Thai teen upstages older stars
Promising amateur Atthaya Thitikul yesterday posted her first top-10 finish on the LPGA tour finishing joint eighth at the Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
The 15-year-old, who earned an invitation into the event by winning the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship at the same Sentosa Club venue last week, fired four birdies and an eagle on the 13th for a bogey-free round of 66.
Her four-round total of 13 under-par-275 left her in a tie for eighth with Angela Stanford of the US.
Atthaya Thitikul (Photo by Naratip Srisupab)
“Everything just went my way today. I felt good right from the first tee as I got my momentum back on my driver,” said Atthaya, who last year set the record as the youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour when she won the LET Thailand Championship in Pattaya at the age of just 14.
She admitted winning last week was the key to propel her to a top 10 finish in her fourth attempt on an LPGA event.
"I got used to the layout, the flag positions and the condition. That gave me some advantage," added the teenager who entered three LPGA events: the LPGA Thailand, British Open and Evian Championship last year.
“I’m glad to play better than last week as it’s a bigger event this week,” added Atthaya, who is aiming for gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia in August. “I promised the national team manager that I would finish in the top 10 and I made it. This is one of the most memorable tournaments in my life.”
She will fly to Doha today (Monday) to enter an amateur event between team Asia and Europe.
Atthaya’s was the best performer of the four Thais in Singapore yesterday – former world No 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, with a final-round 68 and a total 10 under-par-278, was joint 16th, her elder sister Moriya shot a 69 to be one further back on 279 and Pornanong Phatlum was equal 31st after shooting a 68 for a total of 283.
