On a windy day at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course, it was American Lilia Vu who emerged victorious, winning by one shot over 54-hole leader Natthakritta Vongtaveelap. Starting the day at -14 and six back of the lead, Vu raced out of the gate, making two birdies in her first three holes. A string of pars from holes 4 to 7 cooled her off slightly, but then she rattled off a whopping five consecutive birdies from Nos. 8 to 12, in dogged pursuit of rookie Vongtaveelap. Vu made another birdie on the par-4, 15th to take a one-shot lead with four holes to play, ultimately grinding out four more pars to post an 8-under, 64 and become the season’s first Rolex First-Time Winner. The victory felt like it was a long time coming for Vu, and after finishing T3 or better three different times last season, it’s nice to finally have that weight off her shoulders.
“Feels really good to get it done. I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself at the end of last year, and during the off-season I kind of just changed my mindset. Like I always knew I was going to win, I just got to let it happen,” said the UCLA alum. “The more you hold onto something I feel like it gets further away. I came close a lot towards the end of the last season, so I was just going to have fun and play my game and it would eventually work itself out.”
Thai rookie Vongtaveelap struggled to stay steady under pressure on day four in Chonburi, Thailand. The 20-year-old birdied the first, seeming to be in total control, but a bogey on the second appeared to rattle her cage. She doubled the par-3, 4th, and after recovering with a birdie on hole 5, made another bogey at the 6th. Vongtaveelap made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 and bogeyed the 9th to turn in 37. She opened the back nine birdie-bogey-birdie on 10, 11 and 12, snagging another birdie on the par-4 14th to tie the lead with Vu with four holes to play, but Vongtaveelap closed with four pars, including one on the par-5 18th that saw her chip her third shot while on the green, ultimately posting at -21 and losing by one shot.
Two-time LPGA Tour winner Atthaya Thitikul couldn’t find the gas on Sunday, finally showing some life on the closing nine, making four birdies and no bogeys to card a 4-under, 68 and finish third. Despite the lackluster final day, Thitikul was pleased with her result and was incredibly grateful to play in front of a legion of fans in her home country. “I had a really good week this week in my hometown. Honda LPGA, it's always special event in my career,” said the 20-year-old. “Had good, positive vibes here for finishing today as well. Not getting there, but all the process has been in the right direction.”
Sweden’s Maja Stark and France’s Celine Boutier concluded their weeks inside the top-five, finishing in at tie for fourth at -17. Next week’s defending champion Jin Young Ko matched Vu’s 8-under, 64 to vault from T27 into a share of sixth alongside Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko, major champion Nelly Korda and Ireland’s Leona Maguire. Defending champion Nanna Koerstz Madsen finished T38.
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