Sixteen-year-old golfer Avani Prashanth will be among six young Indians who will tee off at the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship here from Thursday.
Four Indians out of the six, including Avani, played at the 2021 WAAP. Avani finished T-16 and the others were Sifat Sagoo (T-25), Kriti Chowhan (T-34) and Nishna Patel (Missed cut). Mannat Brar and Ceerat Kang are playing the WAAP for the first time.
Last year’s participation in this championship in Abu Dhabi was Avani’s first major international exposure.
Of Avani’s 11 international appearances since the 2021 WAAP, 10 have been outside India and she has played at famous courses like the Augusta National, Carnoustie and the Le Golf National.
The Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific is run by the R&A and this week’s winner has a wealth of big ticket starts awaiting them. The winner gets to tee off at two Majors, The Women’s Open and the Evian Championships, besides getting into the coveted Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Hana Championship in Korea.
In one year, Avani has risen from 157 to 115 and notched up her first Top-12 in a pro international event at the Hero Women’s Indian Open. She has played at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), played at the R&A Women’s Amateur, the Queen Sirikit Cup, the World Amateurs Team event and booked a place in the Indian team for the Asian Games, originally slated for 2022 but which will now take place in 2023.
“I have learned a lot from traveling and playing in different courses, different countries and in different conditions. I am looking forward to this week,” Avani said.
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