Yunseo Yang finished eight shots clear of compatriot Soomin Oh to write her name into the record books as the first Korean winner of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific.
Coping admirably with gusting southerly winds that blew many players off course, 18-year-old Yang closed with a 3-under-par 69 at Royal Wellington in New Zealand, the best round of a day that saw just three sub-par returns.
With a 72-hole aggregate of 16-under 272, Yang matched the WAAP’s record winning margin set by Japan’s Yuka Yasuda in 2019. She is also the first player to lead the championship after all four rounds.
“I’m very proud to be the first Korean winner. Having the opportunity to play in three major championships is an honour.”
Yunseo Yang
Thanks to her success, Yang has earned 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 – as well as a handful of elite amateur events.
In winning, Yang ended South Korea’s victory drought in the region’s pre-eminent women’s amateur championship. Previously, Minsol Kim (2023), Hyosong Lee (2024) and Oh last year all had to settle for second place.
After holing out in driving rain on the 18th green, Yang raised her arms in a rare show of emotion before being warmly embraced by Oh and their Korean teammates.
“I’m very proud to be the first Korean winner,” said Yang, who tied for fourth in last year’s WAAP in Vietnam. “Having the opportunity to play in three major championships is an honour. I grew up watching the other golfers do well, especially the AIG Women’s Open.”
Despite Yang’s resounding victory, the outcome was still unclear heading into the 14th hole. After Yang holed a 10-foot putt to save par at the 13th and stay two shots ahead of Oh, it was the short par-4 14th which proved pivotal with a decisive four-shot swing in Yang’s favour.
While Yang holed a 12-foot putt for an eagle-2 after driving the green, Oh ran up a double-bogey 6, pulling her tee shot out of bounds. From that point, with weather conditions deteriorating, Yang was able to coast home, adding gloss with her fourth birdie of the day at the short 16th.
Modest and composed – on and off the course – Yang laid the foundations for her triumph with a stunning opening-day bogey-free 8-under 64. It was a lead she would not squander. A 67 on day two extended her advantage at the half-way stage to three shots. An even-par 72 on Saturday meant she led by two going into the final day.
“I had a great experience in New Zealand. It was a windy day. I have a lot of regrets, but I will use it as a driving force for my future growth.”
Soomin Oh
“The bad weather today was anticipated. The winds started getting stronger from yesterday, so I was getting prepared for that,” Yang said of her final-round strategy. “I was playing a bit defensively, not trying to be too aggressive, aiming for pars rather than birdies to protect my score.”
Oh, who had to settle for the runner-up spot for the second year in succession, reduced the overnight deficit to one with a scrambling par at the first hole and drew level when she made a birdie-2 at the eighth hole.
But Yang’s two-stroke advantage was restored immediately when she holed a 6-foot putt for birdie following a brilliant approach at the ninth hole while Oh made bogey.
Reflecting on another close WAAP call for her, Oh, the highest ranked player in the field at 11th in the WAGR, said: “I had a great experience in New Zealand. It was a windy day. I have a lot of regrets, but I will use it as a driving force for my future growth.”
RESULTS
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