Golf: Vu scores first LGPA win with nail-biting Thailand finish
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American Lilia Vu won the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand golf tournament at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya on Sunday.
PHOTO: AFP
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Pattaya, Thailand – American Lilia Vu snatched the LPGA Thailand trophy from Thai rookie Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, scoring a one-shot victory after a helter-skelter final round on Sunday.
The Californian had realistically only been in contention for a top-five finish as players teed off in gusty headwinds at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya but carded an eight-under 64 to win.
Natthakritta had also hit a 64 in Saturday’s third round to maintain the tournament lead but the title slipped from her grasp with a closing round of 71.
Vu’s fortunes changed at the eighth hole, where she rolled in the first of five consecutive birdies.
That set up the 25-year-old for a winning 22-under total of 266, her first LPGA Tour victory that came with prize money of US$255,000 (S$344,280).
“Yesterday I was thinking – my dad was telling me one good round tomorrow and I could win. That’s all I kept thinking about,” she said.
Vu, who finished tied-third or better three times in 2022 and was third again on the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, almost stumbled at the tricky 17th hole before righting herself to save par and maintain her narrow lead.
“Today, I basically just blacked out and tried to birdie every single hole,” she said. “It feels really good to get it done. I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself at the end of last year, and during the off-season I kind of just changed my mindset.
“I always knew I was going to win, I just got to let it happen. The more you hold on to something, I feel like it gets further away.
“I came close a lot towards the end of the last season, so I was just going to have fun and play my game and it would eventually work itself out.”
It was a bitter end to a stellar performance for 20-year-old Natthakritta, who came out of relative obscurity after receiving a tournament invitation from a sponsor.
She had grabbed a shock lead by the halfway point of the tournament with rounds of 67 and 65 in front of enthusiastic local supporters.
Natthakritta started six shots clear of Vu, and two ahead of her nearest rival, compatriot and former world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul, but intense nerves betrayed her on a scorecard that included seven birdies offset by four bogeys and a double bogey.
There was a glimmer of hope for Natthakritta with a steadying par at the 13th, followed by an eye-catching birdie at the par-four 14th.
But it was too late to stop Vu’s steady progress through the back nine after her earlier birdie blitz.
Natthakritta said: “I had a really good week this week in my hometown. Honda LPGA, it’s always special event in my career. Had good, positive vibes here for finishing today as well. Not getting there, but all the process has been in the right direction.”
Atthaya, the runner-up in the 2021 tournament won by fellow Thai and former world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, finished third after a 68.
Maja Stark (69) of Sweden and Celine Boutier (70) of France tied for fourth at 271. Top-ranked Lydia Ko played solid if unexciting golf to move quietly up the scoreboard. But the New Zealander was undone by a double bogey and bogey setbacks on the 16th and 17th holes to card a 69 for a share of sixth on 272.
The LPGA’s Asian swing heads to Singapore for this week’s HSBC Women’s World Championship at the Sentosa Golf Club. Most of the field in Thailand will be teeing off at the New Tanjong Course from Thursday. AFP
