Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Two of golf’s most influential figures have highlighted the positive impact of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship (WAAP).

Ahead of the third edition of the event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive at The R&A, and Taimur Hassan, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), expressed delight at the way in which the WAAP has established itself on the calendar.

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and APGC to unearth emerging talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite women amateurs to the international stage.

Slumbers said: “We are looking forward to a fantastic Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship in Abu Dhabi this week. We have a strong field led by two players in the top-10 in the world (Korean Hwang You-min and China’s Yin Xiaowen) and some very talented girls who will be looking to lift the trophy on Saturday.

“Our aims for this championship are to provide a platform for these talented players and, in many cases, aspiring professionals to shine at the same time as inspiring emerging players to learn to compete at the highest level.

“WAAP has already been incredibly successful in giving a springboard to players like Atthaya Thitikul and Yuka Saso and we are excited to see who will follow in their footsteps in the years to come.”

Hassan added: “Over the years, our women players have led the way when it comes to major professional championships or global amateur events.

“We had a wonderful week with our men’s event in Dubai last week (Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship) and we hope to continue the same at the fantastic Abu Dhabi Golf Club with our leading women golfers.

“After two years of suffering caused by Covid-19, we are delighted that with the help of the Emirates Golf Federation we are able to host this wonderful championship once again.”

The four days of the championship will be broadcast live for four hours from 6 am to 10 am GMT (10 am to 2pm UAE time) on TV across the region, as well as live streamed through The R&A’s YouTube and Facebook channels and on RandA.org. 

This continues The R&A’s summer of live golf coverage after the finals of The 118th Women’s Amateur Championship and The 126th Amateur Championship as well as the 41st Curtis Cup were also digitally broadcast on all these channels.  

The R&A launched the Women in Golf Charter in 2018 and is committed to increasing the participation of women in the sport. The WAAP is one of several key championships conducted by the governing body and a significant initiative along with the APGC to drive the popularity of women’s golf in the region.