Yasuda shows she’s the boss on home ground by ruling WAPP.

HOKOTA (Japan): There were loud cheers all around the gallery as Yuka Yasuda produced a final flourish to lift the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship (WAAP) title by eight shots.

The 18-year-old from Kobe led the final round for the first time in a tournament and she never faltered at The Royal Golf Club yesterday.

After making a birdie on the opening hole, Yasuda continued her fine form in the next 17 holes and finished with a bogey-free seven-under 65 to seal the championship win on 11-under 277.

Defending champion Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand (71) settled for a runner-up finish at three-under while South Korean duo Ye Won-lee (70) and Yae Eun-hong (73) were third and fourth respectively.

“Honestly, I was not expecting to win the championship. But so many people came out today, they cheered and motivated me and I’m happy that I could play some good golf,” said Yasuda, ranked 13th in the world amateur rankings.

“This is such a huge win for me. I’m trying to become a professional golfer and I’m sure this is going to open many doors for me in the future.

“I’ll have the opportunity to play two major championships with this win (the AIG Women’s British Open and the Evian Championship in France) later this year.

“I’m so excited about getting this experience.”

Two shots behind the leaders after a bogey on the 14th hole on Saturday, Yasuda finished with one eagle and three birdies to grab sole possession of the lead by two strokes at the end of the third round.

She increased that advantage to six shots with four birdies in her first five holes yesterday.

“I think the start today was more critical because it helped me settle down,” she added.

World No. 9 Thitikul, the highest ranked player in the field, started with a birdie but then three-putted for a bogey on the second.

She played solid golf after that but could not raise her game to put any kind of pressure on Yasuda.

“I played okay. I missed some birdie putts but Yasuda played such a solid round and she showed me a great performance,” said Thitikul, tipping her hat to the champion.

“I’m happy. I came in as the defending champion and I enjoyed being here. We played in some very tough conditions and that was a great learning experience for me.”