Xiamen, China: Teenager Ni Zixin will arrive in Singapore for this week’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in buoyant mood after capturing her second China LPGA Tour title.

A week after representing her country in the Queen Sirikit Cup in the Philippines, Ni returned home where she defeated a field of professionals in the China LPGA Tour’s Pre-season Challenge.

Taking a three-shot lead into the final round at Fujian Province’s Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club, Ni carded a closing two-under-par 70.

Her 54-hole total of five-under 211 was two strokes clear of veteran Sui Xiang (67) who claimed the RMB20,000 winner’s purse as the top professional. 

For 15-year-old Wuhan native Ni, who began the week in 182nd position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, it was her first win since last August when she triumphed in the China LPGA Tour’s Golf Liquor Challenge in Shandong Province. 

“I’m glad I was able to maintain my lead in the final round. My goal this week was just to play my own game and stay in tournament mode. I’m very happy to have won my second championship on the China LPGA Tour. It is a positive affirmation of my training during this period,” said Ni, who will turn 16 in September. 

Victory came as a timely confidence-booster after a disappointing showing in the 43rd Asia-Pacific Amateur Ladies Golf Team Championship at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club a week earlier.

There, Ni finished joint 14th individually with the China team ending in eighth place in the 12-nation event.

Now, Ni’s sights are set on mounting a challenge at the fifth edition of the WAAP, to be held at the Singapore Island Country Club from March 9-12.

It will be a second WAAP appearance for Ni, who tied for 13th place at Thailand’s Siam Country Club last November, when victory went to Chinese Taipei’s Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan.

No fewer than 30 of the 36 starters from the Queen Sirikit Cup are in the starting line-up for this week’s WAAP, including Huang, 2021 champion Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan and Indian Avani Prashanth, runaway winner of the individual title at Manila Southwoods.