SINGAPORE: Thai teenager Atthaya 'Jean' Thitikul sealed a dramatic wire-to-wire victory at the inaugural Women's Amateur Asia Pacific by winning a four-way play-off at Sentosa Golf Club and securing places in two of this year's major championships.
Continuing to sing, laugh and joke with experienced caddie Roongroj 'Yod' Boonsri, Atthaya carded a closing 71 to join Japan's Yuna Nishimura (69), the Philippines' Yuka Saso (68) and New Zealand's Wenyung Keh (67) with an eight-under total of 276 over the 6,456-yard New Tanjong course.
After narrowly missing birdie chances to win on the first two extra holes on 18, Atthaya tapped in for par on the long par-four 12th before 17-year-old Nishimura missed a long par putt. Keh, 20, and Saso, 16, exited after the first and second extra holes respectively.
Atthaya, who only turned 15 on Tuesday, started the event at 53rd in the world amateur rankings with recent highlights including becoming the Ladies European Tour's youngest-ever winner last July and winning gold medals in the SEA Games individual and team events in Malaysia a month later.
With Saturday's success, she earns invitations to the ANA Inspiration (March 29-April 1) at Mission Hills Country Club in California and the Women's British Open (Aug 2-5) at Royal Lytham and St Annes in England, as well as next week's 11th HSBC Women's World Championship, also at Sentosa Golf Club.
Born in Ratchaburi, Atthaya made her major championship debut at the 2017 Women's British Open last August and the following month played in her second at the Evian Championship where she made the cut.
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 Atthaya, who played in her first LPGA event at the Honda LPGA Thailand last February, when she just turned 14.
"My golf today wasn't so good, even though I started so good and played well in the play-off. But I didn't really get nervous because I came here to learn and get experience.
"I'm so excited to play in two more majors. I'm really looking forward to returning to the Women's British Open and I would like to make the cut this time, but my main objective is always to play happy and gain more experience."
Atthaya stretched her lead with birdies in three of the first four holes and remained 11-under after a bogey-birdie finish on the front nine.
After Keh bogeyed 13, the Thai held a four-stroke lead before a double-bogey on the long par-four 12 -- a hole she bogeyed in her two rounds -- and then a bogey on 17 dropped her into a play-off.
"When I made a double bogey, I didn't think it would mean that I wouldn't win. It didn't affect me because there were a lot of holes to go. I was a bit nervous, but I just talked with my caddie and stayed relaxed," said Atthaya, who also had the experienced Roongroj on her bag when she won last year's Ladies European Thailand Championship in Pattaya.
Atthaya was awarded the winner's plate by Kei Muratsu, chairman of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, and received the champion's medal from Thailand's Rae-Vadee T Suwan, whom it was named after.