Thailand Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Thailand sweep Australia to claim the International Crown, convincingly outclassing the eight-team field

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 08 May 2023 07:19:12 +0000

Dominant doesn’t do justice in describing the performance of Team Thailand at this week’s International Crown, capped fittingly by a 3-0 sweep of Australia in Sunday afternoon’s finals at TPC Harding Park.

Over four days, the foursome of Atthaya Thitikul, Patty Tavatanakit and sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn made a litany of history as the team match-play event returned to the LPGA schedule for the first time in five years. They were the first team to sweep pool play. Their 11 collective wins (out of 12 overall matches) was the most of any country in any of the three previous editions of the event. They were the lowest seed (six) to ever win, besting Spain as a five-seed in inaugural crown 2014.

“We’ve been waiting for this since 2014, our first time playing in the event,” Ariya Jutanugarn said. “Finally, we got what we have been working for.”

And it was truly a team effort, Thitkul building up momentum in her singles match with Australia’s Stephanie Kyraciou, taking the lead for good on the back nine and winning 4&2 to remain undefeated on the week.

In the second singles match, Tavatanakit won the second hole against Hannah Green and didn’t surrender the lead, cruising to a 4&3 victory over arguably the hottest player on the LPGA Tour to guarantee the victory over the Aussies.

Fittingly in the anchor match, the Jutanugarn sisters did the Jutanugarn sisters thing. Starting a bit slowly after going 18 holes in the morning before beating Nelly Korda and Danielle Kang, 1 up, to close out the Americans in the semifinals, Moriya and Ariya won four straight holes from Nos. 7 to 10 against Minjee Lee and Sarah Kemp. For good measure, Ariya, already aware her team had won the Crown, chipped in on the 15th to close out a 4&3 win and start the celebration. She earned the first-ever MVP trophy at the Crown.

In a sign of Thailand’s brilliance, Australia only held the lead for six holes between the three finals matches. “We are one of the best team in the world,” Atthaya Thitikul said. “And I think we can be there with [any] team in the world.”

Thailand’s toughest test on Sunday came against the US in the morning semi-finals session. Thitikul beat Lexi Thompson handily, but Tavatanakit’s loss to Lilia Vu put the pressure on the Jutanugarn sisters. The Thai siblings sat tied on the 17th, delivering a birdie-birdie finish to win.

“They’re [Team USA] great players, but at the end of the day, like I said again, it’s match play; anything can happen,” Tavatanakit said. “It’s just basically hole by hole, shot by shot.”

The Americans won the third-place match against Sweden, with Kang and Korda winning 1 up against Caroline Hedwall and Anna Nordqvist to secure the consolation victory.

The Thai quartet credited the bond formed throughout the week in providing a bedrock of confidence to win the Crown. It’s another seminal moment for the country in terms of its golf ascendance, the players proving they belong alongside the rest of the world on an international stage. Tavatanakit says the victory will add more momentum to the growing popularity of the sport at home.

“It’s so great for our country, and you can already see there’s a lot of rookies this year from Thailand,” Tavatanakit said. “This is going to keep making it growing and keep inspiring young people. I’m just so proud of all of us to be able to play and give it all we got and just try to make our home country proud.”

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How a pep talk from dad propelled rising talent Lilia Vu to her first career LPGA win in impressive fashion

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:38:54 +0000

Lilia Vu’s father told her Saturday night that one good round could let her win her first big title at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The optimism was impressive considering Vu sat six strokes behind leader Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, a 20-year-old LPGA rookie who looked more like a 20-year veteran the first three days of the tournament.

Yet Vu, 25, proved her dad’s parental intuition correct when she posted a bogey-free Sunday 64 to pass Vongtaveelap at Siam Country Club and claim the title with a 22-under 266 total.

“That’s all I kept thinking about,” Vu said of her father’s advice two weeks on from just missing out on the Aramco Saudi Ladies International crown to world No. 1 Lydia Ko. “And today I basically just blacked out and tried to birdie every single hole. If I didn’t, just move on and try again.”

In putting together the second-lowest round of her nascent LPGA career, Vu began surging up the leaderboard on the eighth hole. The former world No. 1 amateur posted the first of five straight birdies, catching Vongtaveelap on the 10th and separating from the Thai native on the 12th. The leap was something Vu wasn’t aware of, however. In one of her off-season adjustments, she decided not to look at leaderboards during the day and instead focus on her game.

