Patty Tavatanakit becomes second major golf champion from Thailand

Patty Tavatanakit of Bangkok became the second golfer ever from Thailand to win a major championship on Easter Sunday. At the 2021 ANA Inspiration from Rancho Mirage, CA, Tavatanakit defeated Lydia Ko of New Zealand by two strokes.

Tavatanakit posted a four-round score of -18, the second best four-round score ever at the ANA Inspiration. The best 72-hole score ever for golf’s first major of the season belongs to Dottie Pepper of Saratoga Springs, NY, who posted a score of -19 back in 1999.

In the four rounds of golf, Tavatanakit recorded a score of six-under-par 66 in round one, three-under-par 69 in round two, five-under-par 67 in round three, and four-under-par 68 in round four. She became only the second champion in the history of the tournament since it became a major in 1983, to record four rounds in the 60s. The other was So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, who had a first-round score of four-under-par 68, a second-round score of three-under-par 69, a third-round score of three-under-par 69, and a fourth-round score of four-under-par 68, in winning the 2017 ANA Inspiration with a four-round score of -14.

In Tavatanakit’s four rounds in southern California this week, she had six birdies and zero bogeys in round one. In the second round, she had three birdies, two bogeys, and one eagle. In the third round, Tavatanakit had seven birdies and two bogeys. Then in the fourth round, Tavatanakit had two birdies and one eagle.

Tavatanakit’s eagles came on the par-four 15th hole in the second round, where she sunk her approach shot, and then on the par-five second hole in the fourth round. Tavatamakit also made three straight birdies twice. She recorded a birdie on the 13th, 14th, and 15th holes in round one, and then the first, second, and third holes in round three.

The only other golfer from Thailand to win a major title in golf (either in men’s golf or women’s golf) was Ariya Jutanugarn, also of Bangkok. Jutanugarn won the 2016 Women’s British Open, and the 2018 United States Women’s Open.