WOMEN'S AMATEUR ASIA-PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP

February 11, 2026

Rianne Malixi

Jeneath Wong

Soomin Oh

Shiyuan Zhou

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific. I'm just going to introduce our players up at the front and then we'll ask them general questions about being at the championship and then throw it open to the floor. Obviously might need some translation for some of the answers, so just use our translators on the floor as well.

On the far right, I would like to welcome Shiyuan Zhou from China; next to her is Soomin Oh from Korea; of course welcome back to our defending champion from Malaysia, Jeneath Wong; and she's just come back from her practice round after a long practice rounds, Rianne Malixi from the Philippines.

And perhaps we'll go from my left and answer along. I guess, yeah, tell the audience and the press here today what it's like to be here for the championship, Rianne.

RIANNE MALIXI: Well, it's always been an honor to play Asia Pacific. I've been here playing since I was like 13 or 14, so I feels like my childhood. I have always looked forward to playing this championship. A lot of familiar faces, new faces. And it's growing, so I'm really happy.

Q. Jeneath, I imagine special to come back as the defending champion. What's it like?

JENEATH WONG: I'm obviously very, very grateful to be here as the defending champion. As well as this country being quite close to home, it's only like a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Australia, so my family is here, which I'm very grateful for. I'm looking forward for this week.

Q. Soomin, either English or Korean.

SOOMIN OH: (Through translation.) It is my third time for playing in this event. I have very good memories past two years, and I'm expecting to be another -- making another good memories this year, too.

I will do my best.

Q. And down the end there, Shiyuan, what's it like to be here in New Zealand playing? It's your first time.

SHIYUAN ZHOU: My team and I really happy and excited we get to come here. We love the weather. It's really nice and we love the course. It has strong windy, it has strong wind, and we're really enjoy it here.

Q. Welcome. Great to have you all here. Rianne, you obviously had some great memories from this tournament; shot a 63 one year at Siam Country Club; came close to winning. Obviously last year was a huge disappointment. Can you talk about some of the highs and lows and how you've recovered from the injury problem you had last year?

RIANNE MALIXI: Well, there is definitely a lot of lows last year. I think I've only played well in two events in the 2025 season, and then I did a lot of recuperation, recovery stuff, therapy in Australia, meeting with my biomechanist, like my PT.

Then I started getting physically stronger, being able to be like more stabilized with my back, but I wasn't playing as well, so that was very frustrating.

And then I didn't really play as great until like last month, so, yeah, it's been a struggle, but it's a learning curve for me.

Q. Tell us a little bit about what the injury was and particularly I know you played three or four holes and you...

RIANNE MALIXI: Well, yeah, I came from playing an Asian Tour event, being the lone woman in the men's field, so I did push myself to hit it further. I was hitting 400 balls a day on mats and it kind of like, I don't know, it was like a snowball effect on my back.

It was already hurting during the 2025 WAAP. Then I just heard a big pop on like the first hole but I kept on playing. I kind of like gave up on the 4th or 5th hole because it was too painful to for me to swing. Yeah, that's what happened.

Q. Are you managing your workload now?

RIANNE MALIXI: Well, I'm being smarter about it, being more efficient rather than just whacking balls on the range. Trying to focus for on (indiscernible) game and more on movement actually.

Q. Jeneath, how does it feel to be back at defending champion with a chance to become the first person ever to win this title twice and defend their title?

JENEATH WONG: It's very exciting. I'm happy to be back here and also playing at a really nice course with great weather. Looking forward for the challenge, too.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with Eunseo? I know you played together at Pepperdine. How is it going to be playing with her tomorrow?

JENEATH WONG: Yeah, we're teammates at Pepperdine University, so be really cool to play with her again tomorrow. I played with her at Singapore at the WATC a few months ago.

Q. Soomin, you were so close to winning last year. You played with Janet. Tell us how you're feeling coming into this event, about your confidence level and what your plans are after this week.

SOOMIN OH: (Through translation.) A little bit sad about missing the win last year, and, yeah, playing Janet again tomorrow, I don't -- I will not feel -- will compete, feel like a friendship and will not be greedy and just enjoying it and just will come.

Q. Shiyuan, we've never had a winner from China. What would it mean to you and China to be the first one to win this tournament?

SHIYUAN ZHOU: I think I don't want think too much and just do what I need to do and to think about more about the wind in the course because it's really hard. Yeah, just do what I need to do.

