Tag: Jaravee Boonchant

Ally Ewing makes late eagle, grabs solo lead at 2023 AIG Women’s Open

Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

[anyclip pubname=”2122″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8171″]

Ally Ewing has had a rollercoaster last few months on the LPGA.

In May, at the Bank of Hope Match Play, she finished 17th. Then she missed a cut at the Mizuho Americas.

A tie for eighth at the Meijer LPGA Classic was followed by a missed cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

A solo 11th at the U.S. Women’s Open was followed by a missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship.

She posted a T-9 a week ago in the Women’s Scottish Open but looks to be in good shape to buck the missed-cut-every-other-event trend this week at the AIG Women’s Open.

Ewing rebounded from back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England.

“The ball was sitting down a bit,” she said after her drive on 16 ended up in the rough. “But I happened to see both my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was up in front of the green and so I was actually able to learn a little bit there. It was kind of a gouge-type shot and I just let it chase and it just so happened to chase to like five feet. It was one of those where you’re trying to give yourself an eagle chance and it just so happened to be a five-footer, so definitely happy to walk away with an eagle.”

Her 4-under 68 elevated her into the solo lead after one round of the final LPGA major of 2023.

There’s a logjam in second at 3 under between Jeongeun Lee6, Emily Kristine Pedersen, Perrine Delacour, Jaravee Boonchant and Amy Yang. They all shot 69s.

There’s even a bigger cluster at 2 under, with 12 golfers tied for seventh after shooting 70. That group includes Carlota Ciganda, who was disqualified from the last LPGA major, the Amundi Evian Championship, for signing an incorrect scorecard, an incident that arose out of a two-stroke penalty for slow play. Also at 2 under is U.S. Open champ, Allisen Corpuz.

As for the other 2023 LPGA major champs: KPMG Women’s PGA champ Yin Ruoning, even; Chevron Championship winner Lilia Vu, 1 over; Amundi winner Celine Boutier, 2 over.

Other notable scores: Danielle Kang (E), Stacy Lewis (E), Jin Young Ko (1 over), Nelly Korda (1 over), Lydia Ko (2 over), defending AIG champ Ashleigh Buhai (2 over), Brooke Henderson (3 over) and Lexi Thompson (4 over).

Thirty-three golfers broke par on the first day.

A dozen LPGA rookies to watch in 2023, including a couple of former American prodigies, a Division II college star and a 10-time winner from Japan

Keep an eye on these 12 rookies in 2023.

It’s not often that an LPGA rookie rises to No. 1 in the world, but Atthaya Thitikul proved to be a special player last season. Will anyone be able to make such a strong showing in 2023?

This year’s rookie class is once again highly global. In fact, an American hasn’t won the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award since Paula Creamer in 2005.

There are, however, a couple of American hotshots who made headlines before they graduated from elementary school in the 2023 rookie class. Could Lucy Li or Alexa Pano break that drought?

Here are a dozen LPGA rookies to keep an eye on in 2023:

Six Thai players to watch at Honda LPGA Thailand, including a world-class rookie

A total of 10 players from Thailand are in the field this week. Here’s a closer look at some of the host nation’s best.

As the Honda LPGA Thailand celebrates its 15th year, golf in Thailand has never been so robust. Last year Ariya Jutanugarn became the first Thai player to win the event, fitting given that she was the first Thai to win on the LPGA and rise to No. 1.

Incredibly, Thai players finished 1-2-3 last year with LPGA rookie Atthaya Thitikul placing second and last year’s Chevron winner, Patty Tavatanakit coming in third.

This marks the 10th time the Honda Thailand will be contested on the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club.

A total of 10 players from Thailand are in the field: Jaravee Boonchant (Bangkok), Ariya Jutanugarn (Bangkok), Moriya Jutanugarn (Bangkok), Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok), Jasmine Suwannapura (Bangkok), Rina Tatematsu (Bangkok), Patty Tavatanakit (Bangkok), Prima Thammaraks (Bangkok), Atthaya Thitikul (Ratchaburi) and Chanettee Wannasaen (Chiang Mai).

Here’s a closer look at some of the host nation’s best:

Duke graduate Jaravee Boonchant scores leg up in transition to pro golf with Juli Inkster Senior Award presented by Workday

Boonchant will have the benefit of a direct line to Inkster as a result of winning the award designated for college seniors.

The unanswered questions of a newbie professional are many. Jaravee Boonchant, a member of Duke’s 2019 national title team who turned professional after the Blue Devils’ latest trip to the NCAA Championship in May, would like some sense of what faces her.

She’s about to have a direct line into one of the game’s greats to clear up some of the mystery.

Boonchant has been named the winner of the Juli Inkster Senior Award presented by Workday, recognizing the highest ranked women’s Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility for the 2020-21 season. Boonchant, from Thailand, is the second winner of the award, following 2020 winner Natalie Srinivasan of Furman.

Inkster’s name is particularly appropriate on the award, given that the three-time All-American at San Jose State (1979-82) elected not to turn professional until after receiving her college degree, winning 17 individual titles during her college career.

“Jaravee had an amazing college career at Duke and stuck it out through the challenges of the global pandemic to earn her college degree at one of the most respected higher education institutions in the country. That says a lot about not only her performance on the course but also about her goals and passions away from it,” Inkster said in a release. “I look forward to mentoring Jaravee as she navigates the next stage in her professional and personal journeys.

“I also want to thank the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and Workday for partnering with me on this award,” continued Inkster. “To have a player be honored for her commitment to her school, coaches and her teammates is what this award is all about.”

Jaravee Boonchant, Duke women's golf
Duke golfs during the ACC Women’s Golf Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/ACC)

Boonchant graduated from Duke in April with a degree in Statistics. A three-time All-ACC and four-time All-American selection, she accumulated a 71.99 stroke average over four seasons, the third-best career stroke average in Duke history. She finished her senior season ranked No. 13 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings.

She turned professional after the national championship and began to chart her professional career, playing the Texas Women’s Open (she finished T5) and competing on the Women’s All-Pro Tour.

Not long after starting that adventure, she got a call from Inkster herself, who broke the news that Boonchant had won her namesake award. All Boonchant knew was that she was supposed to pick up the phone call that would be coming from a number she didn’t recognize.

“So when I got a call from Juli, I was like wow,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if she called to say that I won the award or if someone else won it.”

Boonchant Monday qualified for the LPGA’s Marathon Classic earlier this summer but hasn’t played another tour event. As a perk of the award, she’ll play the Cambia Portland Classic, taking place at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Oregon, Sept. 16-19. Then it’s on to Stage II of LPGA Q-School – Boonchant also got a pass into the second stage based on winning the award.

“After I turned pro I didn’t really have a mentor,” said Boonchant, who says former Duke players like Ana Belac as well as Thai LPGA player Pajaree Anannarukarn have fielded some of her many questions. Duke assistant coach Jon Whithaus also helped her on her way.

Professional golf is a very different arena, however, and with her parents back in Thailand, Boonchant is largely navigating it alone. She has booked her own rental cars and made her own hotel arrangements in this first foray into the next stage.

“It would be nice if I could know beforehand the difficulties I might face on this journey,” said Boonchant when asked what she hopes to learn from her time with Inkster.

With the award, Boonchant receives $50,000 from WorkDay as starting-out money to help with expenses. But she also scores face time with Inkster in the form of a two-day retreat with the LPGA legend.

“I think I would love to just play a round with her,” Boonchant said. That would also offer the chance to pick her brain on all things LPGA, from choosing tournaments to mental game to dealing with the pressure.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]