Distance travelled is a common topic at this week’s Ford Women’s NSW Open, and understandably so with the high number of international players due to co-sanctioning by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and Ladies European Tour (LET).

With most of the LET contingent at Wollongong Golf Club already in Australia for the past two weeks of what was a planned three week swing, the jet lag has largely settled, but for Malaysia’s Ashley Lau that certainly isn’t the case.

Celebrating her 25th birthday on Tuesday, the Olympian marked the occasion by landing in Sydney at 9:30am and undertaking the hour plus drive south of the harbour city after a marathon journey and share of 58th at last week’s Epson Tour event in Florida.

“Actually, my Florida flight got delayed. There was a storm,” Lau, who is chasing a second state Open in Australia, said. “So maybe I would say 26 to 27 hours.”

Last week’s event was her third in a row in America, and part of Lau’s 2025 travel itinerary that could make your neck stiff just thinking of the time spent in planes and various hotel beds.

Starting her year at the Webex Players Series Perth, Lau continued to play the Series which pits men against women for one prize, netting a tie for seventh at Rosebud and a share of fifth on the Murray River. From there she admirably defended her Vic Open crown with a tie for fourth before teeing it up on the LET in Saudi Arabia and on to Florida.

The motivation to make another long haul journey before some well-deserved time off a simple one.

“We have a five week break on Epson, so I figured this one I could do because last year I missed it,” she said.

“I mean, I've always loved coming back to Australia and playing here. So yeah, that was a big decision for me to make.

“I think it's more just being familiar with my environment here and I don't know, every time I come back I just feel like I'm coming back to my second home.”

Beyond her playing success in Australia, Lau’s comfort level was formed when completing year 11 and 12 at Hills International School in Queensland, the same golfing nursery that has helped produce the likes of Jason Day, Adam Scott, Anthony Quayle and countless others.

The familiarity with Australian weather and playing conditions, as well as her fellow WPGA members, holding Lau in good stead as she returns to the Illawarra region despite having few memories of her last competitive start in the area in 2017.

Played at nearby Port Kembla Golf Club, and won by Grace Kim, Lau is one of nine players who will tee it up this week that contested that year’s Australian Junior Girls Amateur, while a handful were part of the 2022 NSW Amateur held partly at this week’s host venue.

Lau’s share of 12th in 2017 at the close by and similarly windswept Port Kembla hopefully a good omen, before the flag bearer for Malaysia at the Paris 2024 Olympic closing ceremony takes some time off in her actual home.

“I walked, played the course yesterday, but I was pretty out of it. My energy level was probably a two out of 10,” Lau, who will head to Malaysia next week to see her parents and have some troublesome wisdom teeth removed, said.

“Just not really any high expectations, but honestly I just wanted to have fun and obviously different Tour for me … I think just different people and just I guess no expectations and really just want to have fun out here. And obviously it being my birthday week as well, everything's coming down to the right place.”

Lau’s birthday just one being celebrated as part the Golf NSW showpiece women’s event, with Cholcheva Wongrass turning 18 on Thursday’s first round.

The final two rounds of the Ford Women’s NSW Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

The Ford Women's NSW Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.