A masterful Sunday to capture her first Tour win! ?

Check out @ROLEX first-time winner @TheLiliaVu's final round highlights at the @hondalpgath! ? pic.twitter.com/aBfepTbknM

— LPGA (@LPGA) February 26, 2023

It kept Vu from watching Vongtaveelap’s colourful scorecard. The latest Thai to thrive in her homeland’s event, following the footsteps of close friend Atthaya Thitikul in 2021, Vongtaveelap posted just two pars over the first 14 holes on her way to a one-under 71. In a resilient but inconsistent effort, the rookie making her first career start in an LPGA event after earning her card in December’s Q-Series made a birdie after a bogey or worse four times on Sunday. The problem of course was the numerous stumbles (four bogeys and a double), something she had shown none of over the opening three rounds. Still, on the 17th, Vongtaveelap walked in her six-foot par putt to march to the last one back of Vu.

The American who had made eight birdies on the day stood in the fairway on the par-5 18th in the reverse role she had at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International the previous week, where she was one back of eventual winner Ko. With a one-stroke lead this time, Vu laid up instead of going for the undulated green in two. Her wedge then went just over the back of the putting surface. The three-time Epson Tour winner calmly two-putted from the fringe for par.

Now Vongtaveelap had the chance to make up for her earlier mistakes. She entered the tournament with plenty of momentum, having won her three previous starts on the Thai tour in 2023, performances that earned her a sponsor’s invitational into this limited-field event. Vongtaveelap got to the 18th green in two to set up a birdie opportunity inside 10 feet to get to extra holes with Vu, but failed to convert the putt to force a playoff.

“It was a good week,” Vongtaveelap said despite the Sunday disappointment. “I’ve gained a lot of experience.”

Thitikul could only watch her friend on the last. She finished in third at 20-under par, her third straight top-10 in her home country’s event. She’s a combined 61 under par at the Honda LPGA Thailand over the last three years. Despite her consistent success at Siam Country Club, she is yet to walk away with a win.

“[I] learnt a lot from this week,” Thitikul said, “since I was an amateur. And also, we live and we learn. I think I had a really good day today as well.”

The win puts Vu closer to one of her biggest dreams: playing for Team USA at the Solheim Cup. Earlier in the week, US captain Stacy Lewis handed Vu a book with a note congratulating her on her play at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International. On Sunday, the captain celebrated the victory with Vu, who now sits in third place in Team USA Solheim points, passing winners Andrea Lee, Jennifer Kupcho, and Danielle Kang. The top seven are guaranteed spots on the roster at Spain’s Finca Cortesin in September.

“It would be a great honour,” Vu said, “to represent the United States.”

And she’ll do so as a proud LPGA champion.

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Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer at the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 13:17:08 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
The plan was both creative and audacious at the same time. By partnering with the developmental MENA Tour, already approved by the Official World Golf Ranking, LIV Golf seemed to have identified a credible path to have its Invitational Series events finally receive the World Ranking status circuit have craved. But with the OWGR not quite ready to sign off on a deal just yet, the focus once again turns to the fairways as LIV Golf’s sixth event takes place at Stonehill, Bangkok — without any points on offer.

Just as they have in the five previous events on LIV’s inaugural 2022 schedule, they will be earning some very large prize money payouts.

Eugenio Chacarra, Sunday’s three-shot winner of the 54-hole individual competition, earned $4 million for his victory from an overall purse of $20 million. The 22-year-old Spaniard, an All-American at Oklahoma State who gave up his senior season to turn pro this summer and sign with LIV, shot a final-round 69 to cruise to the title after starting the day at Stonehill Golf Club with a five-shot edge.Along with the individual event, there is a team competition that paid out $5 million overall. The Fireballs (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz and Lopez-Chacarra) ended the 4 Aces run of four straight team wins, shooting a collective 45 under.Here are the prize money payouts for the entire field at Stonehill.

