Inaugural WAAP Champion Atthaya’s Major Ambition

Texas, United States: Atthya Thitikul will take a leaf out of the book of Jon Rahm as she attempts to claim her maiden Major title at this week’s The Chevron Championship.

The talented Thai has had a rapid ascent to the top of the game since emerging victorious in the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in 2018.

Already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, she enjoyed a brief stint as number one is the Rolex World Rankings late last year. Now in fourth spot, Atthaya knows that a strong showing in the Major championships is a sure-fire way to rise to the summit once more.

And that’s what she’s aiming to do in the first women’s Major of 2023 at The Club at Carlton Woods, Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, referencing Spaniard Rahm, who triumphed at The Masters a fortnight ago in what was the first men’s Major of the year.

Atthaya said: “Like Jon Rahm said: ‘If you play, just plan to win; if not, just don't play’. I'm trying to keep that mindset. If it happens, that's nice, but if not, I will just keep working on it.

“It's the first Major of the year. I'm trying to go out there and appreciate every moment of it. The vibe is kind of different (to other events), but the way I play and the way I think about the course, I’m trying to keep it the same as usual, and trying to do my best out there.

“Don't think it's a big purse. Don't think it's a big event and don't think about the future – I want to win this, I want to win that, what could happen.

“Everyone keeps their eyes on the Majors, I guess. If it happens (that she wins), I would say it's going to be a really cool experience.”

Atthaya, who has been drawn with American Jessica Korda and Canadian Brooke Henderson for the first two rounds, added: “I kicked off the season pretty nice with solo third at the Honda LPGA, but my game’s been a little on and off – a good day and also a bad day. But I try to stay in contention every week.

“I want to give it 100 per cent every single tournament that I play and try to keep on working what I have to do, because all the players out here are pretty tough to beat. You have to have a good game to be out here on the LPGA Tour.”

That very thought will be in the minds of fellow-Thai Eila Galitsky, Chinese Taipei’s Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan and Japan’s Saki Baba, among seven amateurs in the starting line-up at The Chevron Championship.

Galitsky (2023) and Huang (2022) qualified by virtue of their victories in the WAAP, while Baba secured her starting spot thanks to a stunning success in last year’s US Women’s Amateur.

Galitsky tees-off from the first tee at 7.26 am alongside Malaysian Kelly Tan and American Yealimi Noh.

Teeing off from the 10th at 8.32 am, Baba will be accompanied by American Brittany Altomare and Pauline Roussin of France, winner of last month’s Aramco Team Series Singapore.

Two groups behind Baba is Huang, who is joined by China’s Yin Xiaowen and Sweden’s Frida Kinhult.

Five other former WAAP stars to keep an eye on are Japan’s Yuka Saso and Yuna Nishimura, Thais Natthakritta Vongtaveelap and Patty Tavatanakit and Australian Grace Kim, who won her maiden LPGA Tour title last week..

Saso and Nishimura were edged out by Atthaya in a sudden-death play-off at the 2018 WAAP where Tavatanakit finished tied for 15th.

Saso and Tavatanakit already have Major titles to their name. In 2021, Saso won the US Women’s Open and Tavatanakit won the ANA Inspiration (now The Chevron Championship).

Meanwhile, two-time WAAP runner-up Natthakritta (2021 and 2022) is making her maiden Major appearance having turned pro late last year.