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Asiad golf champ Saso to play in WAAP

Yuka Saso looks to add another title to her belt following her gold medal conquests in the Asian Games. WAAP (file photo)
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA — Yuka Saso is among the favorites to win the second Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific golf tournament.

Saso, who won two gold medals in last year's Asian Games in Jakarta, will join a field consisting of 80 female amateur golfers for the WAAP from April 25-28 at The Royal Golf Club in Hokota, Japan.

Saso looks to avenge her loss to Thailand's Atthaya Thithikul last year in Singapore.

Saso, Thithikul, and Japan's Yuna Nishimura engaged in a playoff to decide the champion with Thithikul emerging victorious.

Saso, currently ranked 34th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is the third seed in this year's WAAP.

Also looking to give Saso a run for her money like Thithikul and Nishimura is the latter's fellow Japanese golfer Yuka Yasuda, ranked 17th in the WAGR.

“Once again, we have the leading amateurs from this region taking part in the championship and the quality of the field shows how important the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship has already become within just one year of its inception," said Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation chairman Kei Muratsu. “We are looking forward to welcoming all of our participants to Japan and have no doubt they will put up as impressive a show as they did last year in Singapore.”

The winner of the WAAP will earn a spot in the AIG Women’s British Open, the Evian Championship and the new Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno