Happiness is another LPGA title
CP WOMEN’S OPEN: Jutanugarn continues torrid streak on tour, winning fifth tournament in last 10 starts
PRIDDIS, Alta. — During a miserable stretch last season, Ariya Jutanugarn missed 10 consecutive cuts.
In her past 10 LPGA Tour events, she has collected five trophies.
Jutanugarn arrived in Calgary as the hottest golfer on the planet — albeit hobbled by a knee injury that forced her to withdraw during the third round of the Summer Olympics in Rio — and she certainly didn’t cool off this week, romping to a four-stroke victory at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at Priddis Greens.
“After I won my first tournament, I feel like I reached my goal,” Jutanugarn said Sunday after her latest trophy presentation. “After that, I feel like I don’t care what my ranking is going to be. I don’t care if I’m going to win the tournament or not. The only thing I want to be is I really want to be happy on the course.”
If playing really good golf puts a smile on her face, Jutanugarn should be as happy as all heck right now.
The world No. 2 didn’t give the pursuing pack much hope in Sunday’s final round, mixing in seven birdies and one bogey in her last lap of the Raven Course at Priddis Greens and signing for a four-day total of 23-under 265.
The 20-year-old from Thailand has now notched five victories during her four-month spree.
“It was pretty big for us when she had her first win because she had been working so hard for it,” said Jutanugarn’s older sister Moriya, who is also an LPGA Tour regular, but missed the cut at Priddis Greens. “After that, it seems like it looks easier and easier for her because she’s more comfortable with that position.”
She certainly made it look easy this week. Jutanugarn made birdie on 37.5 per cent of her holes at Priddis Greens.
She made only four bogeys, missed only six fairways — she didn’t even bag a driver, instead cranking threewood or two-iron off the tee — and hit 89 per cent of greens in regulation.
Jutanugarn capped Sunday’s round with one more birdie for a closing 6-under 66, clinching a fourshot victory and the US$337,500 grand prize.
South Korea’s Sei Young Kim settled for second with a four-day total of 19-under 269, while In Gee Chun was third.
With a superb fourth-place showing, Hamilton, Ont.’s Alena Sharp not only captured low Canadian honours, but enjoyed her best result in a decade-plus on the LPGA Tour.
With Brooke Henderson and Maude-Aimee Leblanc earning a share of 14th, it marked the first time in the 43-year history of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open that a hat trick of Canucks finished among the top 15.
“That’s awesome,” Sharp said with a grin.
There has been plenty of chatter about the potential impact the 18-year-old Henderson could have on growing the game in Canada and there’s no doubt Jutanugarn — the first Thai golfer to win on the LPGA Tour — has that same clout in her homeland.
“It just means a lot for Thailand. I think she is inspiring for the new generation,” Moriya said. “Of course, we need more and more people to play golf. It’s like Korea — people are really into golf and everybody loves golf and a lot of people are playing golf. That’s how there are a lot of good Korean players and a lot of Korean girls on tour. I wish we have that moment in Thailand in a couple years.”