Avani is the best-ranked on the WAGR at 79th
16-year-old Avani Prashanth, is poised to make history as the first player from India selected to represent the Asia-Pacific Ladies team in the Ryder Cup-style match play event, the Patsy Hankins Trophy 2023. This prestigious tournament pits the 12 leading female amateurs from the Asia-Pacific against their European counterparts, and Prashanth’s inclusion reflects her standing as one of the top golfers in the region following her unprecedented 10 stroke individual victory at the Asia Pacific Amateur Team Championship ( Queen Sirikit Cup) in Manila in March 2023.
The Asia Pac v Europe match will take place at La Manga, Spain from August 3-5. Having emerged victorious in Portugal in 2016 and Qatar in 2018, the Asia-Pacific Ladies team will be hoping to continue their winning ways in Spain.
Major champions Yuka Saso of Japan and Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit, as well as Thai Atthaya Thitikul, who rose to number one in the Rolex Women’s World Ranking last year, were all part of the 2018 team.
Prashanth is currently ranked 79th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), impressive for an Indian golfer, and last week finished 39th in the Amundi German Masters, a Ladies European Tour professional event.
Along with the Ladies event, the same format will apply for the Asia-Pac and European men’s teams in La Manga for the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy, where India Golf Weekly’s Editor Rishi Narain will be the non playing captain, again the first time this honour has been given to any Indian.
Credits:-
Photo – LET APGC