INDIVIDUAL
Win: Eugenio Chacarra, -19, $4,000,000
2: Patrick Reed, -16, $2,125,000
T-3: Paul Casey, -15, $1,175,000
T-3: Richard Bland, -15, $1,175,000
T-3: Sihwan Kim, -15, $1,175,000
T-6: James Piot, -14, $737,500
T-6: Harold Varner III, -14, $737,500
T-8: Charles Howell III, -13, $602,500
T-8: Brooks Koepka, -13, $602,500
T-10: Abraham Ancer, -11, $477,500
T-10: Laurie Canter, -11, $477,500
T-10: Ian Poulter, -11, $477,500
T-10: Marc Leishman, -11, $477,500
14: Bryson DeChambeau, -10, $270,000
T-15: Matt Jones, -9, $233,600
T-15: Dustin Johnson, -9, $233,600
T-15: Phil Mickelson, -9, $233,600
T-15: Carlos Ortiz, -9, $233,600
T-15: Lee Westwood, -9, $233,600
T-20: Joaquin Niemann, -8, $174,285
T-20: Sergio Garcia, -8, $174,285
T-20: Sadom Kaewkaniana, -8, $174,285
T-20: Peter Uihlein, -8, $174,285
T-20: Talor Gooch, -8, $174,285
T-20: Jediah Morgan, -8, $174,285
T-20: Kevin Na, -8, $174,285
T-27: Charl Schwartzel, -7, $157,000
T-27: Phachara Khongwatmai, -7, $157,000
T-27: Shaun Norris, -7, $157,000
T-27: Jason Kokrak, -7, $157,000
T-27: Turk Pettit, -7, $157,000
T-27: Wade Ormsby, -7, $157,000
T-33: Chase Koepka, -6, $144,000
T-33: Sam Horsfield, -6, $144,000
T-33: Bernd Wiesberger, -6, $144,000
T-33: Henrik Stenson, -6, $144,000
T-33: Martin Kaymer, -6, $144,000
T-33: Hudson Swafford, -6, $144,000
T-33: Cameron Tringale, -6, $144,000
40: Pat Perez, -5, $136,000
T-41: Anirban Lahiri, -4, $131,000
T-41: Cameron Smith, -4, $131,000
T-41: Graeme McDowell, -4, $131,000
T-41: Matthew Wolff, -4, $131,000
T-45: Louis Oosthuizen, E, $125,000
T-45: Scott Vincent, E, $125,000
47: Hideto Tanihara, +1, $122,000
48: Branden Grace, WD, $120,000
TEAM
Win: Fireballs (Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Carlos Ortiz, Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra), $3,000,000, -45
2: Crushers (Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri) $1,500,000, -38
3: Cleeks (Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell), $500,000, -37

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LOOK: LIV Golf Bangkok final-round pairings revealed

Matt Smith — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 16:19:46 +0000

By Matt Smith
Eugenio Chacarra will have the honour on Sunday as he leads off the LIV Golf Bangkok final-round shotgun start from hole 1.

The Spaniard has a five-stroke lead over a bunch of players including Harold Varner III, Patrick Reed, Sihwan Kim and Chicarra’s fellow first-round leader Richard Bland.

One player missing from the final field at Stonehill is Branden Grace. The South African had to withdraw from the lead on Saturday with a side muscle injury.

Here’s the full field for Sunday:

LIV Golf pairings for round 3 in Bangkok

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Watch: Day 2 highlights from LIV Golf Bangkok

Matt Smith — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 10:32:05 +0000

By Matt Smith
Catch up with the highlights from Round 2 of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok as Spanish Youngster Eugenio Chacarra stretched his lead to five strokes at Stonehill in Thailand. Watch below…

[parone_video_player content-key=”fe2Fb1Eb62BDEdCaAd91″ campaign=”fe2Fb1Eb62BDEdCaAd91″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

This was after co-leader Branden Grace was forced to withdraw after three holes due to a side muscle injury.

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Day 2 pairings revealed for LIV Golf Bangkok

Matt Smith — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 12:39:48 +0000

By Matt Smith
Following a dazzling display from young and old(er) as the likes of Eugenio Chacarra, Branden Grace and Richard Bland led the way after day 1 of the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok on Friday, the pairings have been reveals for Saturday’s second round.

Take a look to make sure you follow your favourites from 10.15am local time (7.15am UAE time) early on Saturday at Stonehill.

