Patty Tavatanakit makes history at the first Major of the season
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit held off a final-round charge from Lydia Ko to wrap up an impressive wire-to-wire victory at the 2021 ANA Inspiration. The 21-year-old rookie began the day with a five-shot advantage over Ally Ewing and Mirim Lee, but by the time she teed off, it was Ko who had become her nearest challenger for the season’s first Major.
Ko, a former World No.1, had one of those days that usually occurs only in your wildest dreams as she mixed eight birdies with an eagle in a bogey-free 62 – the lowest final-round score in LPGA Major history – to set the target.
But Tavatanakit wasn’t to be denied as she put together a faultless round of her own, adding a 68 to rounds of 66, 69 and 67 to secure a two-stroke victory.
And among the myriad of impressive achievements‚ she averaged over 320 yards for the week and hit 85 per cent of greens. She is the first player in history to make the ANA Inspiration their first win as a rookie.
“Amazing,” she said upon learning the magnitude of her accomplishment. “It’s an amazing, amazing feeling.
“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, but I meditated twice this morning as I knew it was going to be hard and I’d have to be strong mentally.
“So it feels great to be a Major Champion. It still hasn’t sunk in. I just turned 21 six months ago and now I’m a Major Champion in my rookie year. It’s just crazy.”