New Zealand golfer Darae Chung.
Photo: supplied
Young Lower Hutt golfer Darae Chung loves playing collegiate golf and hopes that one day it will lead to her competing on the LPGA Tour.
Twenty-one-year-old Chung is one of nine New Zealand golfers who have been invited to compete at the Women’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Wellington in February.
Current world number one Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand won the inaugural tournament in 2018.
Chung is a junior at the University of Oregon and loves studying for a degree and playing golf at the some time.
“It is definitely an environment that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” she told RNZ.
“It is a really tight space where it is just your team, your coaches and advisors where everyone is supporting you to get a degree, which is their priority, and for you to also experience playing golf in America.”
Chung won the New Zealand age group championship and a Charles Tour event as a 15-year-old in 2019.
She headed to college in the US in 2023 which she said is the best move for all hopefuls.
“To play the top amateurs in the world, play against the people you are probably going to turn pro with, it is just a very special time where you can experience this all at once.”
Chung looks up to the likes of Dame Lydia Ko, Annika Sorenstam and Nelly Korda with the intention of playing professional golf one day.
LPGA golfer Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
Photo: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire / Photosport
However, having played against so many good young players in NCAA competition, she realises that it is going to be tough.
“The more competition there is the better it is,” Chung said.
“The sad reality is that not everyone makes it, but there is a lot of merit in the journey of trying.
“If you make it or you don’t the most important thing is that you are proud of what you’ve accomplished to that point
“If I make it it has always been my dream and if I don’t then I got a degree.”
The other New Zealand invitees for the 2026 Women’s Asia-Pacific Championship are Eunseo Choi, Vivian Lu, Caitlin Maurice, Emma Zheng, Teresa Wang, Chloe So, Juwon Kim and Cherry Lee.
As well as the three major championship starts, the WAAP (Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific) champion will also gain starts in the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, The 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
The Royal Wellington Golf Club has hosted the New Zealand Open seven times.
It also hosted the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (men’s) won by China’s Yuxin Lin in 2017.
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