Pornanong aims to get off the mark this year
Thai seeks first LPGA Tour win as season gets underway this week
>> Pornanong Phatlum will be trying to secure her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour this year, starting with the season-opening event in the Bahamas this week.
The most experienced Thai on the tour, Pornanong was once tipped to become the country’s first LPGA winner after joining the women’s elite circuit in 2009.
However, it is Ariya Jutanugarn who achieved the feat last year when she had a total haul of five titles.
The 21-year-old LPGA player of 2016 is still the Kingdom’s only champion on the tour.
Pornanong’s biggest success to date is her win at the Ladies European Tour’s season-ending Dubai Ladies Masters in 2013.
Pornanong, 27, has come close to winning an LPGA Tour title on several occasions.
At the 2014 Malaysia LPGA, she held a three-shot lead after three rounds only to lose to China’s Feng Shanshan by three strokes.
The Chaiyaphum native had five top-10 finishes last year, including a runner-up spot at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore, and was 30th on the money list.
She finished second at the Hitachi Ladies Classic on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour in Taiwan earlier this month.
Pornanong said the result should serve as a big boost to her bid to win her maiden LPGA Tour title.
“It gives me confidence although the LPGA Tour is much more competitive,” she said.
“I have to improve the mental side of my game.”
Ariya said she would play fewer tournaments this year to stay fit and improve her chances of winning every event she takes part in.
The 21-year-old from Bangkok said she was ready for the new season.
“I’m well-prepared mentally and will try to improve every aspect of my game,” said the reigning Women’s British Open champion.
“My target is to get my first win of the year as soon as possible.”
She is among the favourites to win at this week’s Pure Silk Classic in the Bahamas where she lost to Kim SeiYoung of South Korea in a three-way play-off in 2015.
Apart from trying to win as many as tournaments as possible, world No.2 Ariya will also be trying to wrest the top spot from New Zealand’s Lydia Ko. However, this is not her main aim. “The No.1 ranking will be my goal but I will not focus on it too much. I will be trying to enjoy playing golf instead of putting extra pressure on myself,” she said.
Ariya will start the new season with a new caddie in Dylan Vallequete, who has worked for South Koreans Amy Yang and Lee Mi-Rim.
Apart from Ariya and Pornanong, there are seven other Thais on the LPGA Tour this season: Moriya Jutanugarn, Patcharajutar Kongkraphan, Nontaya Srisawang, Thidapa Suwannapura, Wichanee Meechai, Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong, and Pavarisa Yoktuan.
Budsabakorn Sukapan, Benyapa Niphatsophon and Prima Thammaraks are eligible to play in a limited number of tour events.
Meanwhile, Ko will start her season at the Australian Open next month with new equipment and a new backroom team. She split with long-time swing guru David Leadbetter, coach Sean Hogan and caddie Jason Hamilton after a dip in form at the end of last season.
“Hopefully these changes are for the better,” said the 19-year-old.
The two-time major winner is the youngest golfer — man or woman — to become world No.1 when she achieved the feat almost two years ago.
She is also the youngest to win a major at the Evian Championship in 2015 at the age of 18.