both the championshipâs competitive strength and its growing regional reach.
The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the regionâs elite women amateurs to the international stage and the rewards on offer are significant. The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026, the AIG Womenâs Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, The Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States.
The Womenâs Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is proudly supported by Rolex, ISPS Handa, Royal Wellington Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Peter Millar, Titleist, Sparms, New Zealand Mercedes-Benz and Tongariro, as well as investment partners New Zealand Major Events and Wellington Council and host association Golf New Zealand.
