Tears wiped away, Ariya faces future as new Thai No 1

The rising teen star made the biggest gain in this week’s LPGA world rankings, leaping from 114 to 57 after her second-place finish at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course on Sunday.

The 17-year-old hit a hole-in-one on No 12 and went on to grab a two-stroke lead over Inbee Park of South Korea before disaster struck on the final hole. Ambitiously selecting a 3-wood for her approach shot, she found a bunker and went on to four-putt for a triple bogey. The meltdown left Ariya in tears as she watched Park snatch the title by a single stroke.

“I still can’t get over it. I’m still sad but it’s in the past now and something we cannot fix. What I need to do is to learn from that mistake and look ahead,” said Ariya.

However, her position as runner-up meant she dethroned Pornanong Phatlum as the highest ranked Thai, at 57, on the LPGA rankings. Pornanong moved up a notch, from 71 to 70.

“I’m happy to rise in the rankings but I think every Thai has the same opportunity. I never expected to be No 1 – I think we all just want to play well and produce good results for the honour of the country,” said Ariya who is now in Singapore for the HSBC Women’s Championship.

Meanwhile, Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya’s elder sister, surged three places on the women’s rankings, to No 265.