‘Sim 300’ Savours Sweet Taste of Success

Bangkok, Thailand: Natthakritta Vongtaveelap’s plans to follow in Atthaya Thitikul’s footsteps gathered pace with a come-from-behind victory in the 28th Singha Thailand Ladies Amateur Open.

Six strokes off the pace heading into the final round, 19-year-old Natthakritta soared to the top of the leaderboard with a closing five-under-par 67 at Amata Spring Country Club.

With a 54-hole aggregate of three-under 213, Natthakritta, nicknamed Sim 300, ended three shots clear of runner-up Pimpisa Rubrong, the overnight leader.

Natthakritta's round was made up of 10 pars, seven birdies and a solitary blemish, a double-bogey six at the ninth where she found water off the tee and three-putted.

Victory was especially sweet for big-hitting Natthakritta, who tied for second in last month’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club having led for the first three rounds.

In Abu Dhabi, Natthakritta was disappointed not to emulate her compatriot Atthaya, who triumphed in the inaugural WAAP in Singapore in 2018, going on to turn professional and win this year’s Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.

However, she has now followed Atthaya onto the Sinha Thailand Ladies Amateur Open roll of honour. Atthaya was triumphant when the event was last staged in 2019, at Amata Spring.

In the wake of her win, Natthakritta said she’s looking at joining Atthaya among the ranks of the professionals at the end of 2022.

Before then, she has some important assignments, starting with the Thailand Ladies Masters on the Thai LGPA Tour. She then hopes to represent Thailand in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam and the 42nd Queen Sirikit Cup in Singapore in May, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September.

After two rounds of 70 to open up a three-shot lead, 14-year-old Pimpisa, who has a handicap index of +5.4, struggled to a final-day 76 with five bogeys and one birdie on her card.

Consolation for Pimpisa came from the fact that she was among the top six players who will form the national team squad for the 2022 Queen Sirikit Cup.

Arsa Sarasin, Chairman of the Governors’ Board at Amata Spring Country Club, together with Kittisak Chaimongkoltrakul from the main sponsor, Singha Corporation, were guests of honour at the prize presentation.