Ariya Dedicates Player of the Year Award to Late King

The world No 2 carded a 69 for 14-under-par 274 to finish tied fourth in Florida yesterday (Bangkok time).

"My goal was to win my first tournament and I did it [this season]. To win the Player of the Year, it's huge," said the Thai.

Overnight leader Charley Hull, a 20-year-old from England, won her first US title and first crown since 2014 by firing a final-round 66, six-under-par, to finish on 19-under 269 - shattering the old Tiburon Golf Club mark of 271 set by American Cristie Kerr last year.

"I was pretty calm," Hull said. "When I'm on the golf course I try not to think about golf. It makes me think I'm not leading the golf tournament and that's what I did." After world No 1 Lydia Ko shot an even-par 72 for 277 to end tied for 10th, her chances of winning the Player of the Year honours went up in smoke. Ariya beat the Kiwi by 4,626 to 4,440 points. Ariya, whose five LPGA titles this year included her first major at the Women's British Open, also claimed the Race to the CME Globe season points bonus with a total of 6,800, while Ko trailed in second with 5,050.

Ariya said she was determined more than ever to win as a tribute to HM the King, who passed away on October 13.

"This year I tried really hard to achieve something as I wished to dedicate all the titles to His Majesty," Ariya said, performing a wai as a mark of respect to the King during a post-match interview.

"I never thought I could win so many. Before this week I just wanted to win the Player of the Year award. My dream came true," said Ariya, adding she was glad to bring happiness to Thais who are still in mourning.

Ariya was trailing Ko, the only player who had a chance to beat her for the award, by eight strokes at the midway stage. But the Thai shot a seven-under 65 on Saturday to tie with Ko at 11 under. She was a notch better than Ko in the final round as the Kiwi struggled with her game and failed to replicate her second-round heroics.

Ariya admitted she felt great pressure ahead of the Naples event and had to seek the help of her mental coach Lynn Marriott and |Pia Nilsson of Vision54 golf academy. "This is a special week for me. I was really nervous to be honest. I kept calling my psychologists, telling them I couldn't do this. Even before the final round, I didn't know what to do. It was pretty hard for me this week," Ariya said.

The Thai also set a new record of hitting the most number of birdies - 469 - in a single season. But she didn't think it was all because of her aggressive game. "I didn't think I played aggressive golf this year - no drivers. Today I didn't use the three-wood even once. Only two and three iron. But I will work harder and use them more next year."

Ariya will join her sister Moriya and mother to celebrate the success with a trip to Disney World next week before arriving back in Thailand at the end of the month. Ariya, who celebrates her 21st birthday tomorrow, hopes that her fellow Thais will find inspiration from her exploits and pursue a career in golf.

"I have no idea how many girls play golf in Thailand right now. But you can see a lot of them coming on the tour."

Hull, ranked 30th in the world, had not won since taking the Lalla Meryem Cup in March of 2014 at age 17 in Morocco on the Ladies European Tour. Level with South Korea's Soyeon Ryu after a day-long duel, Hull birdied the par-five 17th hole while Ryu made bogey and both closed with pars to end the drama on a day of intense trophy fights. Ryu fired a 67 to finish second |on 271 while Jennifer Song birdied five of the last six holes to shoot 68 and take third on 273, one stroke ahead of fellow American Mo Martin, Spain's Beatriz Recari and Ariya. Meanwhile, the final day of the 2016 campaign also saw South Korean Chun In-gee birdie the last three holes to edge Ko for the Vare Trophy for the season's low scoring average in a battle that went down to the last stroke.

"I thought she was going to win everything, that's what I thought," Ariya said of Ko, who hugged all the rivals who left her empty-handed. That included Chun, whose fight |for the Vare Trophy began in January and went down to their last shots. Ko took a bogey at the third and closed the front nine with a double bogey, then birdied three holes in a row to begin the back nine, while Chun opened with a birdie, took a double bogey at the third and answered a bogey at nine with a birdie at 13.

"I got my putter rolling on the back nine," Ko said. "I tried to fight it out to the end. In-Gee had a really great finish." Chun and Ko each birdied the par-three 16th but when Ko made bogey at 17 and Chun birdied, Ko's lead was trimmed to one-thousandth of a stroke. Chun then curled in an eight-foot birdie putt at 18 to take the trophy. "If knew if I make putt I have a chance for the Vare Trophy," Chun said. "I made the big putt. I was so happy."