Australia has chosen an in-form team to contest the prestigious Queen Sirikit Cup on home soil in March.
The Asia-Pacific women’s team championship will be hosted by the immaculately presented Glenelg Golf Club from 6-8 March, when the region’s best amateur players hit our shores for the first time since 2006 at nearby Royal Adelaide.
The Australian team will comprise Victorian Julienne Soo and New South Wales duo Doey Choi and Steph Kyriacou.
The team will be managed by Golf Australia’s female pathway manager Stacey Peters and coached by South Australian Sarah King, a former top amateur who is now a teaching pro at the host club.
Peters said she had high hopes for the Aussie women after some great results from all three players in recent events.
“It will be exciting to take an in-form team to Glenelg and test ourselves against the best in our region,” Peters said.
“It will also be a huge benefit having Sarah with us. Nobody knows Glenelg better than she does given she has taught and played there for the past 10 years.
“This is the first time any of these young women have play played a Queen Sirikit Cup, so to say they are excited is an understatement.”
Soo, 21, of Victoria Golf Club, has been Australia’s top-ranked amateur throughout the past year and has spent the past three years based at Oklahoma University in the United States.
Set to graduate in May, Soo was over the moon about her selection.
“This is my first time playing in this event, and I couldn’t be happier to be doing it at home in Australia playing beside some great friends of mine who has been in great form,” she said.
“With the event in Adelaide it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to have some home support, and the possibility of my family coming out excites me, too.
“I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Adelaide before but never had the chance to play Glenelg, so my practice rounds will be important, and I’m keen to get there.”
Choi, 18, a member at Concord, was a joint medallist at last week’s Australian Amateur and delighted to be chosen.
“It’s a huge honour and I’m privileged to represent Australia for my first time in the Queen Sirikit Cup,” she said.
“This is going to be a high-class field, playing against some of the best from our region.
“Having it in our home country is pretty awesome, particularly because I’ve played Glenelg a few times and feel confident about my game, so I’m excited to put it to the test.”
Kyriacou, 18, a member at St Michael’s, is also fresh from a great result, having won the recent Australian Master of the Amateurs.
“This is a big honour for me and I can’t wait for the chance to team up with Doey and Jules … I think we’ll go pretty well,” she said.
“The NSW team did well at Glenelg last year in the Interstate Series and I know Doey and I really enjoyed the course. I can’t wait to get back and represent my country.”
King is “very excited” about the home team’s chances.
“I look forward to helping the girls with some course knowledge also give that it’s being hosted at the club at which I’m based,” she said.
“The girls have been playing some solid golf, so it should be a good week.”
The best two stroke scores daily for each team count towards the Queen Sirikit team event, while an individual prize is also up for grabs.
Australia most recently won the trophy in 2013 in Taiwan with Minjee Lee, Su Oh and Grace Lennon in the green and gold.
The tournament’s 41st staging is the second as an affiliated event under the Asia-Pacific Golf Federation’s banner, with record entries expected from across the region.