Big victories for Tavatanakit and Spieth
Patty Tavatanakit had no idea Lydia Ko was tearing up the course three groups ahead Sunday in the final round of the ANA Inspiration.
“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 chipin eagle on the par5 second, two birdies and a lot of par saves, the UCLA alum survived Ko’s charge without realizing how close it was until she finished and was preparing for the traditional victory leap into Poppie’s Pond.
“Like I said, I didn’t really look at the leaderboard,” Tavatanakit said. “I didn’t really care who did anything. I just wanted to focus on myself.”
Five strokes ahead entering the day and six in front after the eagle, Tavatanakit shot 4underpar 68 in 100 degree heat to beat Ko by two strokes in Rancho Mirage (Riverside County) in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of the year.
Tavatanakit, 21, earned $465,000.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in yet, the fact that I just turned 21 six months ago and now I’m a major champion in my rookie year,” Tavatanakit said. “Just crazy.”
Ko, 23, matched Lorena Ochoa’s 2006 tournament record with a 62, shooting 7under 29 on the front nine for the best ninehole score in event’s 50year history. She began the day tied for seventh at 6under, eight strokes behind Tavatanakit in the tournament played without spectators for the second time in seven months.
“My game was really solid and I felt like I gave myself a good run at it, but maybe Patty was just a bit too far away,” Ko said. “I think it just shows it doesn’t matter how far back you are, you can always go for it.”
The low amateur in the 2019 event as a UCLA sophomore, Tavatanakit parred the last six holes in the bogeyfree round.
Tavatanakit finished the wiretowire victory with a short par putt on 18. A day after matching the tournament 54hole record of 14under set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory, Tavatanakit finished a stroke off Dottie Pepper’s 72hole mark of 19under set in 1999.
“It’s a dream come true,” Tavatanakit said. “Every time I play here I remember exactly I was on this green receiving my low amateur award and I saw they were jumping and I took a Snapchat and the caption was, ‘One day.’ It’s been crazy.”
PGA Tour: Jordan Spieth closed with a 6under 66 to hold off Charley Hoffman for a twoshot victory in the Texas Open.
Spieth’s 12th career victory, which came with a $1.386 million payday, was his first since he won the 2017 British Open.
“There’s peaks and valleys in this sport, but I never expected to go this long,” Spieth said. “It’s very difficult to win out here and I’ll certainly enjoy this one as much as I have any other.”
The only surprise for Spieth was that he figured he would be more emotional. But he was too busy holding off Hoffman, who went from a threeshot deficit with six holes to play to one shot behind at TPC San Antonio. Spieth all but sealed it with a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on No. 17.
“This is a monumental win for me,” Spieth said. “It’s been a long road. There were a lot of times that I didn’t know I would be here.”
Spieth, who finished at 18under 270, moved to No. 38 in the world ranking. He is in the top 50 for the first time in more than a year.