Bangkok, Thailand: Hana Financial Group has signed on as a Patron Partner of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP).
Hana will be on board for the 2020 championship which will be played from February 12-15 at Siam Country Club in Pattaya.
One of the strongest supporters of women’s golf worldwide, Hana has extended its backing to the WAAP as the leading women’s amateur golf championship in the region.
The WAAP was first played in 2018 and won by Thai Atthaya Thitikul, who went on to become the world’s top-ranked female amateur golfer after winning 12 titles in two years.
Yuka Yasuda, the 2019 champion, has also gone from strength-to-strength, rising to number five in the World Amateur Golf Ranking before turning professional.
Developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the WAAP aims to unearth developing talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite women amateurs to emerge on the international stage.
As part of its commitment to the WAAP, Hana Financial Services will provide the champion with an invitation to compete in the Hana Financial Group Championship. This is in addition to exemptions into the AIG Women’s British Open, The Evian Championship, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship and the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Paul Park, Director – Sports Marketing of Hana Financial Group, said: “Hana Financial Group is very pleased to associate with The R&A in Asia and excited to have the winner of the WAAP compete in the Hana Financial Group Championship (September 24-27). KLPGA’s biggest event of the year will be played for a purse of U$1.5 million at Sky72 Golf Club’s Ocean Course. In addition, Hana Financial Group will continue further development of women’s golf with The R&A in Asia.”
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: “We are delighted to partner with Hana Financial Group who are long-term supporters of women’s golf around the world. We thank them for sharing our vision for the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship.
“The R&A is committed to developing golf in the Asia-Pacific region and to giving its players a platform to compete against the world’s best amateur and professional golfers.
“The WAAP is a key component in our efforts to achieve this goal. The support of Hana Financial Group and the opportunity for the champion to go on and compete in a prestigious event such as the Hana Financial Group Championship is pivotal.”
The third edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific will feature 83 players from 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
The championship will be broadcast live on each of the four days. There will be nearly 600 hours of television coverage to more than 180 million households.
In addition to the Hana Financial Group, the WAAP is supported by Rolex, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Samsung and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.