Hee Ying retains collegiate title in US

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian juniors are continuing to make waves in the United States collegiate golf scene.

This time national No.1 women’s amateur golfer Loy Hee Ying (pic) successfully defended the River Landing Classic crown in North Carolina on Wednesday.

Her victory came a week after Natasha Andrea Oon of San Jose State University won the The Golf Rush tournament in California.

The 22-year-old Hee Ying, of East Tennessee State University, won after topping the 89-player field with a solid first-round score of four-under 68.

The organisers had to reduce the 36-hole tournament at the River Landing Golf Club to just 18 holes due to heavy snow.

Hee Ying won by three strokes ahead of teammate Jenna Burris and Ashleigh Greenham of Rutgers University.

The last time Hee Ying visited the course was in 2017. She shot a career-best 65 in the opening round en route to a five-stroke victory.

She said her familiarity with the course led to her win.

“I always had a good feeling about this course,” said Hee Ying, who now has 15 top-five finish in the US since she joined East Tennessee in 2016.

“I believe I’m a better golfer now than I was two years ago. I just wanted to try and have fun in the cold and windy conditions.”

Hee Ying will now head to the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship from April 3-6.

Hee Ying is one of the 72 world’s best amateur golfers invited for the tournament which will be held at the Augusta National Golf Club, the venue of the US Masters.

She will be up against the likes of 2018 US Women’s Amateur champion Kristen Gillman, the Ladies’ British Open Amateur winner Leonie Harm and Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific winner Atthaya Thitikul.