Singapore’s Ng Wei Jun and Justin Kuk determined to enjoy a strong showing at 17th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in NZ

This year, he has enjoyed three top-five finishes, including a third-place finish in the Singapore National Amateur Championship. It has been a rewarding amateur journey for Ng since the days when he attended the Asia-Pacific Amateur as a fan when Singapore hosted the event in 2018.

“Ever since my first experience back in 2018, competing and contending in this tournament has been a dream goal of mine,” he said. “Earning the right to represent Singapore means the world to me. It validates all the early mornings, the sacrifices and the hard work I’ve put in alongside my coaches and the Singapore Golf Association. I want to go out there, give it my all and make Singapore proud.”

The 25-year-old Kuk will savour a third appearance at Te Arai Links, a stunning links-style venue that consistently ranks among the top 100 courses in the world and features 16 ocean-view holes overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

He finished T33 on his debut in 2021 but missed the cut in Dubai last year. However, lifting a first international title at the Vietnam Amateur Open in July has injected a fresh dose of confidence as he prepares for the trip to New Zealand.

“It was definitely a big confidence boost,” Kuk said of his Vietnamese breakthrough.

“I had a difficult start to the year after suffering from appendicitis, which resulted in two surgeries and a month-long stay in hospital. I was out of competition for the first half of the year, so winning the Vietnam Amateur Open was a little unexpected, especially as it was my first overseas competition since recovering.

“The win gave me a lot of confidence that my game is heading in the right direction. More importantly, it showed that the work I’ve been putting in during my recovery is starting to translate into my performances. I’m really excited to keep building on that and continue improving,” added Kuk, who was the 2025 Singapore Amateur champion.

A total of 117 players from 40 APGC member organisations have been confirmed to date for the 120-player field at the Championship.

A total of 117 players from 40 APGC member organisations to date have been confirmed for the 120-man field at the Championship. The field is highlighted by eight players inside the top 60 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Harry Takis of Australia (No. 17), Zackary Swanwick of New Zealand (No. 19), reigning champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand (No. 29), Nguyen Anh Minh of Vietnam (No. 30), Josh Duangmanee of Thailand (No. 41), 2024 runner-up Ziqin Zhou of China (No. 46), Taishi Moto of Japan (No. 49) and Jaden Dumdumaya of the Philippines (No. 51). Representatives from five countries have claimed titles at the Asia-Pacific Amateur, including China (five), Australia (four), Japan (four), the Republic of Korea (two) and Thailand (one).

Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and 2026 Open champion Ryan Fox. Over the Championship’s 16-year history, the event has served as a springboard for some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, 2018 champion Takumi Kanaya and 2021 champion Keita Nakajima of Japan; Smith, Cameron Davis and Min Woo Lee of Australia; New Zealand’s Fox; the Republic of Korea’s Si Woo Kim; and Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan.