It was a valiant effort from Thailand native Atthaya Thitikul on Sunday at the Maybank Championship, who carded a 4-under 68 in the final round, but the 20-year-old ultimately fell to Celine Boutier after nine extra holes, the second-longest playoff in LPGA Tour history. Thitikul started the day at 17-under, one back of the lead held by rookie Rose Zhang. She made one bogey and two birdies on her front nine to move to 18-under overall, and after carding five consecutive pars on holes 10 through 14, she came to her final four holes needing to do something special to put the pressure on Celine Boutier, who was making a late run at the Maybank Championship title.
The two-time LPGA Tour winner made back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 to get to 20-under, and with Boutier making birdie on the par-5 18th hole to post the clubhouse lead at 21-under, Thitikul needed one final birdie on the last to force a playoff. A player who doesn’t shy away from the big moment, Thitikul hit the green in two on 18, rolling her eagle try to just inside 10 feet and jarring the resulting birdie putt, sending herself and Boutier back to the tee to duke it out for the victory.
The pair tied the first hole, and when they went back to play No. 18 for a second time, inclement weather forced a delay, with the horn being blown at 2:48 p.m. local time. Boutier and Thitikul didn’t resume their playoff until 4:20 p.m., and the two ultimately tied on 18 for a second time, moving the playoff to the par-3 15th hole. The third extra hole saw another tie, as did the fourth extra hole when Boutier and Thitikul both made birdie on the par-5 18th.
Moving back to 15, they tied again with pars and did the same on the sixth playoff hole, once again parring 18. Playing both 15 and 18 once more saw the pair tie two more times, sending them back to the par-3 15th hole one final time for a ninth extra hole. Both players hit it close on the ninth playoff hole, and when Thitikul’s approximately eight-foot birdie try missed just a hair left, Boutier had roughly three feet for the win, draining her birdie putt to capture her fourth title of the 2023 season.
While it definitely stings a bit not to come out with the victory, Thitikul was proud of how hard she fought to give herself a chance at her third career LPGA Tour title on Sunday in Malaysia and was impressed with the level of golf that both she and Boutier put on display over the nine extra holes, a playoff that she will remember for the rest of her career.
“It's exhausting. It's pretty tiring, to be honest,” said Thitikul of her third career LPGA Tour playoff. “But I think it's the best playoff I ever had in my life. Even if I lose, but I feel like, oh, (dang), we played so good. I feel a lot more confident with my game now. I fought really hard in the playoff, and both of us are hitting really great shots, and it paid off. It just goes to someone who did it better.”
Sunday’s runner-up is now Thitikul’s 12th top-10 result in 19 total starts this season and is her third consecutive top-five finish, joining her tie for second at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America and her tie for fifth at the BMW Ladies Championship. This week at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club marks just the fourth time this season that Thitikul has recorded three or more rounds in the 60s in an LPGA Tour event, and with one of those rounds in Malaysia being a bogey-free, 10-under 62, it appears that Thitikul is mere inches away from that breaking through and capturing her third career victory.
Thitikul won’t be teeing it up at the TOTO Japan Classic next week but is scheduled to tee it up in the final two events of the season at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican and CME Group Tour Championship. And while the 20-year-old has plenty of positives gleaned from a successful week in Malaysia on which to marinate, Thitikul is more excited about getting home to Thailand and taking a short break before the season culminates at Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Fla., in just three weeks’ time.
“Looking forward to going back home. Really looking forward to spending my time with my family, my dogs,” said Thitikul. “I just have two weeks left for this year, so hopefully, we end on a really good note.”
Little snack doesn't hurt right before a playoff 😆 pic.twitter.com/Tu0cJj5Lyx
— LPGA (@LPGA) October 29, 2023
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