With her hands trembling, Ariya Jutanugarn knocked in a par putt on the 72nd hole to claim a one shot victory and become a Rolex First Time Winner at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
“Right now, really happy,” Jutanugarn said. “Like proud of myself, but, you know, after back nine, I didn’t feel anything. I was just like, I’m out. Right now still a little bit excited, but last three hole excited, my hands shake, yeah.”
The win isn’t only the first in Jutanugarn’s young career but is the first from an LPGA golfer from Thailand.
“It’s nice,” Jutanugarn said of being the first Thai winner on Tour. “I’m really happy. I’m pretty sure a lot players from Thailand are gonna win soon and second and third is going to be coming and coming.”
Jutanugarn seemed to be stuck in neutral for the beginning of the day as she turned in event par-36 to sit in a tie for the lead. A bogey on the par-4 12th pushed Jutanugarn out of lead forcing her to refocus.
“I didn’t care what will happen,” Jutanugarn admitted. “I mean, sometimes good, but I didn’t fight at all. I mean I just feel like bogey, next hole, par, next hole, again, and I wake up after 12 because my caddie turned around and told me “Mae, you play golf like you didn’t sleep last night. Wake up and make some birdies and you will be fine.” He just told me, “I don’t care if you shoot 80, 90, you are gonna lose this tournament, whatever, but better to fight and pay attention to every shot,” and that’s what woke me up.”
Following the pep talk from her caddie, Jutanugarn bounced back by stuffing an iron to inside a foot on the par-3 13th for a tap in birdie. Another stiffed approach shot and tap in birdie on the par-4 14th gave Jutanugarn a two shot lead which she never relinquished.
“Today I just feel like, 3 shot lead, and I very badly want to win my first tournament.”
Coming off the 18th hole, Jutanugarn was greeted by her sister Moryia, several other Thai players and fittingly on Mother’s Day, her mom.
“You know, she is my everything, like my sister,” Jutanugarn said. “They’re great support. Right now we just travel together and have so much fun. I had a hard time last year I miss ten cuts in a row, but good thing my mom and my sister always trust in me.
My mom asked me when are you going to play good? Why are you not playing good? The only thing she told me was to keep fighting and that I’m going to be good. “
JUTANUGARN SHUTS DOOR ON POTENTIAL FOUR WAY PLAYOFF
Throughout 72 holes, Stacy Lewis, Morgan Pressel, and Amy Yang sat tied at 13-under, 275 and waited around to see if Ariya Jutanugarn would falter down the stretch. When Jutanugarn sunk her final putt the trio had to settle for a tie for second.
“The course didn’t seem to play that much easier without the wind,” Lewis explained. “It still played really tough and gave myself a chance there, and really happy with the finish.”
Pressel had five birdies and one bogey and had a great bogey free back nine to finish. Pressel said that she has seen a major change in her game after finishing the tournament.
“My game this week is 180 degrees different from what it’s been so far this year,” Pressel said. “It’s very encouraging just take that into a big, busy summer stretch with a lot of very important events.”
Yang had a great final round earning eight birdies and three bogeys with four birdies in a row on holes 2, 3, 4, and 5. Yang ran into some trouble on par-5, 17 where on her third shot, the ball ended up in the hazard area. Yang said that she hit the ball thin and didn’t think it would move towards the left.
“I am happy how I played,” Yang said. “Made a couple of mistakes out there but it’s another great week. I’m learning from it a lot and I’m prepared for the next one.”
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