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Laguna: A destination to Thai for

Matt Smith — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:07:05 +0000

By Matt Smith
Thailand has long been a popular destination for tourists from the Middle East thanks to relatively short flights, famous beaches, thriving culture and culinary delights, and with travel across the globe finally opening up once again after the COVID-19 pandemic, the South East Asian country is back on travellers’ — and golfers’ — destination wish list.

The Laguna area on the island of Phuket is perfect for those who like to play and relax, with one golf course at the top of every visiting player’s itinerary.

Laguna Golf Phuket is a must-play as it reflects the natural beauty and tropical surroundings of Bang Tao Bay, perfectly cooled by the Andaman Sea breeze. Set on the valley floor and overlooked by wooded hills and marshlands, this a resort course that will challenge players of all skill levels, while not being over-demanding to the point of frustration — allowing you to enjoy the breathtaking surroundings during and after your round.

While Laguna was redesigned in 2014 and has world-class facilities to rival the most up-to-date clubs around the globe, this is a course steeped in Thai history.

Originally called the Banyan Tree Golf Club, Laguna GP was built on a former tin mine. Dating back to the 17th century, the once mineral-rich area was a strong mining community until the late 1970s, when the industrial areas were left abandoned. Left with large gaping spaces after the mines closed, the authorities reinvented the area, filling the holes with salt water and carving golf courses into the barren landscape to create the serene, tranquil setting we see today.

Laguna Golf Phuket
Established: 1992
Redesigned: 2014
Holes: 18
Par: 71
Yards: 6,756
Recent championship tournaments: Mena/ADT Laguna Phuket Challenge, May 2-5, 2022
Prize money: $75,000
Winner: Tom Sloman

By 1992, Laguna GP was open for business and quickly established itself as one of the top courses, not only in the country but the entire region.

With plenty of water hazards, tropical palms and densely wooded hills, this is one of Phuket’s most scenic courses. It is a relatively open track, however the water and strategically placed bunkers — combined with the wind — will give any player cause to consider each shot into the greens.

This is a championship course, recently the venue of two Asian Development Tour/Mena Tour events and it possesses a layout you have to ponder your way around as each hole offers a multitude of shot options.

Tiered fairways, depressions and mounds dominate play. Wide fairways are seemingly straightforward but you’ll still need to position your ball to set up scoring opportunities.

While the front nine makes use of the landscaped water features, the wooded areas come more into play on a back nine meandering through mature stands of trees. Overhanging tree lines frame most holes, with wood chip and native grasses welcoming those who stray off the fairways. The two finishing holes are a real treat, with the monster 612-yard 17th bringing water into play at least twice, and the signature par-4 18th hole a sight to behold as you return to the clubhouse.

Once the clubs are put away, the 2014 renovations can be seen. A first-class restaurant welcomes golfers and non-golfers alike, and the luxury facilities include spa and massage treatments to loosen up those aching muscles.

Tennis courts and swimming pools are also available, alongside a driving range and golf academy to help sort out any issues with your game.

Laguna Golf Phuket’s location near the airport and beaches allows visitors the ease of combining golf and relaxation in a perfect holiday spot.

Also see

Aquella Golf & Country Club
Established: 2021
Holes: 18
Par: 72
Yards: 7,003

Golf clubs are plentiful around the reinvented Phuket coastline and Aquella Golf & Country Club — just 30 minutes away from Phuket International Airport -— is another welcome addition.

Opened in 2021, Aquella is helping bring the golf tourism market back to the island after the COVID-19 lockdown.

Designed by Australian company Pacific Golf Coast Design and opened in August last year, the new 18-hole championship layout lies at the centre of a 1.8 million square-metre development on the shores of Phang Nga province. Alongside a resort hotel, pool villas, marina, beach club, the club incorporates a family-first ideal, with all the usual five-star facilities such as spa, tennis courts, swimming, gymnasium, beach and watersports and even a mini-putt course for the budding golfers of any age.

But back to the real thing.

The 7,019-yard, par-72 course features narrow, rolling fairways and cunningly placed bunkers meaning each shot calls for accuracy. The history of the area can be seen all around the course as old railway sleepers are dotted around the boundaries to remind visitors of Phuket’s mining past.

While the course offers amazing views of the coastline from many vantage points, the signature par-3 11th is worth the visit alone, looking out across the Andaman Sea.

