By Alexander Dabb

The team for the annual Queen Sirikit Cup has been announced, with Kirsten Rudgeley (WA), Kelsey Bennett (NSW) and Caitlin Peirce (SA) set to represent Australia at the Laguna National Country Club in Singapore from May 23-27.

Selections for the Asia-Pacific’s premier amateur team championship for women were made based on a number of aspects, including the World Amateur Golf Rankings, as well as recent performances.

The 42nd edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Indonesia in 2020, although travel restrictions and compulsory quarantine measures as a result of the pandemic saw the tournament initially postponed, before being moved to Singapore for 2022.

Golf Australia’s General Manager – High Performance Brad James is delighted that some of the country’s top amateurs are competing overseas again.

“Kirsten, Kelsey and Caitlin have all performed exceptionally well across the amateur circuit and the WPGA Tour of Australasia in recent times, and this opportunity is another great step in their development.

“Kirsten and Caitlin recently received the Karrie Webb Scholarship for their outstanding efforts as our top-ranked amateur and the winner of the Karrie Webb Series respectively, while Kelsey has matched it with the pros this summer and proven herself at amateur level internationally as the runner-up at last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.”

The selection represents the first appearance for each of the girls at the Queen Sirikit Cup, and James believes the national team format will favour their chances.

“I know each of them are proud to represent Australia and looking forward to working together as a team. They have a really good rapport and know each other well from previous Golf Australia development trips and seeing each other week in week out at tournaments. I’m sure this event will bring out the best in them and they will compete strongly for the title.”

The trio have notched up some impressive results of late, with Kirsten Rudgeley winning both the English Women’s Amateur Championship and Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Championship in 2021, as well as a top ten at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this year.

Caitlin Peirce’s selection comes off the back of a strong showing in the past six months, taking the title at the Tasmanian Amateur Championship in November, before dominating both the Tasmanian Open Championship in February and the Rene Erichsen Salver this March.

An impressively consistent Kelsey Bennett won the Port Phillip Open Amateur and Victorian Amateur in December and has recorded a third-place finish at both the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship and the NSW Amateur, as well as top ten finishes at TPS Hunter Valley and Rene Erichsen Salver so far this year.

The Queen Sirikit Cup has been dominated in recent history by South Korea, having won 12 of the past 13 editions, with an Australian team featuring Minjee Lee and Su Oh last taking the honours in 2013.