Victorious Ariya tees up Thailand’s Olympic dreams

The pig-tailed golfer who earlier this year penned a new chapter in history as Thailand’s first winner on the LPGA Tour carded a final round 72 and a 16-under par 272 to beat American Mo Martin and South Korean Mirim Lee by three strokes at the Woburn Golf and Country Club.

It marks her fourth career victory – and her fourth this season – after her maiden win in the 2016 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, the Kingsmill Championship and LPGA Volvik Championship, all in May.

With two career dreams fulfilled – winning her first LPGA title and a major – the 20-year-old has now set a final goal for 2016 to win an Olympic medal for Thailand.

“I want to make the whole country happy. Winning a medal in the Rio Games should make Thais happy. So that’s what I intend to do,” Ariya said in an earlier interview. After the recent win, she will rise from No 6 to No 2 in the world, the highest ranking of her career.

Ariya was scheduled to return home this morning for a week of rest before heading to Rio de Janeiro. After playing for four straight weeks, she said she was looking forward to resting at home and will focus on preparing for the Games.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha commended Ariya as a role model for ordinary people and athletes while extending his support for her in the upcoming Olympic Games.

“Although Ariya is still young, she is professional and determined to work hard and focus. Her success is not by luck but her ability through hard training. Thai people and athletes should learn from that example. People all over the country will lend her support and hope she succeed in all tournaments she enters.”

Ariya said: “To me right now, I played four weeks in a row already, so I really want to rest, and maybe practice. I still want to practice, because I really want to play good in Rio.”

On winning her maiden major competition, Ariya earned US$412,000 (Bt14.3 million) in prize money while her LPGA Career Money List totals $2.22 million since she turned pro in 2013.

“After I won my first tournament on tour, my goal was that I really wanted to win a major, and I did, so I’m very proud of myself,” said Ariya, who at 20 years, eight months and eight days became the second youngest winner of an Open. South Korean Jiyai Shin remains the youngest winner ever, after a 2006 performance at the age of 20 years, three months and six days.

Meanwhile, back home in Thailand, her father Somboon said during an interview with a local radio station that Ariya’s win was what he had expected.

“I knew she was going to win a major. I just hoped it would come a bit earlier,” Somboon said, laughing during the interview.

He added that discipline and focus on her physical condition were the keys to her success.

“We have been quite strict with our practice programme since she was young. She was told to train several hours a day although sometimes she didn’t want to. Some said I was mean but I meant to be kind, as I believe young children are easier to teach because they don’t have many excuses,” Somboon said.

Ariya was also made to focus on a fitness programme more than practice golf because Somboon believed physical strength was the basis for producing good results in sport.

“Once you are physically strong, you can bear lots of things. It’s the bottom line. She was made to run and swim a lot in the old days. That’s why she has broad shoulders and is quite a bit bigger than girls her age,” Somboon said.

As young Ariya was not a fan of jogging, Somboon said his old trick was to take her running near a cemetery. 

“She would try to run faster to catch up with me because she was scared,” he said.