Wellington, New Zealand: The eighth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship will showcase the depth of emerging female golf talent when it’s staged at Royal Wellington Golf Club this week.

As the revered New Zealand venue prepares to host four days of world-class amateur golf (February 12-15), the WAAP highlights the talent, ambition and diversity that define the region’s future stars.

Among those in the spotlight will be Singapore’s Chen Xingtong, who will be making her fifth appearance at the championship. A consistent performer at WAAP, Chen made history last year as the first Singaporean to reach the final of the US Girls’ Junior Championship and believes the experience gained through repeated exposure to elite competition has been central to her development.

Chen, whose recent participation in the WAAP Academy at Royal Wellington has provided further valuable preparation, said: “I’m very excited for the 2026 WAAP, especially after the amazing opportunity at the WAAP Academy where I was able to play and experience the course. Also, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games team silver medal gives me confidence that I hope to bring to Royal Wellington.

“The opportunity to compete against and learn from the top amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region has definitely helped me in my growth and development as a golfer. I’ve learnt to play in many different conditions and to perform under pressure, which is crucial in golf.”

Chen is joined in the WAAP field by fellow Singaporeans Aamiya Koul, Amelie Bloosom Ng, Sydnie Ng and Inez Ng who is competing for a record sixth time.

China’s contingent will arrive in New Zealand carrying strong momentum, underlined by recent success on the CLPG Tour. Sixteen-year-old Ren Yijia made history last week by becoming the first amateur to claim four victories on China’s domestic professional Tour, securing a wire-to-wire win at the Orient Ningbo Challenge.

She said: “This is my second time competing in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific and compared to last year, my game has become more mature. I’m participating in a training camp organised by the China Golf Association for the national youth team in coming days. So, I will prepare thoroughly for the WAAP, be focused on playing each shot well, and not get too caught up in thinking about the title or the final result.” 

Ren is joined at Royal Wellington by Liu Yujie, who recorded her breakthrough CLPG Tour victory last August, reinforcing the growing strength and depth of China’s amateur ranks and their readiness to compete at the highest level.

As well as Ren and Liu, China will be represented by Zhou Shiyuan, An Tong and Li Menghan. Zhou (21st), Liu (46th) and Ren (49th) are all in the top-50 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Like their Chinese counterparts, Australia’s six-strong line-up will be in confident mood, led by Raegan Denton, who has enjoyed an impressive run of form highlighted by victory at last month’s Australian Master of the Amateurs, where she claimed the women’s title against a high-quality field. That success, combined with consistent performances across elite amateur events, reflects the strength of Australia’s development pathway and positions her as a player to watch in Wellington.

Denton is joined by a group of highly regarded Australian amateurs including Ella Scaysbrook, Rachel Lee, Shyla Singh, Grace Rho and Jazy Roberts, who finished tied fourth last year and won last week’s Australian Amateur Championship. Scaysbrook successfully defended her Avondale Bowl title in Sydney a fortnight ago.

Denton said: “I’m really excited. It’s a championship that I’ve been striving for the last few years. I just missed out last year. To finally make the team is really exciting and I think the team’s looking really strong.

“Obviously, I have expectations of myself and what I would consider a good score and a bad score on the day. But overall, I really just have one goal in mind, which is trying to do my best, which hopefully has me holding a trophy at the end of the championship.”

The field features 84 players from 25 Asia-Pacific nations who will assemble in Wellington, reflecting both the championship’s competitive strength and its growing regional reach. To view the full field for the 2026 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific please visit randa.org.

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage and the rewards on offer are significant. The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026, the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, The Amundi Evian Championship in France and the Chevron Championship in the United States.