Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul says she is excited that the third edition of the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific (WAAP) will take place on home soil.
The R&A announced yesterday that the WAAP, supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, will be held at Siam Country Club, Pattaya, from Feb 12-15.
The 16-year-old, who won the inaugural edition in Singapore last year, said: "I am so excited to play the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific in my home of Thailand. I hope people come to support the event in Pattaya."
The Ratchaburi native will try to win another title in Pattaya, having been crowned champion at the European Ladies Thailand Championship in the resort town in 2017 and in June this year.
The WAAP champion will receive an invitation to play with the world's best golfers at the Women's British Open, the Evian Championship, the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship and the Honda LPGA Thailand, which will be played the following week at Siam Country Club.
Thailand has firmly established itself on the golfing map in recent years with sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn storming up the world rankings and the former also becoming Thailand's first major champion at the 2016 Women's British Open.
In men's events, Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat have become regular winners, especially on the European Tour.
The WAAP has been developed by the R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to unearth developing talent and provide a pathway for Asia's elite female amateurs to emerge on the international stage.
It has already established itself as the most significant women's amateur golf tournament in the region.
"We are delighted to be playing the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific at Siam Country Club, particularly as Thailand is home to our inaugural champion Attaya Thitikul," said R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers.
"The WAAP continues to grow each year and has developed into the most prominent women's amateur championship in the Asia-Pacific region. The R&A is totally committed to growing the women's game and we believe providing elite competition and pathways is an integral step in achieving our goals.
"We look forward to another wonderful Championship in 2020 and to watching the continued evolution of our past WAAP champions and competitors as they progress in their careers."
This year, the field comprised 80 players from 19 countries across Asia-Pacific with Japan's Yuka Yasuda winning on home soil.
Atthaya and Yasuda are playing at the ongoing Women's British Open.