Patty seals Rookie of the Year award
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LOS ANGELES • Patty Tavatanakit won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, the LPGA Tour announced on Monday.
The Thai, who clinched the ANA Inspiration in April - the first rookie in 37 years to seal the Major at Mission Hills Country Club - clinched the honour following the completion of the BMW Ladies Championship over the weekend.
The 22-year-old earned 1,134 points from 17 events for an unassailable 355-point advantage over closest rival Leona Maguire with two tournaments remaining this season.
Ireland's Maguire, who needed at least a sixth-place finish at the BMW Championship, finished in a tie for 61st spot, enabling the idle Patty to win the accolade.
"Earning this award is a dream come true for me," said the world No. 12.
"It's once in a lifetime. I'm so thrilled that I get to add my name to a spectacular list of recipients who I have looked up to for many years. This season has been one to remember, and I'm excited to finish 2021 strong as the Tour's newest Rookie of the Year."
She is the second Thai player to win the award, following Moriya Jutanugarn in 2013.
Lee6 Jeong-eun of South Korea won the award in 2019, while the title was not given out last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Since leaving college after two years to turn pro in 2019, Patty has notched nine top-10 finishes this season, steadily climbing up the ranks.
She is seventh on the money list with US$1.3 million (S$1.8 million) and is also third in the Rolex Player of the Year standings on 121 points, trailing only South Korea's world No. 1 Ko Jin-young (176) and second-ranked American Nelly Korda (161), the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist.
REUTERS