Inspirational Triumph for Power-Packed Patty

Rancho Mirage, California, United States: Two years after earning low-amateur honours at Mission Hills Country Club, 2020/21 LPGA Tour rookie Patty Tavatanakit became a Major champion at the ANA Inspiration.

The big-hitting 21-year-old Thai fired a final-round four-under 68 to end at 18-under, completing an astonishing wire-to-wire success.

She’s just the second player to win the Major championship in her rookie season, joining Juli Inkster in 1984.

The season’s first Rolex First-Time Winner, she’s also just the second Thai to claim a Major title, following Ariya Jutanugarn.

“It’s amazing I’m still calm, there is some calmness in me. I don’t know why,” said the two-time former Asia-Pacific team stalwart in the Patsy Hankins Trophy, who collected a cheque for US$465,000.

“I just wanted it to be done since this morning. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. But I meditated twice this morning. Just be patient. I knew it was going to be hard out here and I had to be really strong mentally.

“It feels great to be a Major champion. It still hasn’t really sunk in. I just turned 21 six months ago and now I’m a Major champion in my rookie year. Just crazy,” added the Thai who participated in the inaugural Women’s Asia-Pacific Amateur in Singapore in 2018, where she finished tied for 15th.

Tavatanakit started the final day at Mission Hills Country Club with a five-stroke lead and began strongly with an eagle on the par-five second hole, chipping in from off the green.

She added a birdie on the eighth to turn in three-under, and a bogey-free effort in her final nine holes, highlighted by a birdie on 12, was enough to secure a two-stroke victory from New Zealander Lydia Ko, who charged up the leaderboard with a brilliant final-round 10-under-par 62.

Tavatanakit, a three-time Symetra Tour winner, is the 19th player to earn her first Major at the ANA Inspiration, a moment not lost on the Thai native as she completed her round on the island green.

“I was happy and excited and I got a little emotional. I just kept telling myself: ‘It’s not over yet. You still have to try your best to make the putt or to two-putt’,” said Tavatanakit, who was greeted by a slew of her fellow Thai players, spraying her with champagne.

“I think Ryan (Hogue), my caddie, saw me get a little emotional and he said: ‘Come on. Let’s focus on the last one, which I did. I feel like I just pulled myself out of the emotional state and back to where I needed to be.”