Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn beats Japan’s Ayaka Furue in LPGA Matchplay final

LOS ANGELES – Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn “kept believing” to defeat Japan’s Ayaka Furue 3&1 in Sunday’s LPGA Matchplay final to win her second career tour title.

The world No. 97 improved to 6-1 for the week at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada, while the 18th-ranked Furue settled for a second consecutive runner-up finish in the event.

“It was a great week and I’m definitely happy for everything,” Pajaree said. “I just try every possible way to improve on my game and just keep believing. I tried really hard to focus on myself. I missed a couple of putts. I’m glad I was able to play decent enough.”

Pajaree, a four-time winner on the Thailand tour, scored her only LPGA victory at the 2021 Handa World Invitational.

“Definitely a different feeling compared to the strokeplay,” she said. “Matchplay is taking a lot of energy out throughout the week.

“When I won in Northern Ireland, I continued playing great golf until early 2022. I’m trying to figure it out. Golf, sometimes it’s hard.”

In the morning semi-finals, Pajaree won four of the last eight holes to defeat Sweden’s Linn Grant 3 and 1 while Furue ousted Ireland’s Leona Maguire 2 and 1.

Pajaree, travelling without her father for the first time, made 12 birdies in 34 holes on the final day, eight of them in the semi-finals.

“I used all my birdies and all my focus on the first 18,” she said.

Furue, who lost 3 and 2 to South Korea’s Ji Eun-hee a year ago in the final, is an eight-time Japan Tour winner who claimed her only LPGA title at the 2022 Women’s Scottish Open.

“In matchplay, I gain more confidence about my play,” Furue said through a translator after her only loss in seven matches. “That will be this week’s gain.”

In the final, Furue won the second and Pajaree took the third with pars. Pajaree parred to win the par-three fifth and, after Furue won the sixth with a birdie, the Thai standout birdied the par-five seventh for a 1-up edge.

Pajaree birdied the par-four 12th for a 2-up advantage but Furue answered by dropping her approach inches from the hole to win the par-three 13th and pull back within one. The Thai responded by putting her second shot inches from the hole for a birdie concession at No. 14 to restore her 2-up edge, then tied the 15th with a bogey and No. 16 with a par.

At the par-three 17th, Pajaree reached the green and Furue found a bunker. She blasted out with a shot that struck the hole and rolled well beyond, then surrendered the hole and victory to Pajaree.

Meanwhile, world No. 31 Jessica Korda will not compete on the LPGA Tour for the foreseeable future while she deals with a back injury, she announced on social media on Sunday night.

She said: “Unfortunately, we’ve reached (the) point where the pain is not improving, forcing me to have to withdraw out of several tournaments. It is upsetting.” AFP, REUTERS