Thai golfer Atthaya Thitikul won the JTBC Classic for her first LPGA Tour title in Carlsbad, California on Sunday, beating Nanna Koerstz Madsen from Denmark in a playoff.
At 19 years old, Atthaya becomes the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since 18-year-old Booke Henderson in the 2016 Portland Classic. She also won two victories on the Ladies European Tour.
With an 8 under par 68 in the final round, she shot from the 11th place to join leader Madsen with a 16 under par 272 for the competition in a playoff. They halved on the first hole, requiring a second hole for the playoff.
After Madsen’s 15-foot bogey putt hit the edge of the cup and stayed out, Atthaya rolled her 10-foot par attempt close and holed out for the breakthrough victory. She shot a bogey against Madsen’s double bogeys.
Image Credit: LGPA’s Twitter
Atthaya becomes the sixth female Thai golfer to clinch the LPGA Tour title, after Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Thidapa “Jasmine” Suwannapura, Paphangkorn “Patty” Tavatanakit and Pajeera Anannarukarn.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had expressed his congratulations for Atthaya’s outstanding achievement and thanked Thai athletes, competing on the global stage, for promoting youngsters’ interest is sports and exercise.
