DUO PROVING AGE IS NO BARRIER AT WOMEN’S AMATEUR ASIA-PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP
With a 44-year age gap between them, Australian veteran Nadene Gole and young Vietnamese prodigy Bao Chau Nguyen are proving that age is no obstacle in golf at the seventh edition of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) Championship.
While 56-year-old Gole boasts a career spanning more than four decades, 12-year-old Nguyen is just beginning her journey in the sport. Their presence at the prestigious Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Hoiana Shores Golf Club, as the oldest and youngest competitors in a field of 95 players, serves as an inspiration to golfers of all generations across the region.
Although neither of the WAAP debutants expects to lift the trophy in this 72-hole stroke play championship, which offers the champion places in three women’s major championships, their inclusion in the elite starting lineup is an achievement in itself.
“I’m thrilled to be here with these amazing young athletes. I have nothing to prove, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity,” said Gole, a former touring professional who dominated women’s senior golf last year.
In 2024, she became the first Australian to win both the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur and the US Senior Women’s Amateur in the same year. This accomplishment propelled her into the top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR), where she became the number one senior golfer.
As a professional, Gole competed in Australia, Japan, and Europe, securing victory at the 1996 Danish Open on the Ladies’ European Tour. She later took a break from the sport to focus on family life but returned as an amateur when her children reached their twenties, quickly making a name for herself in senior championships across Australia and Asia.
“I’m a strong believer that golf is a game for life – the friendships, the travel, and the physical benefits make it special. This week will be a challenge because the course is 10 to 15 percent longer than what I’m used to. I’m having to hit woods where others are using irons, but making the cut would be a huge achievement,” Gole added.
On the other end of the spectrum, Nguyen’s golfing journey is just taking off. She picked up the sport in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing with her father and brother in their garden. Since then, her talent has flourished, leading to two victories and five top-ten finishes in WAGR events in 2024, along with a 20th-place finish at the Malaysian Women’s Amateur Open.
“I feel proud, happy, and a little nervous to be here this week,” said Nguyen, who, with limited international experience, relied on her teammate Viet Gia Han Nguyen as a translator for her first-ever media interview.
Ranked 710th in the WAGR and third among the six Vietnamese players in the tournament, Nguyen’s strongest asset is her driving, averaging 220 yards off the tee. However, she acknowledges that her short game needs refinement. She believes that two rounds under 75 will be necessary to make the cut.
Gia Han Nguyen, 14, understands the challenges her young compatriot faces. In 2022, at just 11 years old, she became the youngest competitor in the Vietnam National Championship. Now ranked 368th in the WAGR, her standout performance was a fourth-place finish at last year’s APGC Junior Girls Championship.
“She has incredible ball-striking ability and so much talent, but she lacks tournament experience. Sometimes she needs better strategy and course management,” said Gia Han Nguyen.
Despite being at different stages of their careers, both Gole and Nguyen share admiration for the Hoiana Shores Golf Club, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.
“It’s a spectacular and challenging course, especially when the wind picks up,” said Nguyen, who played a couple of practice rounds before the tournament, unlike Gole, who saw the layout for the first time this week.
The WAAP is designed to inspire future generations of women golfers, offering the champion life-changing opportunities with exemptions into three major championships: the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship, and the Chevron Championship. The winner will also receive invitations to prestigious events such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, ISPS Handa Australian Open, The 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship, and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Read More
The R&A and APGC, with the support of championship event partners, continue to advance women’s golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship is proudly backed by Rolex, ISPS Handa, Hoiana Shores Golf Club, Samsung, Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, New World Hoiana Hotel, Peter Millar, G Link Logistics, and Titleist.
