KUCHING (July 9): Golfing sensation Mirabel Ting Ern Hui will be playing for a higher purpose when she makes her professional debut in the fourth women’s major of the year, the Amundi Evian Championship, which starts tomorrow (Thursday) at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.

The highly-rated Mirabel earned her place in the US$8 million (RM34 million) showpiece as the 2025 recipient of the Annika Award presented by Stifel, given annually to the leading female golfer on the US collegiate circuit.

The 19-year-old from Miri ended her time in the amateur ranks with a superb junior year at Florida State University, racking up five individual titles and soaring up to second place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

“I’m definitely excited to make my professional debut and play in my first major. I think I’m playing for something bigger than myself this week.

“My dad, my grandma, and recently my grandpa passed away, so I’m playing for them. I feel like whatever results I achieve, whether I miss the cut or make the cut, it doesn’t really matter.

“It’s more about honouring all three of them. Regardless of the result, I think they’ll be proud of me,” shared Mirabel.

Having got in 27 holes of practice at the picturesque Evian Resort course, she noted that finding the fairway off the tee is of paramount importance.

“And a few putts dropping here and there would help! On the par-threes, the water’s in play and they’re long, and we have a lot of shots going into the par-fours that are like 180 yards. So just getting it on the green and making pars on this golf course would be great.

“The greens are really true and the putts can be fast or slow, depending on where the water is going and where the mountain is,” explained Mirabel.

This will be Ting’s second start in an LPGA Tour event, following last year’s Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club when she finished as leading Malaysian in joint 12th position.

Mirabel will be joined at Evian Resort by Malaysian amateur Jeneath Wong, who got into the field courtesy of her victory at the prestigious Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Vietnam earlier this year.

A senior at Pepperdine University in the United States, Jeneath will be keen on a good showing having failed to progress past the halfway stage in her two previous major starts at the 2023 US Women’s Open and the 2025 Chevron Championship.

Amundi Evian Championship lead Mirabel Ting Ern Hui