Sumin Hong (Royal and Ancient Photo)

Battling blustery winds, the 18-year-old negotiated her way around the Hoiana Shores Golf Club’s links-style layout in four-under-par 67.

With a 36-hole aggregate of 10-under-par 132, Hong holds a two-stroke lead from Malaysian Jeneath Wong and Australian Jazy Roberts. Both benefitted from morning starts when conditions were less challenging than those faced by those in the afternoon wave.

World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) number nine Soomin Oh is alone in fourth place on 135 after an eventful round of 67 that included eight birdies and four bogeys.

Chinese Taipei’s Jieen Lin (69) is fifth on 136, with Australian Lion Higo (72) tied sixth on 137 alongside the Korean duo of Seojin Park (69) and Yunseo Yang, whose five-under-par 66 was the best round of the day and only bogey-free return.

Another Korean, Seo Jin Park, the first-round leader, is among four players in a share of ninth place on 138. Her 74 was ten strokes higher than her first-round effort.

Tricky conditions

In windswept conditions, the key was to control ball flight, capitalize on birdie opportunities, and minimize mistakes.

The degree of difficulty was evident as only 20 players from the 92-strong field from 24 countries bettered par, as opposed to 34 on day one.

It was Hong, 221st in the WAGR®, who did that better than most with birdies at the 3rd and 8th, seeing her reach the turn in two-under-par.

Despite dropping shots at two of the par-3s on the back nine – the 12th and 17th –, Hong picked up strokes at the 10th, 15th, 16th, and 18th to put herself in pole position to become the first Korean winner of the region’s pre-eminent women’s amateur championship.

Enjoying the lead

Reflecting on her round, Hong said, “Right now, I’m really happy and satisfied with how I played and stayed patient. I'm leading at the moment, but I try not to think about the final goal and result. I just want to enjoy this with my peers, teammates, and friends from other countries.”

While the afternoon drama unfolded, Roberts and Wong were in a relaxed mood, having completed their rounds in the calmer morning conditions.

Among four players to enjoy bogey-free performances on Thursday, the two 20-year-olds both dropped shots on their opening hole of round two before recovering to post scores of 68 and 69, respectively.

TikTok downtime for Roberts

Roberts, 144th in the WAGR®, said, “It was pretty solid again. I hit a few shots in close and rolled some putts in. I had a bit of trouble down the last few holes. It was getting really windy, but I managed to get through. It's what you expect when you come to a course that's next to the ocean. You have to play smart.”

With her work done for the day, she retired to her room at the nearby hotel to recharge her batteries ahead of what she hopes will be an historic weekend as she bids to improve on the previous best WAAP display by an Australian and Kelsey Bennett’s joint runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi in 2021.

“I’ll maybe scroll through TikTok – just get my mind off golf and restart tomorrow. Anything can happen on a course like this. I'm honestly not too fazed,” added Roberts.

Wong’s second round began with a double-bogey seven at the long 10th – her first hole of the day.

“I was in the fairway bunker and had two shots to get out of there, so I was a bit flustered. But I kept composed and just waited for pars and birdies,” said Wong, who moved to Australia when she was ten-years-old.

With birdies at three of her last four holes, she remains on course for the best finish in the championship by a Malaysian, currently belonging to Ashley Lau, who placed sixth in 2021.

Oh had five birdies in her first eight holes to tie for top spot before dropping back. “With the wind blowing, you have to think about course management. That made me more focused on my game,” said the 16-year-old, who adopted an aggressive approach that resulted in an abundance of birdie chances but also avoidable bogeys, most glaringly at the 18th where she hit a hybrid from close to the lip of a bunker and failed to extract her ball.

Vietnamese interest

Chuc An Le produced a courageous comeback to maintain her standing as the leading Vietnamese player. She had two double-bogeys in an outward 42. Her response was back-to-back birdies on the13th and 14th on her way to a 76. “I’m happy to make the cut. That was my first target,” said Chuc, tied for 30th with a 36-hole total of one-over-par 143.

Although the five other contestants from the host nation failed to progress, the experience they’ve gained will be invaluable in their golfing development.

There were similar sentiments for Margaret Lavaki, the first player from Papua New Guinea to compete in the WAAP.

In unfamiliar conditions, Lavaki found the going tough, carding rounds of 90 and 88. “I went through a lot this week, firstly, just to get here. And the course itself is very difficult for me. But having come this far, I did my best and it’s been a great experience. I've been speaking to my family, my husband, and my kids especially, and some of my friends back home. They’re very supportive and I'm very grateful for them.”

The half-way cut for the leading 50 players and ties fell at four-over-par 146.

Missing the cut

Among the notable players to miss out on qualifying for the final 36 holes were Japan’s Mamika Shinchi (72-75) and Australian Nadene Gole (75-81).

Shinchi is planning to act as caddie for her compatriot Sakura Torii, who’s tied for 19th on 140, while Gole, winner of the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur and US Senior Women’s Amateur last year and the eldest player in the field at the age of 56, battled gamely but was left to rue three double-bogeys in an 81 although she signed off in style with a birdie at the 18th.

Developed by the APGC and The R&A to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region’s elite women amateurs to the international stage, the WAAP provides the champion with life-changing opportunities. 

The winner at Hoiana Shores will be invited to compete in three of this year’s major championships – the AIG Women’s Open, Amundi Evian Championship and the Chevron Championship – as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, the 122nd Women's Amateur Championship and, by tradition, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.