Tag: Bank of Hope Match-Play

Pajaree Anannarukarn claims second career LPGA title at Bank of Hope Match Play after 116 holes

With the victory, Anannarukarn earned a spot in the field at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

Pajaree Anannarukarn outlasted Ayaka Furue to claim her second LPGA title at the Bank of Hope Match Play. The Thai player thrived in a marathon week of golf at picturesque Shadow Creek, pouring in eight birdies in a semifinal match against Linn Grant and then hanging tough to defeat Furue, 3 and  1, on a hot and windy day in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Anannarukarn, 23, claimed her first LPGA title two years ago at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in a playoff against Emma Talley in Northern Ireland. When it was over in Vegas, Anannarukarn talked about the grind it took to get back to the winner’s circle.

“Golf is just, sometimes it’s hard to come back up,” she told Golf Channel after the round. “I tried in every possible way to improve on my game and keep believing.”

With the victory, Anannarukarn earned $225,000 and a spot in the field at the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. She notched 12 birdies in 34 holes on Sunday.

Anannarukarn has worked with Claude Harmon III since November 2019. Because Harmon is on a different travel schedule, mostly working on the men’s tours, the pair only see each other a couple times a year. She noted that she’s mostly focused now on her swing rotation.

It was an early birthday present for Anannarukarn, who played a total of 116 holes over the course of the week, beating the likes of Carlota Ciganda, Cheyenne Knight and Karis Davidson in a playoff just to advance out of the round-robin portion of the event. She turns 24 in two days.

Now in her fifth season on tour, Anannarukarn joins Atthaya Thitikul (2), Moriya Jutanugarn (2), Jasmine Suwannapura (2) and Ariya Jutanugarn (12) as Thai players with at least two LPGA titles in their career.

Japan’s Furue played her way into the championship match for a second consecutive year and nearly pulled off some late-round heroics when her final shot from the bunker flirted with the hole.

Because there was no consolation match this year, Leona Maguire and Grant split third-place points and prize money. This was Grant’s first start in the U.S. as an LPGA member.

The former Arizona State player has competed around the world – quite successfully – since turning professional nearly two years ago, but could not compete in the U.S. due to COVID-19 restrictions that require international visitors to be fully vaccinated against the virus

Linn Grant makes deep run at Bank of Hope Match Play in first LPGA start in U.S. after vaccine restrictions were lifted

Grant, who is currently No. 22 in the world, missed the first major of 2023.

Linn Grant made the most of her first start in the U.S. as an LPGA member. The former Arizona State player has competed around the world – quite successfully – since turning professional nearly two years ago, but could not compete in the U.S. due to COVID-19 restrictions that require international visitors to be fully vaccinated against the virus.

With the national public health emergency expiring earlier this month, Grant was permitted to compete in the Ladies European Tour event in West Palm Beach, Florida, last week. This weekend, she advanced to the semifinals of the Bank of Hope Match-Play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Grant ultimately fell to Pajaree Anannarukarn on Sunday morning. The Thai player will face Japan’s Ayaka Furue in the final Sunday afternoon.

Grant, who is currently No. 22 in the world, missed the first major of the year in Texas as well as the chance to represent Sweden at the Hanwha International Crown.

In her LPGA rookie year last season, Grant spent much of 2022 competing around the world on the LET. She won four times on the LET last year, including the history-making Scandinavian Mixed, in which she beat the men on the DP World Tour. She also topped the season-long Race to Costa del Sol.

In six LPGA starts last season held outside the U.S., Grant carded four top-eight finishes and a T-19 at the AIG Women’s British Open.

Earlier this month, she won the Jabra Ladies Open in Evian, France. Grant will soon return home to Sweden to defend her title at the Scandinavian Mixed.

When Grant qualified for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship last November, which boasted a record-setting $2 million first-place prize and $7 million purse, but still wasn’t in the field, she provided a statement to Golfweek that read in part:

“I understand some people want to know why I am not playing in the U.S. I respect that. The simple reason is that I am not vaccinated. Regarding why, I ask the same respect back. It is something I want to keep internally with my family and team.”

Earlier this week in Las Vegas, Grant was asked during a pre-tournament new conference what it felt like to miss so many events as a rookie due to vaccine restrictions.

“I think actually looking back at it now, I really appreciate not coming here earlier,” she said. “I think I wouldn’t have had the experience I’ve had with the LET and all the confidence that I’ve gained through the that year.

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“I think that was a great year for me to kind of get into professional golf and learn about my game and traveling and getting used to all the stuff you have to get used to.

“So I feel like I’m more prepared now coming here than I would’ve been a year ago. I think everything happens for a reason. I think there was a reason for that.”