Thais to tee off with the best of Europe
Titiya leads local charge in LET event in Pattaya
PATTAYA: The Ladies European Tour (LET) is returning to the kingdom for the inaugural Ladies European Thailand Championship which tees off today at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.
This is the LET’s first visit to the country in 12 years, following the 2005 Thailand Ladies Open in Bangkok.
A field of 126 golfers, including 70 LET members, 40 Thai LPGA members and 16 invited players, will compete for a total purse of €300,000 (about 11 million baht).
Local players will have the opportunity to test themselves at the international level, following in the footsteps of Thai stars such as Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn.
Thai star Titiya Plucksataporn, who joined the LET in 2006 after playing in the Thailand Ladies Open as an amateur, believes the tournament will contribute to the development of the game.
She said: “The Thai players are really excited to have a big tournament in Thailand and we hope that it will continue for at least the next two years. This event is a great opportunity for us to show the beautiful golf courses and facilities that we have. It will also encourage the players to develop their skills and to see how far their talents can take them.”
Fellow Thai player Prima Thammaraks, who earned her first professional win at the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour’s RACV Gold Coast Challenge earlier this year, is also delighted to have the opportunity to play on home soil.
The 25-year-old from Bangkok said: “I’m very excited to play with international players here in Pattaya. It’s a good opportunity for us to see where we are against the rest of the world.”
Three-time Thai LPGA winner Pajaree Anannarukarn, 18, is looking forward to mixing with the players from 28 countries in the field.
Budsabakorn Sukapan, who posted two wins on the China LPGA Tour in 2015, said: “I’m so excited to have the chance to play with the top LET players. This is my first time at this golf course so I am just thinking positively and enjoying the chance to play at home.”
Chalisa Limpipolpaibul, a 22-year-old rookie from Chang Mai, added: “I’m so excited to play in this tournament, because I usually play in Japan and this is the first time I will play with people from Europe. It’s fun to learn about the cultures and playing styles. I want to go to Europe!”
The top LET stars in the field are also looking forward to the challenge and England’s Florentyna Parker, who recently claimed her third title at the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open in Spain, said: “I think it’s always important to play international golf and on the LET we travel the world and play in other tours.”
Dutch player Anne Van Dam, who claimed her first title at last year’s Xiamen International Ladies Open in China, commented: “I think it’s always great to play together with other tours and on different continents to see the level and play on different varieties of grass.”
Spain’s Nuria Iturrios, the winner of the 2016 Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to experience a Thai golf course and it will be very warm, so we will need to drink a lot of water! I’m looking forward to competing with the local players and learning more about the culture.”