Wellington

Indonesia’s rising prospect Bianca Naomi Laksono is excited ahead of her debut at the 8th Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship, where she will join the region’s best young golfers from Feb. 12 to 15 at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in Upper Hutt, New Zealand.

Bianca will be the country’s sole representative at the preeminent women’s amateur championship in the region. She hopes to use the opportunity to accelerate her blossoming golf career, which already includes four victories in tournaments that count toward the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

“This will be my first time playing in the WAAP, and I am very excited,” said Bianca.

“It is a great opportunity to compete at a high level and gain valuable experience. I have always wanted to play in this tournament, and in my opinion, the WAAP has had a strong impact on women’s golf in Indonesia. The level of competition is very high, with many top-ranked players, and it motivates Indonesian golfers to work harder and raise our standard,” she said.

Eighty-three players from 28 countries are set to contest the championship, which was developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage.

A total of 13 players from the top 50 in the WAGR and 26 from the top 100 WAGR players, including world No. 12 Soomin Oh of South Korea and world No. 15 Rianne Malixi of the Philippines, will headline the 2026 edition alongside defending champion Jeneath Wong of Malaysia.

Current world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is the most notable WAAP champion, who went on to establish herself in women’s professional golf after winning the inaugural title in 2018, and Bianca is inspired to follow in her footsteps.

“I watched her [Jeeno] when she was still an amateur, especially when she played at the Asian Games held in Indonesia [in 2018]. She inspired me to learn more about the game and to strive to become a better golfer,” said Bianca.

“It would be truly fantastic and historic if an Indonesian golfer could win this tournament. It would be a huge achievement for Indonesian golf. I want to make it a pathway for my future career,” she added.

“As I am still in university, my priority is to complete my education, and then see what opportunities lie ahead.”

Indonesia’s best-ever finish at the WAAP was achieved by Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri, who tied for 11th place in 2021.

Earlier this year, Malaysia’s Wong wrote a slice of golf history by becoming the first from her country to win the championship.

“Winning the WAAP was incredibly emotional, not just because of the victory itself but because of what it meant for Malaysian golf and myself. Seeing the support from home and knowing that the win inspired others made it even more special,” said Wong, 21.

“Personally, it was a moment that validated all the hard work and sacrifices over the years,” she said.

The WAAP offers life-changing opportunities to the winner, including exemptions into three major championships in 2026, namely the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in England, the Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States.

The winner will also receive invitations to a handful of other elite championships, including the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open, the 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

-- The writer led communications for the PGA and Asian Tours for 25 years and now runs a sports public relations consultancy.

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