Amateur golfer Winnie Ng Yu Xuan is eagerly anticipating her first appearance on the 2024 season of the Toyota Tour in August, following her consecutive victories at the Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open (MLAO) and the Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC) Ladies Amateur Open in July.
The University of Missouri graduate student will join the professional field as an amateur for the eighth event on the 2024 Toyota Tour, which tees off next week at Palm Resort Golf & Country Club.
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2024, Ng plans to compete in events within Malaysia and potentially across Asia.
"My goal was set on playing professionally after I get a touring card locally and in Asia. But it was best for me to get a great momentum before that and compete in amateur events first to see where I stand," said the 23-year-old.
Ng’s collegiate journey includes four years at the University of Washington, where she earned a double major in Communication and Comparative History of Ideas, followed by a year at the University of Missouri for her graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management.
Returning to Malaysia after her memorable student-athlete experience, Ng reflects on how these experiences have shaped her perspective both on and off the golf course.
"It has been amazing. Super grateful for both opportunities and friends. Both programs were unique, and I learned lots of lessons outside of golf that shape the way I view the world today. I enjoyed competing and traveling with my teammates and also learning and growing with them," she shared.
In preparation for her recent tournaments, Ng worked closely with her mental coach, Koe Lai Yin, to set weekly goals and reflect on her progress.
"I have been working on my mental game with Coach Lai Yin to set goals for the week and also reflect on my progress and past events. Mostly learning from the past events I played before these two, and I was glad that it turned out to be in my favor," she said.
Ng’s back-to-back wins are particularly meaningful to her, especially given her history with these events.
"It is very special to me, especially since I have dreamt of winning MLAO since I was young. Being back at RSGC just made me feel great to meet the people and members. These two events were so supportive of the players and were run successfully. Unexpected, but I’m glad it happened! I haven’t won since last summer," she noted.