Atthaya Thitikul Wins Inaugural WAAP Championship

Emerging Thai star Atthaya Thitikul, 15, secured a dramatic wire-to-wire victory at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship by winning a four-way play-off at Sentosa Golf Club and securing places in two of this year’s major championships

The Philippines’ Yuka Saso

Now, the Thai teen has earned a return to the Women’s British Open after an eventful week in which she led after an opening 65, co-led after a second-round 71 and regained the outright lead after a third-round 69 that she completed on Saturday morning when she birdied two of her last four holes.

“I’m so excited because this is the first year of this championship. It’s so great that my name is the first one on the trophy,” said Thitikul, who played in her first LPGA event at the Honda LPGA Thailand last February, when she just turned 14.

Six Japanese and five Koreans finished in the top 20, while five Filipinas finished in the top 30. Hong Kong’s Isabella Leung and Chloe Chan had made the halfway cut. Leung finished at a respectful tied 22nd on six over, while Chan finished tied 47th.

Japan’s Yuna Nishimura

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