ROARED on by her adoring fans, Patty Tavatanakit made a gutsy final-hole birdie to write her name into Honda LPGA Thailand folklore.
Seven days after claiming her maiden Ladies European Tour title in Saudi Arabia, the 24-year-old eked out a dramatic one-stroke victory in the US$1.7 million (RM8m) LPGA Tour showcase at Siam Country Club in Chonburi.
Three shots clear of the field at the start of the final round, Tavatanakit closed with a 5-under 67 over the Old Course to become only the second home winner in the Honda LPGA Thailand’s 17-year history.
“This is a dream come true, to win in my home country and in front of my parents,” said an emotional Tavatanakit, after posting a 72-hole total of 21-under 267 – one ahead of Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela,
who soared into contention with a best-of-the-week 63.
Two strokes further back on 270 in a share of third place were the Korean duo of Kim Sei-young (65) and Choi Hye-jin, who covered the final nine holes in 29 for a 66.
For most of the day, Tavatanakit appeared to be in cruise control, extending her lead to four shots after her fourth birdie of the day at the 10th following an exquisite flop shot to tap-in distance.
But making it to the winning line from there proved far from straightforward, especially after a scrappy bogey at the short par-four 15th which left the door ajar for fast-finishing Valenzuela, playing two flights ahead of the Thai.
Having holed out from the fairway for an eagle-two at the fifth, Valenzuela strung together a remarkable stretch of seven successive threes from the 11th followed by a testing six-foot putt for a birdie-four on 18 to draw level with Tavatanakit at the top of the leaderboard on 20-under.
Having bounced back from that dropped shot on 15 by holing a 10-footer for birdie at 16 and making a five-footer for par on 17, the home favourite now needed to conjure a birdie at the final hole to win. A par
would have meant a playoff.
After splitting the fairway with her drive, Tavatanakit struck a mid-iron to the elevated green which came up fractionally short of the putting surface, leaving an uphill chip which she executed perfectly, her ball
coming to rest inches from the cup.
After tapping in for the winning birdie, Tavatanakit struggled to hold back the tears as her fellow-Thai players rushed on to the green and doused her in water.
“I was so nervous today. I don’t know if I showed it a little bit, but playing in front of everyone who came out and supported me it gave me a little bit of an extra boost. I’m really proud of the way I hung in there on the back nine.”
