'Female Discus Thrower' Tawattanakit "Major Champ in One Go"..."A Monster Has Appeared"

First Major ANA 'Wire-to-Wire' Victory "Up to 348-Yard Long Drives and Pinpoint Iron Shots"

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Maximum 348-yard long drive."

She is truly the "female DeChambeau." The 22-year-old rookie Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand, photo) made headlines by winning the first major of the 2021 LPGA Tour season, the ANA Inspiration (total prize money $3.1 million), held on the 5th (Korean time) at Mission Hills Golf Club in Rancho Mirage, California (par 72). This victory marked the first rookie win in 37 years since Juli Inkster (USA) in 1984, and also set a rare record of "wire-to-wire" victory for the first time in 21 years since Karrie Webb (Australia) in 2000.

Tavatanakit is a next-generation prospect who was named the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year in 2016. She played for UCLA's golf team starting in 2017, accumulating seven wins, and impressively finished tied for 5th as an amateur at the 2018 U.S. Women's Open. In 2019, she showcased her "hidden dragon" power on the Symetra Tour (the LPGA's developmental tour) with three wins, finishing second in earnings and first in scoring average. It was somewhat surprising that she had only one top-10 finish in 14 events after joining the LPGA Tour last year.

However, this year she has gained momentum with a tie for 5th at the Gainbridge LPGA in February and a tie for 14th at last month's Drive On Championship. This time, she started strong with 6-under par on the first day, followed by 3-under on the second, 5-under on the third, and 4-under on the final day, showing remarkable consistency. Above all, Tavatanakit's average driving distance of 323 yards drew the spotlight, surpassing the PGA Tour leader Bryson DeChambeau's (USA) 320.8 yards.

It is worth noting that Tavatanakit operated a "computer iron shot" with a greens-in-regulation rate of 84.72%. With an average of 29 putts, she showed virtually no weaknesses. Experts highlighted her "steel mental toughness" in overcoming the pressure of playing in the final group on the last day. She said, "I just focused on my game." This explains why Lydia Ko (New Zealand), who shot 10-under par to tie the course record, finished second. The LPGA Tour has become even more exciting to watch.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.