Hong Kong’s three golfers had a mixed day at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship in Singapore on Tuesday. The trio – Chloe Chan Cheuk-yee, Arianna Lau and Iris Wang Xin-yi – carded a combined seven over par in the team event to end the first round of the 42nd Queen Sirikit Cup in 10th place. South Korea, who have won the tournament on 12 of the past 13 occasions, led the way on eight under, thanks largely to an opening six-under-par 66 from Lee Jihyun in the individual event at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club. Reigning Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan is four shots further back in a five-way tie for second alongside the likes of Fiona Xu from New Zealand and Shannon Tan of Singapore. Chan was the best of the Hong Kong golfers, shooting a one-over 73, while Lau was six over and Wang nine over. The shot of the opening day belonged to Taiwan’s Huang Ting-hsuan, who aced the par-three 12th on her way to an opening round of 73. But the round of the day belonged to Lee, who plans to relinquish her amateur status in July and join the Korean LPGA Tour. “I like this course and gave myself a lot of birdie chances,” she said. “To represent your country in a team event like the Queen Sirikit Cup is a big honour … and a big burden.” Hong Kong’s rich history with the event dates right back to its first edition at the Navatanee Golf Course in Bangkok in 1979, when the city was represented by Greta Hobbs, Elanna Chow and Susie Clark. A parade of the city’s best have followed over the decades. Chan first played as a 12-year-old on South Korea’s Jeju Island in 2016, where she was partnered with Yuka Saso, who defends her US Women’s Open Championship title in little more than a week. Saso not expecting much in US Women’s Open title defence, wants to ‘have fun’ “I was really blown away to be playing next to really big names at the time,” Chan said. “And as a young 12-year-old, I think I was fan-girling more than playing. I knew they were all really good players. That year, I played with Yuka Saso and now she’s a US Open champion. So that was really cool. I learned a lot from all these players. “It was just really impactful. Just playing in these events involving these players, you just know that you’re capable of being at that level. You know, as long as you work hard, you’ll also be there one day.” In contrast, Wang is playing in the tournament for the first time and recognises the importance of the occasion. “Playing in this event basically means you are at the top for your country and I am excited to be able to get there and play,” she said. “There’s so much history and so many great players have been there before.”
