Golf: Mannat positive ahead of Asia Pacific Amateurs in Vietnam

Da Nang (Vietnam), March 4: Mannat Brar heads the six-member Indian challenge at the 2025 Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Golf Championships, the region's elite competition for amateurs. The 17-year-old Mannat, who is the reigning All India Ladies champion, hit the spotlight by becoming the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the R&A Girls last year in Yorkshire.

The other five players in the Indian Golf Union's squad are Zara Anand, Saanvi Somu, Heena Kang, Kashika Misra and Guntas Kaur Sandhu, all of whom have done well on the domestic IGU circuit.

Of the six, Mannat with three previous starts at the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP) is the most experienced, while Saanvi Somu and Heena Kang were part of the Indian team last year in Thailand. Saanvi made the cut on her debut.

Mannat, who was third last week while playing in a pro event in India, said, "I have had a good year in 2024 and also in early 2025. Hopefully I can do better in WAAP also. I want to stay as an amateur and experience some of the best courses in the world, before turning pro. I have played pro events in India and done well, and I will turn pro, but maybe after a couple of years."

"The Hoiana Shores course in Da Nang is amazing and world-class. I heard it is the first big championships here, so it will be exciting. The WAAP is easily the best events we in Asia get to play and the incentives are fantastic with starts at some of the Majors," added Mannat, who, however, missed the cut at the elite in her previous starts.

The Indian team also has three WAAP debutants, with Zara Anand, who was a semi-finalist at the 2024 All India Ladies and a finalist the year before in 2023, as the best ranked. She is just outside 400th in the world and right behind Mannat Brar in world rankings.

Of the other two, Kashika Misra achieved one of her best results, winning the Northern India ladies late last year, where she finished ahead of Mannat Brar. Guntas Kaur Sandhu won the Maharashtra Ladies in a strong field that had Zara, Heena and Mannat.

The best Indian result at the WAAP was T-9 by Anika Varma in 2021 and last year Avani Prashanth was T-10. Avani has since turned professional.

Interestingly, most of the Indian amateur girls have also had a taste of pro competitions at the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour in India. Saanvi has finished runner-up no less than four times, while Mannat, Zara and Heena have also produced good results.