Trailblazers Take Four Medals at Atlanta Slam, Make Moves in Pro Divisions

The UPA Asia Trailblazers continued their USA campaign, stepping up to take on the Atlanta Slam and coming away with four podium appearances in the 5.0 skill divisions. Staged from May 12 to 18, the tournament marked their second PPA Tour stop and a significant jump in competition from their Baton Rouge Challenger debut.

With over 1,500 entries and 2,000 Carvana PPA Tour points at stake, the Slam tested the Asian contingent against tough opposition at one of the tour’s most iconic and premier events.

Vietnam’s Ken Tam continued her medal streak with gold in the 5.0 Women’s Singles, adding to her impressive Baton Rouge haul where she reached the Pro Women’s Singles final. Malaysia’s Jimmy Liong meanwhile came out ahead in the bronze medal showdown, reaching the podium in the 5.0 Men’s Singles. In the Mixed Doubles, China’s Yufei Long and Korea’s Kim Eunggwon combined for gold in the 5.0 division, with Vietnam’s Sophia Tran partnering up with Liong to secure bronze.

The Trailblazers also made their mark in the pro divisions. Long and Chinese Taipei’s Jamie Wei reached the round of 32 in Pro Women’s Doubles, with Tam and Tran fighting through qualifying to the main draw. Pro Mixed Doubles also provided a highlight as Wei and Kim emerged from qualifying and won their first main draw match to advance to the round of 64.

Pro Women’s Singles was also a happy hunting ground, as Long, Tam, and Wei all broke through to the main draw.

The UPA Asia Trailblazers program features 12 athletes from the region undertaking a three-month USA training block. They’ll next compete at the Orange County Cup from June 16-22 before eventually returning to Asia for the inaugural PPA Tour Asia season.

The first-ever PPA Tour Asia event – the Panas Malaysia Open – is set to run from July 3-6, 2025. Registration is now open.