Asia-Pacific Amateurs canceled due to COVID-19
2019 champion Yuxin Lin (USC photo)
COVID-19 continues to make an impact on the golf world.
One of the first sporting events to be threatened by the virus, the women’s championship was set to be played back in February. Postponed to October, the event was canceled late on July 7 alongside the men’s championship which was originally set for Oct. 29 - Nov. 1.
With a complete reset, the women’s championship is now scheduled for Feb. 4-7, 2021 at the original 2020 venue of Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand. As for the men’s championship, the original venue of Royal Melbourne may not be available as dates nor a venue have been announced regarding the men’s championship.
“Our highest priority is the health and safety of our players, officials, and everyone throughout the world involved in running these great championships,” said Taimur Amin, Chairman of the APGC via Golfweek. “Given the ongoing concerns and global impacts of this pandemic, we determined with our respective partners that these events, unfortunately, could not proceed as planned this year.”
Since 2009, the Asian-Pacific Amateur has been played to further advance the game on that side of the globe. Since 2018, the men’s champion receives exemptions into The Masters as well as The Open. The event is also one of four amateur championships acknowledged by WAGR as ‘elite’, joining the U.S. Amateur, British Amateur, and European Amateur.
The women’s championship began in 2018 with immediate success. Women champions earn exemptions into the AIG British Open, the Evian Championship, as well as an invite to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
With the cancellations, men’s defending champ, USC’s Lin Yuxin will have to wait another year to go for his third APAC championship. 2019 women’s champ Yuka Yasuda recently turned pro, forfeiting her ability to defend her title.
ABOUT THE
Asia-Pacific Amateur
The Asia-Pacific Amateur (formerly known as the
Asian Amateur) is the first of a series of
worldwide
championships put together by a between the
Asia
Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters
Tournament and The R&A. The event offers the
winner an invitation to the Masters Tournament at
Augusta National Golf Club and the British Open
Championship.
The event has historically moved throughout the
region and has now been held in China,
Japan, Singapore, Thailand,
Australia and Hong Kong, Korea, and New
Zealand.
A field, topping out at 120 players, is selected by
the
following criteria.
The top two ranked amateur players from
each
of the APGC member countries plus the four
top ranked players from the host country. If
there is not a sufficient number of players
ranked from that member country, the
member
country may nominate a player(s) from
their
country, to be approved by the APGC, to
fulfill
the two positions eligible from that country.
The remainder of the field will be filled
taking
the next highest ranked players of APGC
member countries, not otherwise qualified.
The
maximum number of eligible players from
any
APGC member country (with the exception
of
the host country) is six. Additional players may
be offered at the event's discretion.
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