Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand has picked right up on the Symetra Tour where she left off at UCLA.
The 19-year-old Tavatanakit, who won seven times in two seasons for the Bruins, claimed her third victory in eight starts on the LPGA Tour’s triple-A circuit when she captured the Sioux Falls GreatLife Challenge with a 10-foot birdie putt to beat Yujeong Son of South Korea on the first playoff hole at Willow Run Golf Club https://willowrungolfcourse.com in Sioux Falls, S.D.
“Definitely very surreal; I didn’t expect to get this win,” said Tavatanakit, who came from six strokes behind in the final round by shooting 8-under-par 62. “I just hoped to play well and climb the leaderboard for a bigger check to move up the money list.
“I wanted to be the first player out here to win three times this year, so I accomplished my goal and hard work really pays off.”
Tavatanakit, who earned $33,750 for the victory and ranks second on the Symetra Tour money list with $110,487, finished at 13-under 267 and was the leader in the clubhouse until Son birdied the last hole to catch her with a 66.
Esther Lee shot 65 to finish four shots back in a tie for third with Kyung Kim, who had a 65, Janie Jackson, who totaled 69, and Martz Sanz Barrio of Spain, who finished at 71.
Tavatanakit trails Perrine Delacour on the money list by $3,396, with the top 10 players at the end of the season earning LPGA Tour cards. In the past, Tavatanakit’s third victory would have earned a Battlefield Promotion to the LPGA, but that was eliminated last season.
However, with only final four events remaining on the Symetra Tour schedule, she seems certain to be playing on the big tour next season.
“It’s hard to get a picture of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” said Tavatanakit, who also won the Donald Ross Classic and the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic on the Symetra Tour this season. “I set my goals and have lived in the moment really well for the past three months since turning pro.
“I just focus on what I need to do to be a better player. All I want is to improve every time I step on the course. It’s pretty unreal for how far I have come and what the future holds too.”
Tavatanakit turned pro at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open in Charleston, S.C., where she tied for 34th.
Then she shot 61 in the final round to tie for 15th in the Thornberry Creek Classic while playing in that LPGA Tour event on a sponsor’s exemption.
Tavatanakit doesn’t figure to need any of those in the future.
For complete results, visit https://www.symetratour.com/leaderboard
