Champ fighting cold, will not utilize motorist
St Andrews: Ariya Jutanugarn might be battling a cold however memories of her Females’s British Open win in 2015 are keeping her warm as she starts her title defence at Kingsbarns today.
The 21-year-old from Bangkok won the significant title by 3 shots over the tree-lined Woburn course– and she understands she deals with a significantly various difficulty at the windswept Scottish links.
However something will not alter from 12 months earlier– the motorist will not remain in the bag.
The effective child didn’t utilize the golf enthusiast’s most significant weapon in 2015 and she stated: “This time it will likewise remain in the locker. I’ll be utilizing my 3-wood and my 2-iron from the tee.
” This is just my 3rd time at a links course. However I understand I’ll need to keep the ball low and often goal 50 lawns best or 40 lawns left.”
Ariya invested a quick spell as the world No. 1 when she won the Manulife LPGA Classic in Canada in June for her very first title of the year and 6th total.
However she has actually because dealt with a shoulder injury and suffered a depression in type.
Last month, she missed out on the cut at 2 successive majors– the Women’s PGA Champion and United States Women’s Open– and withdrew from another competition.
She has actually dropped to No. 3 behind top-ranked Ryu So-Yeon of South Korea and Lexi Thompson of the United States after ending up connected for 44th location at last week’s Ladies Scottish Open.
” We understand that often we are not going to have an excellent week,” Ariya stated.
” That occurred to my last month however I simply never ever quit. I understand what I need to deal with. I simply keep working and still finding out every day.”
Ariya has actually been fighting a cold because the Ladies Scottish Open.
” It [the injury] is improving, however I have actually now got a dreadful cold,” she stated, coughing and spluttering. “It began Saturday and has actually worsened.”
She confessed her life had actually altered considerably because ending up being the very first Thai golf enthusiast to win a significant.
” Everybody back house is extremely happy,” she stated. “I won an award at the end of the year and now everybody understands me.”
This is her very first check out to St Andrews, the Scottish town considered the house of golf. However her sis Moriya, who played in the Women’s British Open over the Old Course 4 years earlier, has actually been the best tourist guide.
” It is a really unique location and it’s cool to be here,” stated Ariya, who has actually won 6 LPGA titles. “My sis took me round the 17th and 18th at the Old Course. It was whatever that I anticipated.”
The Thai is not a huge fan of links-style courses. She was connected for 45th at Royal Birkdale in 2014 and missed out on the cut at the Women’s British Open at Turnberry the list below year.
Woburn, where Ariya won the Women’s British Open in 2015, is not a conventional links design, however more like a parkland course with greatly tree-lined fairways.
Ariya will play together with Ryu and Thompson in the very first 2 rounds at Kingsbarns.
Apart from the siblings, 4 other Thai gamers remain in the field– Pornanong Phatlum, Thidapa Suwannapura, Prima Thammaraks and 14-year-old amateur Atthaya Thitikul.
The teenage prodigy protected an area at the Women’s British Open after winning the Ladies European Thailand Champion in Pattaya last month.
On the other hand, world No. 1 Ryu has actually remained in great type this year.
The South Korean is a two-time winner this season with triumphes at the season’s very first significant, the ANA Motivation, and NW Arkansas Champion.
Olympic champ Park In-Bee won the title at Turnberry 2 years earlier, and is intending to make it a Scottish double.
The previous top-ranked gamer missed out on in 2015’s Open due to injury, however got better to win Olympic gold in Rio.
” It’s great to be back,” confessed the 29-year-old South Korean. “I played in the Scottish Open at Dundonald recently and travelled back to Turnberry.
” My ball striking is not where I desire it to be, however I constantly like the difficulty of a links course. Often I play well, and often I do not get it. It’s a state of mind. You need to be prepared to be irritated.”
The Rio experience has actually assisted raise her status.
” Individuals in dining establishments and gasoline station state they understand me due to the fact that of the Olympics,” stated world No. 10 Park.
” It was a matchless experience. Something entirely various and it ranks right up there with the absolute best that I have actually accomplished.” Bangkok post/agencies
Thai teen Atthaya Thitikul.
