Tag: Honda LPGA Thailand

2024 Honda LPGA Thailand prize money payouts for each LPGA player

It pays to play well on the LPGA. Just ask this week’s winner, Patty Tavatanakit.

Patty Tavanakit snapped a victory drought on the LPGA that spanned more than 1,000 days on her home soil, winning by one stroke at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The victory gave her $255,000 of the $1.7 million purse. Bangkok’s Tavatanakit has earned $262,656 this season and $2,667,983 over the course of her LPGA career.

Albane Valenzuela earned solo second money after riding a 19-putt performance in the final round to a 63.

Everyone in the field gets paid in the LPGA’s no-cut Asian events. Yuting Shi finished last and earned $3,551. Players also had their hotel and flights to Thailand covered.

There were 11 Thai players in the field and five finished in the top 18.

Here’s the total purse breakdown for the first event of three events in Asia.

Honda LPGA Thailand prize money payouts

Position Player Score Earnings
1  Patty Tavatanakit -21 $255,000
2  Albane Valenzuela -20 $158,182
T3  Sei Young Kim -18 $101,759
T3  Hye-Jin Choi -18 $101,759
T5  Natthakritta Vongtaveelap -17 $64,953
T5  Hyo Joo Kim -17 $64,953
T7  Lilia Vu -16 $45,900
T7  Emily Kristine Pedersen -16 $45,900
T9  Hae Ran Ryu -15 $34,100
T9  Jaravee Boonchant -15 $34,100
T9  Brooke Henderson -15 $34,100
T9  Madelene Sagstrom -15 $34,100
T13  Chisato Iwai -14 $26,731
T13  Xiyu Lin -14 $26,731
T13  Ariya Jutanugarn -14 $26,731
T16  Erika Hara -13 $23,123
T16  Yuka Saso -13 $23,123
T18  Jenny Shin -12 $21,478
T18  Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (a) -12 —
T20  Mi Hyang Lee -11 $19,919
T20  Jin Young Ko -11 $19,919
T20  Danielle Kang -11 $19,919
T23  Narin An -10 $16,888
T23  Amy Yang -10 $16,888
T23  Peiyun Chien -10 $16,888
T23  Lauren Coughlin -10 $16,888
T23  Georgia Hall -10 $16,888
T23  Ayaka Furue -10 $16,888
T29  Bianca Pagdanganan -9 $14,419
T29  Nanna Koerstz Madsen -9 $14,419
T31  Sarah Kemp -8 $11,388
T31  Aditi Ashok -8 $11,388
T31  Linnea Strom -8 $11,388
T31  Jodi Ewart Shadoff -8 $11,388
T31  Sarah Schmelzel -8 $11,388
T31  Elizabeth Szokol -8 $11,388
T31  Chanettee Wannasaen -8 $11,388
T31  Maja Stark -8 $11,388
T31  Leona Maguire -8 $11,388
T31  Grace Kim -8 $11,388
T41  Stephanie Kyriacou -7 $8,155
T41  Allisen Corpuz -7 $8,155
T41  A Lim Kim -7 $8,155
T41  Moriya Jutanugarn -7 $8,155
T41  Nasa Hataoka -7 $8,155
T41  Alexa Pano -7 $8,155
T41  Eila Galitsky (a) -7 —
48  Lucy Li -6 $7,101
T49  Pornanong Phatlum -5 $6,339
T49  Eun-Hee Ji -5 $6,339
T49  Perrine Delacour -5 $6,339
T49  Esther Henseleit -5 $6,339
T49  Celine Boutier -5 $6,339
T54  Yuna Nishimura -4 $5,456
T54  Yu Liu -4 $5,456
T54  Charley Hull -4 $5,456
T54  Hannah Green -4 $5,456
T58  Gemma Dryburgh -3 $4,936
T58  Ruoning Yin -3 $4,936
T60  Akie Iwai -2 $4,382
T60  Anna Nordqvist -2 $4,382
T60  Jennifer Kupcho -2 $4,382
T60  Pajaree Anannarukarn -2 $4,382
T60  Gaby Lopez -2 $4,382
T65  Jasmine Suwannapura -1 $3,984
T65  Linn Grant -1 $3,984
T65  Andrea Lee -1 $3,984
68  Azahara Munoz -1 $3,811
69  Hinako Shibuno 1 $3,724
70  Celine Borge 6 $3,637
71  Yuting Shi 7 $3,551
WD Cheyenne Knight N/A $3,465

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5 things to know about Patty Tavatanakit’s dream win at 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand

Here’s what you missed from a busy final round in Thailand.

