RELEASED: 25 Feb 2024 at 20:33
CHON BURI: Roared on by her adoring fans, Patty Tavatanakit made a gutsy final-hole birdie to compose her name into Honda LPGA Thailand folklore.
7 days after declaring her maiden Ladies European Trip title in Saudi Arabia, the 24-year-old eked out a remarkable one-stroke triumph in the US$ 1.7 million LPGA Trip display at Siam Nation Club.
3 shots clear of the field at the start of the last round, Patty closed with a five-under-par 67 over the Old Course to end up being just the 2nd home winner in the Honda LPGA Thailand’s 17-year history.
” This is a dream become a reality, to win in my home nation and in front of my moms and dads,” stated a psychological Patty, after publishing a 72-hole overall of 21-under 267– one ahead of Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela, who skyrocketed into contention with a best-of-the-week 63.
2 strokes even more back on 270 in a share of 3rd location were the Korean duo of Kim Sei-Young (65) and Choi Hye-Jin, who covered the last 9 holes in 29 for a 66.
For the majority of the day, Patty seemed in cruise control, extending her cause 4 shots after her 4th birdie of the day at the 10th following an elegant flop shot to tap-in range.
However making it to the winning line from there showed far from uncomplicated, specifically after a scrappy bogey at the brief par-four 15th which left the door open for fast-finishing Valenzuela, playing 2 flights ahead of the Thai.
Having actually holed out from the fairway for an eagle-two at the 5th, the Swiss Stanford University alum strung together an impressive stretch of 7 succeeding 3s from the 11th followed by a screening six-foot putt for a birdie-four on 18 to draw level with Patty at the top of the leaderboard on 20-under.
Having actually recovered from that dropped shot on 15 by holing a 10-footer for birdie at 16 and making a knee-trembling five-footer for par on 17, the home favourite now required to conjure a birdie at the last hole to win. A par would have implied a play-off.
After splitting the fairway with her drive, Patty struck a mid-iron to the raised green which turned up fractionally except the putting surface area, leaving an uphill chip which she performed completely, her ball coming to rest inches from the cup.
After tapping in for the winning birdie, Patty had a hard time to keep back the tears as her fellow-Thai gamers hurried on to the green and splashed her in water.
She recuperated her composure adequately to speak eloquently at the prize-giving event, thanking her group, pals, household and the galleries before existing with a cheque for US$ 255,000 to choose the $750,000 she gathered recently.
” I was so worried today. I do not understand if I revealed it a bit, however playing in front of everybody who came out and supported me it offered me a bit of an additional increase,” stated Patty.
” I was outside the ropes at one point in my life and now I’m within and get to have fun with all these incredible ladies. They’re the very best on the planet. To be able to close it is quite surreal.
” I was consuming a lot on the front 9 so I have a lot of energy on the back. I’m truly happy with the method I hung in there on the back 9.”
Patty is the 6th gamer from Thailand to make a minimum of 2 LPGA Trip success, following in the steps of Pajaree Anannarukarn, Atthaya Thitikul, Moriya Jutanugarn and Jasmine Suwannapura (all 2 wins) and Ariya Jutanugarn, whose 12 victories consist of the 2021 Honda LPGA Thailand.
For the 2nd year in succession, Lilia Vu supplied her own grandstand surface to the Honda LPGA Thailand.
In 2023, her closing 64 made her a sensational originated from behind triumph which showed the driver for a remarkable year throughout which she won 4 times and rose to primary on the planet.
This year she signed off with a bogey-free 65 that saw her increase into equivalent seventh area and leave her to contemplate what may have lacked a back 9 40 in an opening-day 73 that left her suffering in 60th location.
In the fight of the novices, boasting rights went to Suvichaya Vinijchaitham, who made her LPGA Trip launching here by dint of winning last month’s Honda LPGA Thailand National Qualifier.
Joint 6th over night, Suvichaya published a final-round 71 to complete joint 18th on 12-under 276– 5 shots and 23 locations ahead of fellow 17-year-old Eila Galitsky, who ended her project with a 73.
