: UAE golfer Hamda Al Suwaidi in action during the first round of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap opened a two-shot lead after the first round of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship (WAAP) at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course, following a brilliant six-under-par 66 that featured seven birdies.

Vongtaveelap is two ahead of a group of three players from three different countries – Chun-Wei Wu of Chinese Taipei, Mizuki Hashimoto of Japan and Viera Permata Rosada of Indonesia — tied in second place at four-under-par 68, with eight players one shot further back tied for fifth, including Korea’s Youmin Hwang, the highest-ranked player in the field at number four.

“I was very nervous at the beginning. My heart felt like it would jump out of my body. But I somehow managed to calm myself down by thinking that I can do it,” said Vongtaveelap, who is called ‘Sim’ by her friends.

UAE golfer Hamda Al Suwaidi had the honour of hitting the first tee shot of the championship. She said: “It was a lot of pressure and I was nervous but I was also honoured to represent the UAE. I hit the first shot and it went well.

“It's a big opportunity for us to play against the best amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region. I learned a lot from this round and the practice sessions. It was such a good experience for me and of course for the rest of the UAE team.”