Life came full circle for Patty Tavatanakit on Sunday at Siam Country Club. She was 6 years old the first time an LPGA event was held in Thailand. After coming to the Honda LPGA Thailand event as a spectator, she played on a sponsor invitation as an amateur and then, at age 24, became the second Thai player to win the event in dramatic fashion.

Tavatanakit closed with a 5-under 67 over the Old Course to finish at 21-under 267, one shot ahead of Swiss player Albane Valenzuela. A swarm of friends, including World No. 1 Lilia Vu, showered her with water on the 18th green as she broke down in a flood of emotions.

“It’s a dream come true to win here,” said Tavatanakit, who won $255,000 for her efforts. “I was outside the ropes at one point in my life and now I’m inside, get to play with all these amazing girls. They’re the best in the world. To be able to close it is pretty surreal right now.”

Here are five things to know about a special Sunday in Thailand:

Patty Tavatanakit closing in on second win in as many weeks at Honda LPGA Thailand

For the first time since 2021, Tavatanakit has carded three straight rounds in the 60s

For the second time in as many weeks, Patty Tavatanakit has a three-shot lead heading into the final round. Déjà vu?

Playing in her home country, the 24-year-old shot 6-under 66 on Saturday at Siam Country Club Old Course in Chonburi, Thailand, to move three clear of the field with 18 holes to play. Last week, she did the same at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour en route to her first victory in more than three years.

This week, for the first time since 2021, Tavatanakit has carded three straight rounds in the 60s and sits at 16 under, three shots clear of Madelene Sagstrom.

“I’m really proud of my performance today,” Tavatanakit said. “It’s getting very tiring, exhausting in the heat. I’m just going to conserve my energy and take on the challenge tomorrow.”

Tavatanakit had about as strong a start as she could’ve hoped, carding four birdies and an eagle in the first seven holes. She bogeyed the par-4 11th but bounced back with a birdie on the 15th and cruised to the clubhouse for a 66.

“There is a lot of obligations so far this week,” Tavatanakit said. “I feel like I didn’t really have time to prepare, but I came into this week with an open mindset of like learning this position that I’m in coming into a home event, being last week’s champion. There is a lot of pressure, but I can look at it as an encouragement for me to feel happy to play in front of my fans.”

Sagstrom, a 36-hole co-leader, was even on her first nine holes but went 3 under on the back nine, including a closing eagle to pull her within three of Tavatanakit.

“Patty is playing beautifully,” Sagstrom said. “She it hitting the ball lovely, and she is putting even better. She left a few putts short today and she could have gone really low today. I think you kind of know that to really have a chance for tomorrow, you have to play good golf. You don’t really do that by comparing yourself to somebody else or trying to react on their games. All I need to do is get my own zone and out of my own way.”

Hye-Jin Choi, Emily Kristine Pederson and Hyo Joo Kim are tied for third at 12 under. There’s a big group at 11 under, including Brooke Henderson, Albane Valenzuela and amateur Suvichaya Vinijchaitham.

World No. 1 Lilia Vu is T-16 at 9 under.

5 takeaways from Honda LPGA Thailand, where a ‘humbled’ Patty Tavatanakit stays hot

Here’s what you need to know from the first round of play on Thursday.

The LPGA returned to action in Thailand after a three-week break and Peiyun Chien lit up Siam Country Club Old Course with a career-tying 8-under 64. The 33-year-old Taiwanese player poured in seven birdies and an eagle to take control.

“I like the course because I just feel the green is similar in Taiwan, so I read better,” said Chien, who needed only 24 putts in the first round of the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand.

There are 11 Thai players in the field of 72, including last week’s winner on the Ladies European Tour, Patty Tavatanakit. The no-cut event features a purse of $1.7 million, with $255,000 going to the winner.

Here are five takeaways from a steamy start to the Asian swing:

Healthy Jin Young Ko among notable players making 2024 LPGA debut in Thailand

Several stars are teeing it up in Thailand.

Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko returns to competition at the Honda LPGA Thailand. The last time the South Korean star teed it up on the LPGA at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, she was wearing a brace on her left knee. Ko eventually withdrew from the event prior to the third round.

Ko insists that’s now behind her and said doctors checked her entire body – knees, shoulders, wrists, spine – and reported that she’s healthy for 2024. She flew to Vietnam during the extended offseason to train with her coach and feels confident going into her 10th season as a professional, including time spent on the KLPGA.

