'Pattaya Queen' Yang Hee-young "Finishing Joint 4th This Year"... Madsen "First Win for Denmark"

Honda LPGA Thailand Final Day 8-Under Par Late Surge, Massen Wins in Second Playoff with Eagle, Lin Xiyu 2nd

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "This year, tied for 4th place."

It was the strong finish of Yang Hee-young (33, photo). On the 13th (Korean time) at the Siam Country Club in Chonburi near Pattaya, Thailand (par 72, 6,576 yards), she surged with an 8-under-par on the final day of the LPGA Tour Honda LPGA Thailand (total prize money $1.6 million) to settle in a tie for 4th place (23-under-par 265 strokes). Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Denmark) and Lin Xiyu (China) were tied for the lead (26-under-par 262 strokes), and in the second playoff hole resumed at the 18th hole (par 5), Madsen made an 'eagle to win.' The winner's prize money was $240,000 (300 million KRW).

It is interesting that Yang Hee-young is particularly strong in this tournament. Out of her total 4 wins, 3 were here, having topped the leaderboard in the odd years of 2015, 2017, and 2019. This is why she is nicknamed the 'Queen of Pattaya.' On this day, she collected 9 birdies (1 bogey). She started well with consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, and the bogey on hole 3 (par 4) was recovered with a birdie on hole 4 (par 3). She created excitement with two more pairs of consecutive birdies on holes 6-7 and 12-13. She added 2 birdies on the final holes 15 and 18. She smiled brightly saying, "I like the course."

Nanna Koerstz Madsen is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the Honda LPGA Thailand. Pattaya (Thailand) = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

It is noteworthy that Madsen is Denmark's first LPGA Tour champion. The 26-under-par is also a tournament record. On the final 18th hole (par 5), leading by 2 strokes, she suffered a careless bogey, walking a thorny path between 'hell and heaven.' With Lin Xiyu's birdie, a playoff was set. In the first playoff hole, Madsen made a birdie with '2 on 2 putts,' but Lin Xiyu made an 'eagle-like birdie' by placing her approach shot close to the hole, which was a relief for Madsen.

In the second playoff hole, Madsen finally holed a 3-meter eagle putt. C?line Boutier (France) led with an 'eagle shot' on the 18th hole to finish 3rd (25-under-par 263 strokes), and Brooke Henderson (Canada) joined the tie for 4th place. For Korea, Kim Hyo-joo (27) tied for 6th place (22-under-par 266 strokes), and Lee Jeong-eun 6 (26, Daebang Construction) tied for 8th place (20-under-par 268 strokes). Yuka Saso (Japan) posted a daily best of 10-under-par, soaring to a tie for 12th place (19-under-par 269 strokes).

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