Golf 

HÀ NỘI — Lê Chúc An will be Việt Nam's sole representative at the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) 2026 in New Zealand, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the region.

Two Vietnamese players were invited to the February 12-15, 2026 event at the Royal Wellington Golf Club, but national runner-up Nguyễn Viết Gia Hân couldn't join because of personal reasons.

At age 17, An will take part in the competition for the third time in a row, aiming for higher results after her remarkable achievement in the last two years.

In her event in 2024, An couldn't make the cut. A year later, she successfully joined the group of players who finished in the top 30, setting her personal best.

During that time, An won top position in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final's U16 Division which was a historic title for Việt Nam in a tournament on the Thai LPGA Tour. She also defended her title of the National Golf Championship 2025.

At the recent SEA Games in Thailand, she won a bronze medal, Việt Nam's best ever golf result in the regional biennial competition.

An is currently ranking No 186 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the highest place of a Vietnamese female player. An said she was inspired by Malaysian Jeneath Wong's victory at the WAAP 2025 and hoped to make a milestone for Việt Nam in this year tournament.

The WAAP 2026 features 84 continental leading golfers from 28 countries and regions.

Wong will spearhead the strong field as she looks to retain the title she won in Việt Nam in March. 

She will be joined by 13 of the top-50 players from the WAGR and 26 from the top-100, including world No 12 Soomin Oh from South Korea and No 15 Rianne Malixi of the Philippines. 

 At just 18 years of age, Malixi has already recorded two top-five finishes in the championship and will make a record sixth appearance at the WAAP. Also playing for a sixth time is local favourite Vivian Lu, Singaporean Inez Ng, and Rotana Howard of the Cook Islands, who returns after a year away to give birth to her first child.

Japan’s strength in depth is highlighted by five representatives currently sitting within the top-100 of WAGR. Mamika Shinchi (88), who returns for a fourth time following top-ten finishes in 2022 and 2024, is joined by fellow returnees Anna Iwanaga (24) and Aira Nagasawa (33) and debutantes Yurina Hiroyoshi (19), Ai Goto (52) and Tsukiha Nakashima (104).

The winner will earn invitations to play in three major championships – the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship and The Chevron Championship, as well as elite championships such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open, The Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. 

This will be the first time New Zealand has hosted the championship, which aims to inspire future generations of women golfers and has evolved into the preeminent women’s amateur championship in the Asia-Pacific region.

The golf course is situated alongside the Hutt River, Royal Wellington is well-renowned as a parkland layout and is one of the premier courses in New Zealand.

The WAAP debuted in 2018. It is developed by The R&A and Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation to unearth emerging talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite female amateurs to the international stage. Among them, Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand was the first champion and is currently the world No 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. VNS