Her goal this year: Stay healthy and keep her energy up throughout the season.

“Usually my season is like first five months was really nice and then my energy getting lower,” she said. “I want to be consistent with my energy, performance, everything. … Hard practice and after the practice, let it be, let it go.”

World No. 1 Lilia Vu headlines the Honda Thailand field. Last year Vu broke through with her first LPGA title in Thailand, and then went on to win three more times, including two majors.

While her first two events of 2024 were lackluster at best, Vu went home to California during the three-week break to work on her ball striking.

“I think that was a bit of a wakeup call for me,” said Vu of the shaky start, “but definitely needed to happen.”

Lydia Ko, who won the season-opening event and lost in a playoff to Nelly Korda the next week, will return to action next week in Singapore at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Korda, meanwhile, is in the midst of a seven-week break and returns at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship next month.

Ko isn’t the only player making her 2024 season debut. Here are several other notable players (with Rolex Ranking) starting their first LPGA start in Thailand:

Photos: Lilia Vu through the years

View photos of 2023 Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu throughout her career from top college player to major champion.

It’s been quite the ride for 2023 Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu.

As an amateur, Vu was a premiere player, ranked No. 1 in the world for 31 weeks and representing the United States a handful of times before and during her stint at UCLA.

As a Bruin, Vu earned numerous awards including 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and 2018 WGCA Player of the Year and three first-team All-American nods.

Vu earned her LPGA card straight out of college via Q-School, but lost her status after being unable to secure a high enough spot on the money list.

Winning three times during the 2021 Epson Tour season, Vu earned Player of the Year honors and secured full status for the 2022 LPGA season.

It didn’t take long for Vu to get back to her winning ways as she took home the Honda LPGA Thailand in February of 2023. The win helped propel her inside the top 20 in the world.

Now with a major championship under her belt, the Hawaii native should jump inside the top 10 and will likely be there to stay as major season continues to roll on.

This 20-year-old playing on a sponsor exemption leads the Honda LPGA Thailand by 4 heading into final round

Sunday is shaping up to be special.

There’s a pair of Thai players on top of the leaderboard in Thailand. One of them has been No. 1 in the world. The other is leading by four while playing on a sponsor exemption.

Twenty-year-old Natthakritta Vongtaveelap shot 8-under 64 on Saturday to increase her lead to four shots over reigning LPGA rookie of the year Atthaya Thitikul with 18 holes to play at the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club. Vongtaveelap, who got into the field after winning a national qualifier earlier this year, is one round away from a life-changing victory in her first LPGA start.

“Really good today,” she said of Saturday’s round. “Perfect.”

Vongtaveelap turned professional last November after advancing through the first two stages of LPGA Q-School. She earned LPGA membership for 2023 after finishing in a tie for 28th at LPGA Q-Series.

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Her third round started with an eagle and she closed with three consecutive birdies. Vongtaveelap has only two bogeys on the week. She said the Thai crowds have been extremely supportive.

“I try to be myself, be with the game, and I think I can make it,” she said.

Thitikul matched Vontaveelap with a round of 64. Celine Boutier is in third at 15 under. World No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 2 Nelly Korda are at 13 under and T-7.

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Bangkok rookie, known as ‘Sim 300’ for her power off the tee, leads early at 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap is playing on a sponsor exemption and leading.

A trio of Thai players are in the top 10 of the Honda LPGA Thailand, including a rookie who leads the field at 12 under.

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, 20, got into the field after winning a national qualifier for the event earlier this year. She’s competing on a sponsor exemption and making the most of her experience, carding a second-round 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Maja Stark. Vongtaveelap carded six birdies on her back nine.

“This is my first time, you know,” she said of her Honda debut. “It’s my largest crowd in my life.”

Bangkok’s Vongtaveelap turned professional last November after advancing through the first two stages of LPGA Q-School. She earned LPGA membership for 2023 after finishing in a tie for 28th at LPGA Q-Series. Vongtaveelap goes by “Sim” and is known as “Sim 300” for her distance off the tee.

Duke grad Jaravee Boonchant, another LPGA rookie, sits in a share of third while LPGA veteran Pornanong Phatlum holds a share of eighth, three back.

Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, last year’s LPGA Rookie of the Year, trails by four at T-15. 2022 U.S Women’s Amateur champion Saki Baba, who is also competing on a sponsor exemption, is tied for 20th at 7 under.

