Jamie Camero Aims For Precision As UAE's Sole Hope At Asia-Pacific Championship

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Jamie Camero will represent the UAE in this week's Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP), to be held at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand, with the Dubai-born golfer drawing on positive memories of the event and placing a clear focus on accuracy from the tee as part of her game plan.

The 72-hole tournament, which will be held from Thursday, February 12 to 15, is being staged for the eighth time since its establishment in 2018 and will feature 84 players from 25 Asia-Pacific nations.

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The championship has already proved a stepping-stone to stardom for the likes of Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul and Patty Tavatanakit, Japan's Yuka Saso, and Australia's Grace Kim, and will once again showcase the region's future stars.

Much of the attention at Royal Wellington will focus on Malaysia's Jeneath Wong, who will be bidding not only to become the first player to successfully defend the WAAP title, but also the first to win the championship twice.

Wong, a senior at Pepperdine University in California, said, 'It's quite surreal being the defending champion. I've had so many memories come rushing back to me from my win last year. Time has flown by so quickly, but I'm so excited to be back.

Incredible year

'I had such an incredible year with the opportunity to play in the Majors. I learned so much playing alongside the professionals. To have that chance again would be amazing, so it's definitely on my mind to try and defend, but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.'

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to nurture talent and provide a pathway for the region's elite women amateurs onto the international stage, with significant rewards on offer.

The champion will earn exemptions into three major championships in 2026: the AIG Women's Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the Amundi Evian Championship in France, and the Chevron Championship in the United States.

Amazing memories

Camero commented:“It is good to be here, I have amazing memories of this event that I played before in 2024 in Thailand.

“It is an impressive tournament played over a very good golf course. I will be focusing on my tee shots, which will be a priority strategy for me. Around the greens is also important with plenty of undulations on the putting surfaces.'

'I have been inspired by the performance of the UAE boys when they competed in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) so well last year in Dubai at Emirates Golf Club. We all play in different events that are not usually at the same time, but we do support each other in the UAE National Team system.'

Born in Dubai, Camero is currently studying at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the United States, where she began her collegiate career in 2024.

She has dominated the local UAE golf scene, winning numerous Emirates Golf Federation amateur events, and has represented the UAE in many regional and international tournaments.

Camero is the only UAE player competing this week. For further information, visit:

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