The 42nd edition of the Queen Sirikit Cup was formally declared open at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club on Monday.
Postponed from August 2021 owning to the pandemic, the prestigious amateur golf tournament makes a welcome return this week to the Masters course where promising young golfers from 13 countries will battle for top honours over 72 holes in a stroke-play format.
The Indian challenge will be led by the promising Sneha Singh, Avani Prashanth and Janniya Dassani.
Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto, the reigning Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP) champion, will be seeking to replicate her winning performance in Abu Dhabi to the Lion City.
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“I’m excited to be given the opportunity to play at the Queen Sirikit Cup which is a very prestigious amateur tournament. I had the chance to play a practice round at the Masters course and it will be a good test for everyone. I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said the 19-year-old Japanese.
Recently-crowned SEA Games gold medallist Natthakritta Vongtaveelap of Thailand is also looking forward to extending her winning run from the fairways of Vinch Phuc Hanoi to Laguna National Golf and Country Club.
“Winning the SEA Games gold was definitely one of the highlights of my amateur career so far and hopefully another good result at this week’s Queen Sirikit Cup will add another beautiful memory for me,” said Natthakrita.
Malaysia’s Liyana Durisic, meanwhile, believes her third appearance at the Queen Sirikit Cup is going to be another unforgettable experience in her fledgling golf career which started when she was 12.
“Competing in the Queen Sirikit Cup is always an amazing experience. With the change in format to a 72-hole stroke play tournament, it’s going to get more competitive and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said the 21-year-old Malaysian, who plays inter-collegiate golf at Iowa State University in the United States.
Singapore’s Shannon Tan will be spearheading the local challenge and will be banking on her course familiarity to lead her to another victory on home soil.
“I’ve won a couple of domestic tournaments at the Masters course before and I’m confident of putting up a good showing especially in front of my friends and family this week. I’m in a good form and I’m ready,” said Tan.
The four-day tournament starts on Tuesday, May 24.
