Vu wins LPGA Thailand for first career title
PATTAYA, Thailand — American Lilia Vu rode a hot putter to claim her maiden LPGA crown with a one-shot victory over home favorite Natthakritta Vongtaveelap at the LPGA Thailand on Sunday.
Trailing the local rookie by six strokes at the start of the day, 25-yearold Vu unleashed eight impressive birdies, including five straight from the eighth hole to end her campaign with an immaculate round of 8-under 64 for a 22-under 266 total at Siam Country Club Old Course.
“Yesterday my dad told me that just one good round and I could win. That’s all I kept thinking about. Basically today I just blacked out and tried to birdie every single hole I could,” said Vu, whose maiden tour victory came after three third-place finishes in 2022.
The UCLA alumni came up short again at the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia last week where she settled for another third place.
“I knew I was going to win, it was just when... and I finally did,” she added.
Vu became the third American to triumph in the event after Lexi Thompson in 2016 and Jessica Korda in 2018.
Playing her first
LPGA tournament, Vongtaveelap’s lack of experience took a toll with the 20-year-old golfer enduring a mixed final round featuring seven birdies offset by a double bogey and four bogeys to sign off with a 1-under 71 and and 267 overall.
Another Thai golfer, Atthaya Thitikul, was third after a final-round 68 got her to 268. Maja Stark of Sweden and Celine Boutier of France tied for fourth at 271, one ahead of top-ranked Lydia Ko.
Siem the winner at New Delhi
Marcel Siem ended his long wait for a fifth European
tour title with victory at the Hero Indian Open at New Delhi by a single shot on Sunday.
The German’s last win on the tour came eight years and 116 days ago at the 2014 BMW Masters but a closing 68 saw him edge out countryman Yannik Paul to return to the winner’s circle with a 14-under 274.
The 42-year-old golfer, who secured his card for the 2023 season at qualifying school in November, went into the final round one shot behind overnight leader Paul.
He took a share of the lead after sinking a 20foot birdie putt on the fourth.
After picking up another shot on the parfive eighth, Siem made back-to-back gains on the 10th and 11th to establish a two-shot cushion.
But a bogey on the 13th led to a two-shot swing, with Paul birdieing the same hole to join Siem at the top on 13 under.
After saving par on the tough 14th, Siem holed from 15 feet for a birdie at the next to regain the outright lead.
And he closed his round with three more pars, rolling in a 3-foot par putt on No. 18 to win moments after Paul slid his birdie putt wide from about 12 feet.
“This means a lot because two years ago I wasn’t even sure if I could still compete... and now I’m a winner again, come on,” he said.
Paul finished alone in second on 13 under, with Dutchman Joost Luiten another shot further back in third.
Kirk, Cole in Honda playoff
Eric Cole caught thirdround leader Chris Kirk on Sunday to send the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to a playoff..
The two were tied at 14-under after 72 holes.
Kirk had battled his way to a 4-under round of 66 on Saturday, putting him at 13-under 197 for the week and giving him a two-shot lead over Cole (66) through three rounds at PGA National.