The Approach restaurant offers a chance to refuel in lavish style in the clubhouse with decor to reflect Thai culture and modern style.

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Welcome to Laguna

As Phuket begins to welcome back tourists, the resorts in the Laguna are beginning to come alive with visitors, longing to travel and explore but there is still a peacefulness along the serene beaches as tourism is building up steadily.

Located along Bang Tao Beach, Laguna boasts seven kilometres of white powdery sand, lined with trees that create the perfect amount of shade from the midday sun and shelter from the occasional storm.

Angsana Laguna Phuket

Along the beach, you can find an array of watersport activities, fishing and boat trips. There are numerous restaurants and bars that line the coast, along with an array of street vendors selling scarves, hats and jewellery. In the town to the east of Bag Tao, most restaurants and bars are back open, with the familiar aromas of Thai cooking blending with the music and laughter in the air. While some tourist shops are still closed and there isn’t the same throng of people there once was, you can make the most of the peace and tranquillity, as time goes on and tourists return, the area will soon be bustling once more!

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Where to stay

Cassia by Banyan Tree
Located along the pristine Ban Tao beach, overlooking the lagoon is Cassia Phuket. This 4-star resort is beautiful and vibrant, perfect for families and couples alike. The rooms (pictured below) are spacious, with full kitchen facilities and a cool loft space — a great hangout for teenagers or older kids. They have a games area downstairs, with pool, foosball, a reading area and arcade games. The pool is large and winds through the gardens. There’s a complimentary boat service that shuttles guests between the hotel and the sea, it runs every 15 minutes and is just a short five-minute ride to the private beach.

Two-bedroom loft at Cassia

Everything you could possibly need is provided here, with restaurants, bars and a convenience store opposite.

Two-bed loft apartment: AED 1,575*

cassia.com

Angsana Laguna
Set centrally between the two largest lagoons is the Angsana Laguna, an impressive resort with so much to offer from watersports to beachside massages. Angsana has two styles of accommodation, the large authentic Thai-style villas, set over three floors, with spacious patios, with stunning views overlooking the water. Then there are the beachfront apartments, super modern, tastefully decorated and spacious. These apartments are perfect for those looking for something truly impressive that, at the same time, has every home comfort. The kitchen is sophisticated and fully equipped, the utility room and laundry facilities, however, the utmost luxury is the large swimming pool which is on the balcony.

Two-bed pool suite with lagoon view at Angsana Laguna

Angsana has a variety of top-class restaurants, the casual but equally flavourful Baan Talay, on the beachfront and Bodego & Grill is a mix of barbecue grills, seafood and Italian, there is something for everyone.

Two-bed pool suite with lagoon views: AED 2,595*

angsana.com/thailand/laguna-phuket/accommodation

Banyan Tree Phuket
There is just one word for this resort: spectacular! Banyan Tree feels like another world as it stretches alongside the saltwater lagoon, with picturesque scenery set amongst lush, tropical greenery. Each guest is given a bicycle to get around the resort, from your private villa to the restaurants, beach or pool. The villas themselves are contemporary with traditional Thai decor, beautiful large rooms, indoor and outdoor showers, a private pool and garden. Staying here, you will realise why Thailand is known to be the ultimate, relaxation destination.

For golfing enthusiasts, the Banyan Tree has its own 18-hole golf course, Laguna Golf Phuket and if golf isn’t your thing, you can enjoy stand-up paddle boarding, a gym, spa and lazy river.

Signature two-bed pool villa at Banyan Tree Phuket

Foodies should not miss the exclusive private dining experience, the chef will come to your villa, lay the table, prepare, cook and serve a huge variety of Thai salads, grilled meats and seafood, finishing off with a tempting dessert. Absolutely exceptional.

Signature two-bed pool villa: AED 3,528*

banyantree.com/thailand/phuket/accommodation/villas

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Must-do activities

Island trip — Book a half-day or full-day excursion, with hotel transfers to the south of Phuket. Sit back and unwind while sailing over to one of the islands — such as Ko Lon, Ko Bon, Ko Kaeo Yai, Ko Kaeo Noi and Ko He -— where you can enjoy watersports like kayaking, paddle boarding, parasailing and snorkelling. Later, you can relax while watching the sunset with panoramic views and enjoy an evening meal on board.

