The post ‘Like a rainbow after a storm’: Major winner breaks down after making first cut in months appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Like a rainbow after a storm’: Major winner breaks down after making first cut in months appeared first on Golf.

Last year, as an LPGA Tour rookie, Patty Tavatanakit won the ANA Inspiration. In four major starts she made four cuts and logged three top-seven finishes. She made the biggest golf stages look easy.

This year’s major season began much the same way: In her title defense at Mission Hills, Tavatanakit played her way into the final group and finished T4.

“My coach told me that you know how to play golf, so just go out there and play golf,” she said at the time. It all looked and sounded simple.

But professional golf isn’t simple, nor is it easy. Tavatanakit’s start to this summer was a stark reminder of exactly that. She entered the U.S. Women’s Open as one of the favorites but shot 78 on Friday and missed the cut. She set her sights on the KPMG Women’s PGA but missed the cut there, too. Last week she missed the cut at the Evian. Three majors, three MCs. Entering this week’s Women’s Scottish Open, Tavatanakit hadn’t made any LPGA cuts since April. When she shot 76 on Thursday at Dundonald Links, it appeared that missed cut streak would be extended another week.

As golf fans, these are the moments we’re rarely privy to. Tavatanakit could have packed it in, admitted defeat, gone through the motions on Friday and began mental preparation for next week’s Women’s Open. It’s not often we pay attention to those golfers who miss the weekend. It’s less often we consider what those missed weekends mean to them.

Admittedly, things didn’t look good when she bogeyed the first hole on Friday, sending her to five over par at a tournament where the cut would require at least one under. But then Tavatanakit got red-hot. She reeled off five birdies at 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Suddenly she was at even par. She kept a clean card coming home, too, making seven pars plus birdies at 13 and 15 to post a round of six-under 66, good enough to slip one shot inside the cut line.

It was clear immediately after her round just how much her charge had meant. Tavatanakit broke down in a post-round interview, showing visible emotion in describing her battles on and off the course.

“I’ve just been going through so much in life right now and I feel like, to be able to do that today … it was pretty amazing,” she said.

Her two-round total of 142 hardly puts her in contention to win — Lydia Ko is 12 shots ahead, and Tavatanakit is T55 — but that didn’t dampen the importance of making the weekend.

“Walking into shots I didn’t really think about anything,” Tavatanakit said. “I was just really empty and it’s almost a feeling of letting it go and just, y’know, play golf. I really found myself out there and I was having fun.”

Perhaps she has a miraculous weekend charge up her sleeve. But even if she does, it’s not clear that would mean more than Friday’s rally. In a sport as solitary as professional golf, the small victories can mean as much as the big ones.

“You know, when golf’s not going well and your personal life’s not going well it just adds up emotionally,” she concluded. “But to be able to do that today really, really just helped with everything and it’s like a rainbow after a storm and just to see that is just — it’s just very touching.”

The post ‘Like a rainbow after a storm’: Major winner breaks down after making first cut in months appeared first on Golf.

The post Major winner Patty Tavatanakit named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year appeared first on Golf.

The post Major winner Patty Tavatanakit named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year appeared first on Golf.

Patty Tavatankit’s trophy case was looking quite promising after her ANA Inspiration victory last spring, but after this week it will need room for a little extra hardware. The LPGA Tour announced on Monday that the 22-year-old clinched Rookie of the Year honors with two events to play in the 2021 season.

“Earning this award is a dream come true for me,” Tavatanakit said. “It’s once in a lifetime. I’m so thrilled that I get to add my name to a spectacular list of recipients that I have looked up to for many years.”

The Bangkok native is the second player from Thailand to win the award, joining Moriya Jutanugarn, who accomplished the feat in 2013.

On top of her major victory earlier this season, Tavatanakit also registered eight top-10 finishes in 17 starts and ranked 10th in scoring average. She is currently third in points for Player of the Year honors.

This is the second major award Tavatanakit has clinched via her strong play in the 2021 campaign. She also clinched the Rolex Annika Major Award — based on her finishes in all five women’s majors during the season — after the AIG Women’s Open, edging out fellow major winner Nelly Korda.

Tavatankit also won Rookie of the Year on the Symetra Tour in 2019, as she won three times on the development circuit to earn a promotion to the LPGA Tour. Once at the highest level, she wasted no time picking up where she left off as she won the ANA at Mission Hills Country Club in just her second start as a professional.

“This season has been one to remember,” she said. “I’m excited to finish 2021 strong as the Tour’s newest Rookie of the Year.”

The post Major winner Patty Tavatanakit named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: The clubs Patty Tavatanakit used to win the 2021 ANA Inspiration appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: The clubs Patty Tavatanakit used to win the 2021 ANA Inspiration appeared first on Golf.

Patty Tavatanakit captured her first major championship title on Sunday at the 2021 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club.

The 21-year-old, who is averaging 283.79 yards off the tee on the LPGA Tour in 2021, is a 13-club Ping staffer, she has a Bettinardi putter deal, and she plays a Titleist golf ball. Her custom Bettinardi putter, as pictured below, shows off her love of food with some artistic stampings.

Check out the full specs on Tavatanakit’s equipment below.

Driver: Ping G410 LST (Fujikura Speeder 569 Evolution VII S-Flex shaft), 9 degrees

3-wood: Ping G425 Max (Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 shaft), 14.5 degrees

Hybrid: Ping G425 (Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 shaft), 19 degrees

Irons: Ping i210 (4-PW)

Wedges: Ping Glide Forged (50, 56 and 60 degrees)

Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 prototype

Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Want to overhaul your own bag for 2021? Visit the expert fitters at our sister company, True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, make sure to check out our recent Fully Equipped podcast in the Spotify link below.

The post Winner’s bag: The clubs Patty Tavatanakit used to win the 2021 ANA Inspiration appeared first on Golf.