Grand Piano hits all the right keys
Arpichaya Yubol completed a hat-trick of Thai LPGA titles by carding a final-round 68 to beat Alisara Wedchakama in the sixth leg of the Bt1 million Singha-SAT Thail LPGA Championship in Hua Hin on Friday.
The 16-year-old from Saraburi shot five birdies against a lone bogey on the ninth hole to dominate her third straight Thai LPGA event with a total 13 under-par-203 at the Black Mountain Golf Club.
Arpichaya, nicknamed “Piano”, won the fourth and fifth stops of the Thai LPGA Tour at the Royal Golf Course in Hua Hin and Rayong Green Valley in May and June respectively. She and Alisara were involved in a sea-saw battle when both were tied at 11 under after 14 holes.
But crucially, first-round leader Alisara, from Mae Hong Son, carded a bogey on the 15th while Arpichaya sank two birdies and never looked back, closing on 10-under-par-206.
“It’s unbelievable that I have won three in a row,” said the teenager as she clutched her winner’s cheque for Bt142,000. “I was a bit nervous as Alisara was playing so well especially, when she came up with incredible birdies on the ninth and 12 holes. I tried to keep my cool and stick to my game plan.
“I really feel thankful for my dad for carrying my bag for me this week. It gives me a special boost to have him with me on the course,” she added.
Arpichaya is also leading the Order of Merit standings with total earnings of more than Bt500,000.
Alisara, as the runner-up, took home Bt96,285 and Wanchana Poruangrong earned Bt61,175 for finishing third on 208.