Blue Tree Phuket — Just a nine-minute drive from Laguna is Blue Tree, a fun-filled entertainment park with shops and restaurants. A resort-style water park, with artificial beaches, cliff jumps, zip wires, slides, obstacle course and skate park. There is also a ‘Kids Planet’ zone, where the younger ones can interact and make new friends and allow mum and dad a bit of peace and quiet.

Bangla Road — Located in Patong, famous for its bars and nightlife entertainment. Patong is a 30-minute drive from The Laguna or 45 minutes from Phuket International Airport.

Street food — Found on every corner and even along the beaches are vendors selling freshly made pancakes, satay and sweetcorn, they are cheap, clean and extremely tasty!

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Get the August 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here in both English and Arabic today!

Matt Smith — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 04:51:07 +0000

By Matt Smith
August is upon us already and, after the drama of the final major of the season — the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, the 2022 season is getting down to the business end of things.

The Fed Ex Cup play-offs are fast approaching and the DP World Tour, LIV Golf series and both the Ladies European Tour and LPGA begin to ramp up for their respective finales.

We take a look at Laguna resort in Thailand now golfers are travelling more once again, speak to Carlota Ciganda about the women’s game, catch up with Saudi stars Faisal Salhab and Saud AlSharif, provide plenty of tips for golfers of all ages and abilities and discuss the vision of MyGolf Dubai. We also ponder why the 7-wood is the new must-have club in your bag.

All this and much more in the August 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The issue is again free to our loyal audience. You can scroll through the ISSUU link provided here or download to your favourite device for later. Alternatively, pick up a copy at your favourite club. Whatever option you take, we hope you enjoy the read.

See below for the third issue of the Arabic edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

The post Get the August 2022 edition of Golf Digest Middle East FREE here in both English and Arabic today! appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Aramco Team Series — Bangkok: Team Hillier triumph as Patty Tavatanakit holds lead for final individual round

Matt Smith — Fri, 13 May 2022 12:09:24 +0000

Team Hillier with the Aramco Team Series — Bangkok trophy

By Matt Smith
Patty Tavatanakit held on to her individual lead as Team Hillier triumphed at the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok on Friday.

The innovative Ladies European Tour tournament runs a three-day individual strokeplay competition alongside the two-round, four-player team event and it was Whitney Hillier and her crew that came out on top to lift the team trophy at Thai Country Club.

Hillier, Chonlada Chayanun, Krista Bakker and amateur Pattanan Amatanon backed up their excellent first round to seal a three-stroke victory with a 15-under-par final round.

It was a first LET title for Hillier and Chayanun, while it is back-to-back victories for Bakker, who was part of Team Pedersen in Jeddah last November.

Captain Hillier said: “I’m so proud of my team. Even from the start of yesterday morning we just had a good vibe. Everything just flowed and obviously we played great golf, but we had a lot of the fun, so that was the most important thing too. This is my 10th year on tour, and for my first win to be in a team event, like that’s pretty cool. I’m just looking forward to tomorrow too, now.”

Bakker added: “It’s great to be here winning again. We had so much fun and as Whitney said, yesterday we started to play good right away and making birdies.”

It was a fantastic day for Chayanun, whose home club is Thai Country Club, in the Individual competition as she carded a 67 (-5) to help her team and climb up the individual leaderboard.

“I’m just happy,” she said. “I never thought about winning and we did it as a team, so I’m really happy. I’m so proud of my team. Everything was perfect today. I made so many pars and had like eight birdies, so that’s the secret. I got so much good energy from my team. They are really supportive, so that just made me keep going.”

Team Simmermacher led by Magdalena Simmermacher alongside Charlotte Liautier, Isabella Deilert and amateur Sirapob Yapala, finished in second place on 28-under, while Team Tavatanakit were third with a total of -26 and one shot further back in a tie for fourth place were Team Moriya Jutanugarn and Team Lampert.

Patty Tavatanakit. Aramco

In the individual competition, which concludes on Saturday, Tavatanakit signed for a three-under 69 to improve to nine-under.

The Major winner (she claimed the 2021 ANA Inspiration) rolled in birdies on seven and nine before dropping a shot on the 12th, but the Thai star rolled in back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to hold a two-shot lead heading into the final day.

