Choi and Park aiming for more success at Simone Asia-Pacific Cup

Choi and Park aiming for more success at Simone Asia-Pacific Cup
Robyn Choi and Annie Park, buoyed by recent successes, aim to carry their positive momentum into the Simone Asia-Pacific Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled for December 21-23.

Set to represent Australia and the United States at the Pondok Indah Golf Course in the second edition of the US$750,000 tournament hosted by the Asian Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF), Choi and Park are riding high after securing their LPGA Tour cards through the LPGA Q-Series, which took place on Wednesday.

The gruelling six-day, 108-hole contest, which took place in Alabama, USA, saw Choi passing with flying colours as she posted a superb 29-under-par total to top the leaderboard by three shots and claim medalist honours. This brilliant effort earned Choi a return to the LPGA Tour following her rookie season in 2019.

With the Simone Asia-Pacific Cup also featuring a unique national team event, Choi and Cassie Porter will join forces to lead a formidable two-member Australian side, aspiring to contend strongly against powerhouses like South Korea, Japan, and Thailand.

Porter, who competes on the Epson Tour, was part of the team that finished eighth last year. Porter is not short of confidence ahead of her second Simone Asia-Pacific Cup appearance after finishing a creditable 11th in the recently held ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open. Park will add to the star power of this year's tournament, bringing with her one LPGA Tour victory and the 2015 Symetra Tour Player of the Year title. The 2018 Shoprite LPGA Classic winner demonstrated her resilience, swiftly regaining her card lost earlier in the season through the Q-Series, achieving this feat in dramatic fashion by shooting an eight-under-par total that landed her right on the top-45 borderline necessary to secure LPGA status.

With her sights set on the Simone Asia-Pacific Cup team honour, Park will join forces with Gabriella Then, a one-time Epson Tour winner, to launch a formidable challenge.

Last week, AGLF finalised the tournament field, showcasing 58 players from 16 countries. Among the prominent participants are Thailand's world No. 9 Atthaya Thitikul, world No. 17 Nasa Hataoka of Japan, and distinguished Epson Tour stars such as So-young Lee, a six-time winner, Epson Tour Rookie of the Year You-min Hwang, Da-yeon Lee, and Min-byeol Kim—all ranking among the top 60 players in the Rolex Rankings.

The tournament follows a 54-hole stroke play format, with US$550,000 allocated for the individual contest and an additional US$200,000 up for grabs in the team competition.

South Korea secured the team title last year, with the formidable duo of Bo-mee Lee and So-yeon Ryu. The individual crown was claimed by Princess Mary Superal of the Philippines.