Q. Can you tell us what your plans are for the rest of the year after this tournament?

SHIYUAN ZHOU: I think I will turn pro after this week, yeah. (Smiling.) Hope I enjoy it.

Q. One more from me. We asked the New Zealand girls before, can each of you tell us one hole that you think will be the most difficult hole out on the course or most difficult hole...

RIANNE MALIXI: I think I really like the closing hole because it's a par-5 and it's a really big green. I think anything can happen on that hole.

I think -- I don't think you can underestimate that hole.

JENEATH WONG: I think hole 5 is pretty hard. The green narrows up as you go back, so missing left and right would be bad, so, yeah.

SOOMIN OH: (Through translation.) I don't think I can tell you which hole (No microphone.)

Q. Fair enough. Shiyuan?

SHIYUAN ZHOU: I think hole No. 5 is difficult because a lot of strong into wind, yeah. And the green is really hard.

Q. (No microphone.)

SHIYUAN ZHOU: I think No. 7. No. 7 hole, yeah, because it's short but it's really hard, yeah. I remember that.

Q. I've got one for Rianne and Jeneath. Tell us about maybe hitting up on each other in the practice round today. Something going on there?

RIANNE MALIXI: Just business. What was it? It was hole 10 and I had like 250 yards to like the greenside bunker so I decided to like hit the driver because I knew I just wouldn't reach it.

Then I trapped it and it was totally pure, and then it just kept on rolling and then I just, oh, my, I shouldn't have hit it, and then it just rolled onto the green.

JENEATH WONG: I actually didn't see it. Was like, oh, my God, there is a ball rolling up here. Oh, must be Rianne's. Looked back and...

RIANNE MALIXI: I kept on saying sorry.

Q. You have played in three major tournaments last year. What was your best memory?

JENEATH WONG: Probably just playing with the top players in the world. I was able to play the last round of the AIG with Yani Tseng. She used to be my idol when I was really young, so it was really cool to be next to her during that time.

Q. What did you learn from playing with Yani?

JENEATH WONG: How cool that she made a comeback. Like changing her putting to left-handed and winning an LET event was just so cool, and I talked to her about it.

Q. How would you compare your game now to when you won this event last year?

JENEATH WONG: I think now I'm a lot stronger. I've gained a couple more like meters, so I think it will benefit me hitting into the greens with a little bit shorter irons and drivers.

Q. Rianne, given what happened last year, how special would it be if you were to win this event this year coming back from last year?

RIANNE MALIXI: To be very blunt, that would be the greatest comeback, at least as far as my amateur career. I know it's quite a reach to achieve that, but anything is possible and I'm willing to put in the hard work for this week.

Q. Is it just exciting to be here and healthy and knowing that...

RIANNE MALIXI: Yes, uh-huh.

Q. Just a quick one for Jeneath. Tell us about the trophy photo that you had earlier yesterday morning, how you enjoyed that.

JENEATH WONG: Oh, yeah, we got there quite early. We were stuck in traffic for like an hour. We reached there and it was really cold but then it started to warm up, so it was really fun.

Q. Tell us where you went and what the experience was like down on the waterfront I think.

JENEATH WONG: Yeah, not too sure of where but I think it was the Wellington (indiscernible) or something. We were there to take the picture with Wellington sign. And then after we went to the cable car, which was really cool. Pretended to like drive it.

Q. They didn't let you drive it?

JENEATH WONG: No.

Q. Janet and Rianne, millions of people watching this all over the world. A lot of women who will be inspired by you guys. What advice would you have particularly when they see your stature, being able to hit the ball far and getting it up in the air and enjoying themselves on the golf course?

RIANNE MALIXI: I would just say we're just human and we just work exceptionally hard. There are always like a lot of lows compared to highs and it's just a matter of like how we react to the struggle.

We'll always find a positive in everything. I think that's one of the things I can tell to all the people watching.

JENEATH WONG: Yeah, same thing. With our stature we probably have to work a bit harder to gain a bit of distance and all that, but we can work on our short game to get that better and have easier putts in.

But I think that anything is possible. Even if you're small, like we can still try to like make it work.

Q. (Question for Soomin. ) How do you manage your pressure?

SOOMIN OH: (Through translation.) (No microphone.) Nervous, and sometimes try to make simple if I can and try to focus on my game. (No microphone.)

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much players, appreciate your time.