“It was pretty good,” said Tavatanakit. “Walking off the course without my A game and being on top of leaderboard is always a nice feeling. If anything, just seeing a little bit of confidence that I left a lot out there and a lot of things could be improved tomorrow. I didn’t really have the right flow today, but I stayed patient and a couple putts dropped at the end so that helped a lot.”

England’s Felicity Johnson and Belgium’s Manon De Roey sit two shots off the lead on seven-under having fired rounds of 68 and 67, respectively.

“I played nicely and played really steady, I’m happy with my rounds from today and yesterday,” said Johnson. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens.

“Myself and my caddie did a lot of good work at the start of the week of where we’re trying to hit approach shots and to figure out the grain as the ball is making its way to the hole on the greens.”

De Roey added: “I feel great, I was just playing for the team today and trying to make as many birdies as possible. Last week I wasn’t playing my best golf, but I was able to make a lot of birdies and that built my confidence for this week, and I feel a bit more comfortable.”

? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?@Beany25 equalled the course record with a stunning 6⃣6⃣ (-6) to move into contention in Thailand ??#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/AXIISiINpT

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 13, 2022

Two-time Major winner Ariya Jutanugarn is on six-under alongside Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson with five players in a tie for sixth place on five-under including Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, who fired the best round of the day with a 66.

“I haven’t been playing much or practicing so didn’t quite know what to expect,” said the two-time winning Solheim Cup captain.

“I played well today, and I putted well. Kind of every little thing everything went for me. I’m disappointed in my finish. As a golfer you’re never too thrilled, but overall delighted.

“I picked out a new putter just before I came here and that’s been working so well. My caddie reads the greens great, so I just leave it to her, and she just points, and I try and hit it where she says.”

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The post Aramco Team Series — Bangkok: Team Hillier triumph as Patty Tavatanakit holds lead for final individual round appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Aramco looks to the future with ‘Power Up’ initiative to support next generation of female golf stars on the Aramco Team Series

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 12 May 2022 10:36:43 +0000

Aramco Power Up winner Pimpisa Sisutham. Aramco

By GolfDigestME.com

The Aramco Team Series has announced an initiative to support promising amateur female golfers across the globe, in their journey to become future stars of the game.

The Aramco Power Up initiative will the see the series title sponsor provide extra support, resources as well as an exclusive invitation to play as the amateur in the team section of tournaments, alongside the best players in the world.

Ahead of the season-opening Aramco Team Series — Bangkok, 17-year-old Pimpisa Sisutham was chosen as the first Aramco Power Up recipient. During tournament week the talented Bangkok teenager, who is part of Thailand’s junior golf programmes, received a custom club fitting from Titleist and has been granted access to Thai Country Club and its world class facilities for a year. Pimpisa is teaming up with South African Nicole Garcia, Germany’s Sophie Witt and Spain’s Marta Martin at the Bangkok event.

Aramco Power Up winner Pimpisa alongside Chavalit Surangsee, Director of Golf at Thai Country Club. Aramco

“It’s amazing to be the first ever Aramco Power Up recipient, which came as a total surprise! I never expected to get an opportunity to play with the best players on the LET at this stage of my career,” Sisutham said. “It’s been nerve racking but it’s giving me valuable experiences for my career and following in the footsteps of my hero Lydia Ko.”

Aramco’s support of Ladies European Tour events has seen them become the biggest backer of women’s golf – using it’s platform to promote global female empowerment.

Talal Al Merri, General Manager of Public Affairs at Aramco, said: “We are thrilled to support Pimpsia as she chases her dream of competing as a professional golfer. To be able to offer her this illustrates our efforts to support women’s golf — globally and at every level. The goal of each Aramco Team Series event is to elevate women’s golf across the board and the opportunities we can create, on and off the course, that we believe will further progress the women’s game.”

The Aramco Team Series — Bangkok kicks off 2022’s run of tournaments this week at the Thai Country Club, before the ATS heads to London (June 16-18), Sotogrande (August 18-20), New York (October 13-15) and finally Jeddah on November 9-11.

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The post Aramco looks to the future with ‘Power Up’ initiative to support next generation of female golf stars on the Aramco Team Series appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.