WOMEN'S AMATEUR ASIA-PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP

March 7, 2025

Margaret Lavaki

Quick Quotes

Q. Margaret, you just finished your first Women's Amateur Asia Pacific Championship. Tell us about your experience this week.

MARGARET LAVAKI: I went through a lot this week, firstly, just to get here. And the course itself, it's very difficult for me. And it's a great experience for myself, you know, for someone to come that far.

And I did my best, yeah, so it's a great experience for me and look forward to seeing next year.

Q. Yeah. That's what this tournament is all about. It's providing those championship experiences, international experiences. This is a very different course to Royal Port Moresby, as well.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, very different.

Q. Not a lot of the wind getting around Royal Port Moresby.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Not really.

Q. Have you spoken to anybody back home during the week?

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, I have. I've spoken to my family, my husband, and my kids especially, and some of my family friends back home. Very supportive. I'm very grateful for them, yeah.

Q. I'm sure they're super proud of you.

MARGARET LAVAKI: They are.

Q. Must be to go back to PNG with all this experience; excellent for your own golf now as well.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, thank you, yes.

Q. What's next for you? Any tournaments coming up?

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, we got a couple of tournament back home in PNG. We got the national title and some other tournaments around, so I'm looking forward to that.

Q. Tell us something about yourself, how you pick up golf and why you love the game so much.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Well, like I said earlier with my first interview, I was introduced to golf by my dad.

I'm sorry, I lost my dad, so...

Q. That's okay.

MARGARET LAVAKI: ...be here with me supporting. Yeah, well, my dad was -- he was playing golf and I was following him around, and then suddenly I got into the sport, fell in love with it. So I grew up playing golf all my life, yeah.

Q. And tell us a bit about golf in PNG, how many golfers there are.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, we got a good program coming up helping new golfers. Yeah, got a good program. And also with the PNGGA we got a good support. So, yeah. Thanks to them.

Q. It's cool to see the sport growing, but also sport in general in PNG; the Rugby League team is going to come there as well.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes.

Q. It's becoming an international presences.

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes.

Q. Cool to be a part of that?

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, it's cool to be a part of that. Thank you.

Q. Yeah. First time in Vietnam?

MARGARET LAVAKI: Yes, it's my first time.

Q. What do you like about Vietnam, what you've seen so far, the food?

MARGARET LAVAKI: Oh, the food is beautiful of course, and the place. The people are very friendly. Yeah, the hospitality. Thank you very much.

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