Thai ace Ariya's main aim is to become the No 1 golfer in the world

Currently ranked No 2, Ariya proved the outstanding player this year with the highest number of victories - five - in a single season, including the British Women's Open.
"Now that I'm the No 2 player in the world, my next target is definitely to become the No 1 player," said Ariya during a press conference at the headquarters of SCG, her main sponsor."But that will take time. I need to improve on many things when I return to the United States in January. I have to focus on my practice and get ready for the first tournament," said the 21-year-old, who won the prestigious Player of the Year award and the No 1 ranking on the 2016 Money Leaders list.
"I always wanted to win the Player of the Year award but it just came a lot sooner than I had expected. Now I want to win my next event as soon as possible and enjoy the game that I love every time I enter an event," said Ariya, who spent her off-season in the south of the country.
She will start in the Pure Silk Bahamas KPGA Classic due at the Paradise Island at the end of January.
After missing out on a chance to win the early-season ANA Inspiration event, Ariya quickly learned her lessons and came out strongly to clinch her maiden LPGA title at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. She went on to pull off a hat-trick of wins with victory at the Kingsmill Championship and LPGA Volik, all in May. She also enjoyed wins at the British Open and Canadian Pacific Women's Open to add to her trophy collection.
"My attitude changed after the ANA event. I never feared failure and I have been trying to enjoy playing golf more and more," she said.
Her first title, in Alabama, was the turning point in the career of the Thai ace, who had squandered several chances to win before that. The most painful loss was at the 2013 Thailand LPGA where she had a two-stroke lead going to the final hole before stumbling to a triple bogey and allowing Park In-bee of South Korea to win in dramatic fashion. 
But neither the title nor the spotlight meant most to Ariya as she contemplated her victory on May 8. It was just two words from her mother Narumon Tiwattanasuk:
"After I won, my mother ran to me, then hugged me and said with tears in her eyes, 'Thank you'. That was the most beautiful memory of my life."