Stark, who holed out twice for eagle in the opening round, has won seven times worldwide since she left Oklahoma State early to turn professional in the summer of 2021. Her victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational last summer earned her an LPGA card. She currently tops the LET’s Solheim Cup points list.

“I’ve been trying to get better at handling nerves, but I feel like I’m going to have nerves the whole weekend, so I’m just going to keep playing aggressively anyway. Just keep putting my foot on the pedal and try to go low. Not compare myself to other people. Just try to make as many birdies as I can do because can’t affect the way they’re playing.”

Nelly Korda of United States looks on putting green at 18th hole during the second round of the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club on February 24, 2023 in Chon Buri. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)

Second-ranked Korda’s 66 was highlighted by a chip-in for eagle on the par-5 10th hole. Korda, whose sister Jessica won this event in 2018, said she was in between clubs on her second shot and opted to hit 3-wood off the downhill slope. She’d actually practiced the chip shot that followed earlier in the week.

“It was a tricky shot,” said Korda. “It was an undulated green kind of with not much room to work with, a little downhill left-to-righter, and then coming back left and I just landed it perfectly.”

World No. 1 Lydia Ko won last week in Saudi Arabia and trails by four after back-to-back 68s.

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Swede Maja Stark holes out twice for eagle at Honda LPGA Thailand, leans on Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen for advice

Stark didn’t simply pour in birdies on a steamy day in Chonburi, she holed out twice from the fairway for eagle.

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After playing competitor Amy Yang began her round with three consecutive birdies at Siam Country Club, Maja Stark decided the Honda LPGA Thailand might be a birdiefest. Yang, after all, is a three-time winner of this event.

Only Stark didn’t simply pour in birdies on a steamy day in Chonburi, she holed out twice from the fairway for eagle. The first one came on the fifth hole with a half nine-iron.

“Then on 11, I said to my caddie, ‘Oh, let’s make another one’ as a joke, and it went in,” said Stark, who opened with a 6-under 66.

The rising Swedish star finds herself in a share of sixth after Round 1. Jennifer Kupcho, Xiyu Lin, Anna Nordqvist, Nasa Hataoka and Jaravee Boonchant of Thailand share the lead at 7 under.

“The coolest thing would be like on No. 18 and No. 9 with all the crowds and all the stadiums that people were on,” said Boonchant, a Duke grad who is playing this event for the first time as an LPGA member.

One of 11 Thai players in the field, Boonchant earned membership by finishing in the top 45 and ties at the 2022 LPGA Q-Series.

Former No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul, currently the highest-ranked Thai player at No. 4 in the world, sits in a tie for ninth after an opening 67.

Stark, a first-timer in Thailand, said that she recently spoke with Solheim Cup captain Suzann Pettersen and confessed that she’s terrified of messing up.

“She said, ‘Maja, do you have a heart?’ ” recalled Stark. “I said, yeah. ‘Is it beating?’ Yeah. ‘Then you’re human, you are going to mess up, but you just you keep going.’ ”

While Stark said she has some great coaches back home in Sweden, they haven’t walked the same path as someone like Pettersen, a 15-time winner on the LPGA. Stark, who has looked up to Pettersen for years, can’t believe she now has the fiery Norwegian’s cell phone number.

“She’s so tough,” said Stark. “I feel like we’re the complete opposite kind of. I don’t know. She described me as a Pitbull, but I feel like a Golden Retriever. I know I have I have no idea where she got that from.

“Some people say I look mean on the course, but that’s not what I feel.”

Stark left Oklahoma State early to turn professional in the summer of 2021. She has since won seven times worldwide, including the ISPS Handa World Invitational, which earned her an LPGA card. She currently tops the LET’s Solheim Cup points list.

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LPGA: 5 things to look for in Thailand, where Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko are primed for battle along with Japanese teen sensation Saki Baba

Nine of the top 10 players in the world are in Asia this week.

Nine of the top 10 players in the world are in Asia this week for the 16th staging of the Honda LPGA Thailand. American Lexi Thompson, No. 6, is the only top-10 player not in the field at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko heads into Thailand hot off a victory at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, where she won $750,000. It’s the newlywed’s third victory worldwide in her last four starts, earning her more than $3 million in that stretch.

2022 major champions Minjee Lee and In Gee Chun will join Ko in beginning their LPGA seasons this week.

Last year, Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen notched her first LPGA victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand, defeating Xiyu Lin with an eagle on the second playoff hole.

Here are five things to look for this week in steamy Thailand, where scores are low and the humidity is high: