Womens Amateur Asia-Pacific
Royal Wellington provides perfect platform for Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific players to shine
06 Feb 26
6 mins
Many of Asia-Pacific’s emerging women are set to grace Royal Wellington’s fairways in New Zealand for the eighth edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship from 12-15 February.
The championship will see 84 players from 26 countries compete for the prestigious title which also earns the champion exemptions into three major championships in 2026 – the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, and the Chevron Championship. The winner also receives further invitations to a handful of other elite championships, including Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, The 123rd Women's Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Royal Wellington, located in New Zealand’s capital city, is a more than appropriate stage for the championship, which was developed by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage. Not only has it hosted numerous New Zealand Open’s, but the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was also played there in 2017 when Yuxin Lin of China was victorious. However, the synergies between the host club and the WAAP run deeper than the club’s championship pedigree. Royal Wellington has a long, progressive history in relation to women’s golf, providing the perfect platform for the next generation of rising stars to shine on one of the biggest stages in women’s amateur golf.
The Championship will take place at Royal Wellington from 12 to 15 February.
Royal Wellington’s progressive and inclusive club culture started in 1895 when the club first opened, two years after New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to enshrine in law the right for women to vote in parliamentary elections.
Ethel Douglas Duncan, sister of famous New Zealand amateur golfer Arthur Duncan, was arguably one of the most significant figures in the club’s formation. She fell in love with the game in Scotland, then sought out the land at Miramar where the club was first built before it moved to its Heretaunga location in 1906.
She was an accomplished golfer and was devoted to the club she helped form, becoming the first lady President from 1936 to 1945, and being Ladies Captain four times.
Royal Wellington General Manager Dylan Lindstrom believes Duncan’s leadership helped weave a progressive culture towards women through Royal Wellington’s identity from the club’s inception.
“It’s always been our normal to treat women equally.
“We’ve had a lot of women who have been very successful, and we’ve hosted the New Zealand Women’s Amateur Championships in 1911 and 1931. Being one of the older clubs in New Zealand, in the capital city, and a club of status, women were given lots of opportunity to play.”
Since the club’s move to the Heretaunga course, women continued playing equitably at the club. Women were able to play for their own trophies in club competitions and were encouraged to compete.
Until the recent appointment of Viv Callender, Royal Wellington’s first woman club president in 125 years, women largely played their own game at the club. Since her appointment, some of the club’s competitions have become mixed events to bring men’s and women’s games together.
With women being important to the club, Royal Wellington has also recently introduced a pathway strategy to attract more women to the sport through events and social activities, most of which align with Golf New Zealand’s She Loves Golf programme, that aims to create enjoyable and social experiences for women.
Nine and Wine is the club’s entry level offering which removes all of the sport’s traditional barriers for absolute beginners. There are no rules; the aim is to get a golf club in the hands of more women to simply introduce them to the game. Next is a programme called Sister Golf, aimed at women who have recently become members or women who want to play nine holes.
Lindstrom says these programmes are important steps for the club to introduce new women to the club and eventually a membership if they choose to integrate into club life.
“We want to create environments and spaces for women to play golf, and then we listen to their needs. We review everything we do regularly and update our programs with the participant’s feedback.”
As women are an integral part of the club, Royal Wellington is shining a spotlight on golf for all women during the week of the WAAP. The club is creating a fan village aimed getting more families on the course, where there will be food trucks, She Loves Golf activations run by Golf New Zealand, and the launch of the national bodies new programme, Girl’s Golf.
Royal Wellington is known for its progressive and inclusive club culture.
Golf New Zealand’s General Manager of Participation Vicky Mailei says launching Girl’s Golf during a championship that will have a large audience worldwide made sense.
“Girl’s Golf came about as we didn’t have enough younger girls consuming golf. The idea is to get a sense check from girls about how we provide a safe, social environment which gives them a sense of community. It’s about girls leading girls to play golf their way.
“Royal Wellington have been amazing in terms of what they’re willing to try and how they can accommodate everyone during the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific. They’re thinking of the big picture with who they might be able to get through the gates during the week. The club is super progressive in their approach to getting people to play the game, they’re very inclusive, and will be great hosts.”
New Zealand has nine players invited to take part in the WAAP, which is set to showcase all forms of women’s golf. Eunseo Choi, Vivian Lu, Emma Zheng, Darae Chung, Caitlin Maurice, Juwon Kim, and Chloe So all have previous WAAP experience, while Cherry Lee and Teresa Wang make their debut on home soil.