Paul Lakatos/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap leads by two at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

By Kent Gray
Different day, the same name atop the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship (WAAP). This time though, Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap had company as the day two storylines emerged at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

With a four-under 68 to go with her opening 66, Vongtaveelap moved to -10 for the championship and maintained her two-stroke buffer heading into the weekend.

Joining her for Saturday and Sunday will be Dubai-based Indian Natalii Gupta who is the sole remaining UAE representative after Alia Al Emadi, Hamda Al Suwaidi and Hannah Cheryl Alan failed to survive the 36-hole cull.

Perhaps the story of Thursday belonged to Vongtaveelap’s compatriot Kan Bunnabodee who fired an eight-under-par 64 to move into the top-10 and equal the lowest round in WAAP history. For the record, Australian Becky Kay established the mark during the first round of the 2019 edition of the WAAP played at the Royal Golf Club in Japan.

“I’m impressed that I could shoot this low score, this is my first time shooting 8-under,” said Bunnabodee, who recorded seven birdies in eight holes, starting at the 4th hole.

Kan Bunnabodee.

“I actually didn’t think about making the lowest score in WAAP or anything. I was just enjoying myself playing golf, making some birdies, and it just kept scoring lower and lower. So it’s pretty nice.”

So too has been Vongtaveelap’s opening 36 holes. She is two clear of Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto and Australian Kelsey Bennett (67) on eight under, with India’s Anika Varma (68), one of only two players in the field not to drop a shot in the first 36 holes, in solo fourth place at seven-under-par 137.

“I was not as nervous as I was in the first round. The first round gave me more confidence and I played very good golf and hit some very good shots during the round,” said Vongtaveelap, who made birdies on the 15th and 18th holes after starting from the 10th, and then added two more on the second and third.

“It was my goal to try and shoot a four-under round today and I am happy I achieved it.”

Natalii Gupta.

Gupta, a nominated player of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), added a three-under-par 69 to her 74 on Wednesday for a one-under total and a tie for 26th.

“It was a good day on the golf course today,” said the 17-year-old.

“I think I had five birdies. I was just trying not to short-side myself and play aggressively to all my lines and just hope for the best. It is a huge honour to be representing the EGF. I’ve lived here in the UAE all my life. It’s incredible to be able to get an opportunity and then make the cut here.”

The halfway cut fell at two-over-par 146 with 51 players from 12 countries making it through to the final two rounds of the championship.

WAAP is one of the most important events on the calendar for players from the Asia-Pacific region, with the champion earning a place in two major championship fields – the AIG Women’s Open and The Amundi Evian Championship -as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.