NZ connection that helped plot victory over a storming Kiwi
Her coach is former PGA Tour winner Grant Waite, and the golfer she calls her best friend is New Zealand’s top-ranked amateur Amelia Garvey.
Both got the plaudits from Patty Tavatanakit as the relatively unknown Thai golfer held off a stunning late charge from Kiwi No 1 Lydia Ko to win the LPGA Tour’s ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California. New Zealand’s Waite won the 1993 Kemper Open as his solitary PGA Tour victory, and got within one shot of Tiger Woods at the 2000 Canadian Open in a career that earned him around US$5 million, before he turned to coaching 10 years ago.
Tavatanakit, 21, credited Waite with straightening out her swing, and her mental approach.
‘‘Just thought process, throughout every shot was clear and light and easy, nothing too complicated,’’ she said after round one. ‘‘But mainly I feel like what I improved as a player compared to last year was course management. Grant and I have been just really, really strict on that when we go play or practice together during the off-season.’’
Garvey, the world’s 27th ranked amateur who is soon to turn pro, attended the University of Southern California while Tavatanakit was at UCLA (University of California).
‘‘She’s supposed to be my rival but I really love her,’’ she said of Garvey, ensuring she got a shout out. Tavatanakit had no idea Ko was tearing up the course three groups ahead yesterday.
‘‘Didn’t look at the leaderboard at all today,’’ Tavatanakit said.
‘‘Just because – I saw her name up there, but I didn’t look at it – I wanted to play my own game, which I did, and did a really good job of that today.’’
With a chip-in eagle on the parfive second, two birdies and a lot of par saves, the long-hitting Thai player survived Ko’s charge without realising how close it was until she finished and was preparing for the traditional victory leap into Poppie’s Pond.