Amateurs for Amata: promising youngsters called up by both teams
With just under two months until the inaugural Amata Friendship Cup, both Team Thailand and Team Japan are making their final additions to their line-ups for this highly anticipated event.
Both teams now boast world-class rosters, with their eagerly awaited amateur and promise a dramatic event at the Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok from December 21 to 23.
Team Thailand’s captains, Boonchu Ruangkit and Virada Nirapathpongporn, who recently added Prom Meesawat, Jazz Janewattananond and LPGA Tour star Thidapa Suwannapura to their outstanding roster, have now added amateur protege Sadom Kaewkanjana to their team.
Team Japan’s captains, Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki and Miho Koga, have bolstered their team by announcing JLPGA Tour stars Erika Hara and Mami Fukuda alongside male amateur, Yuto Katsuragawa. The trio add further strength to a team which already boasts PGA Tour winner Satoshi Kodaira, European Tour star Hideto Tanihara, LPGA Tour winner Nasa Hataoka and stars of the JGTO, such as Kodai Ichihara and Masahiro Kawamura.
The addition of the male amateurs into the teams further underlines the unique concept of the tournament, which not only pits males and females alongside each other, but also professionals and amateurs.
Sadom and Katsuragawa, as the male amateurs on either team, join Atthaya Thitikul and Yuri Yoshida who have been named as the female amateurs. Despite still playing as amateurs, all four players have international experience and have already tasted success in their careers.
