Thai protects wire-to-wire win after play-off at Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific champion
SINGAPORE: Thai teen Atthaya ‘Jean’ Thitikul sealed a significant wire-to-wire triumph at the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific by winning a four-way play-off at Sentosa Golf Club and protecting locations in 2 of this year’s significant champions.
Continuing to sing, laugh and joke with knowledgeable caddie Roongroj ‘Yod’ Boonsri, Atthaya carded a closing 71 to sign up with Japan’s Yuna Nishimura (69 ), the Philippines’ Yuka Saso (68) and New Zealand’s Wenyung Keh (67) with an eight-under overall of 276 over the 6,456-yard New Tanjong course.
After directly missing out on birdie possibilities to win on the very first 2 additional holes on 18, Atthaya tapped in for par on the long par-four 12th prior to 17-year-old Nishimura missed out on a long par putt. Keh, 20, and Saso, 16, left after the very first and 2nd additional holes respectively.
Atthaya, who just turned 15 on Tuesday, began the occasion at 53rd worldwide amateur rankings with current highlights consisting of ending up being the Ladies European Trip’s youngest-ever winner last July and winning gold medals in the SEA Games specific and group occasions in Malaysia a month later on.
With Saturday’s success, she makes invites to the ANA Motivation (March 29-April 1) at Objective Hills Nation Club in California and the Women’s British Open (Aug 2-5) at Royal Lytham and St Annes in England, along with next week’s 11th HSBC Women’s World Champion, likewise at Sentosa Golf Club.
Born in Ratchaburi, Atthaya made her significant champion launching at the 2017 Women’s British Open last August and the following month played in her 2nd at the Evian Champion where she made it.
Now, the Thai teenager has actually made a go back to the Women’s British Open after an eventful week in which she led after an opening 65, co-led after a second-round 71 and gained back the straight-out lead after a third-round 69 that she finished on Saturday early morning when she birdied 2 of her last 4 holes.
” I’m so ecstatic since this is the very first year of this champion. It’s so terrific that my name is the very first one on the prize,” stated Atthaya, who played in her very first LPGA occasion at the Honda LPGA Thailand last February, when she simply turned 14.
” My golf today wasn’t so great, although I began so great and played well in the play-off. However I didn’t truly get anxious since I came here to discover and get experience.
” I’m so ecstatic to play in 2 more majors. I’m truly anticipating going back to the Women’s British Open and I wish to make it this time, however my primary goal is constantly to play pleased and get more experience.”
Atthaya extended her lead with birdies in 3 of the very first 4 holes and stayed 11-under after a bogey-birdie surface on the front 9.
After Keh bogeyed 13, the Thai held a four-stroke lead prior to a double-bogey on the long par-four 12– a hole she bogeyed in her 2 rounds– and after that a bogey on 17 dropped her into a play-off.
” When I made a double bogey, I didn’t believe it would suggest that I would not win. It didn’t impact me since there were a great deal of holes to go. I was a bit anxious, however I simply talked with my caddie and remained unwinded,” stated Atthaya, who likewise had the knowledgeable Roongroj on her bag when she won in 2015’s Ladies European Thailand Champion in Pattaya.
Atthaya was granted the winner’s plate by Kei Muratsu, chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, and got the champ’s medal from Thailand’s Rae-Vadee T Suwan, whom it was called after.
