Thais hope to eclipse stars in Pattaya

Thais hope to eclipse stars in Pattaya

Local players eager to shine at home event

The Honda LPGA Thailand will celebrate its 10th anniversary this week in Pattaya as the world's best female golfers return to Siam Country Club to put on a showcase in front of a country that has visibly embraced the game over the past decade.

From left, Pornanong Phatlum, Anna Nordqvist, Amy Yang, Chun In-Gee, Ai Miyazato and Charley Hull pose in Thai costume ahead of the Honda LPGA Thailand.

The event was first held in 2006 at Amata Country Club in Chon Buri before relocating to Siam Country Club for the next eight years.

The limited-field, no-cut event has consistently attracted some of the strongest fields of the year and the list of past champions is a snapshot of some of the most successful players on the tour and includes names like Suzann Pettersen, Lorena Ochoa, Ai Miyazato, Tseng Yani and Park In-Bee.

It's hard to ignore the correlation between the boom in Thai players on the tour and having an LPGA event in Thailand to help inspire the next generation of players dreaming to make it to the LPGA Tour one day.

In 2005, the year prior to this event's first staging, there was not one Thai player on the LPGA Tour.

This year, after 10 Thais made it through to the final stage of the Q-School and eight earning tour status, the number of Thai members has reached an all-time high of 13.

This week, many eyes at Siam Country Club will be following the seven Thai players featured in the field.

The seven are Pornanong Phatlum, Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Thidapa Suwannapura, Budsabakorn Sukapan, Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras and amateur Papangkorn Tawatthanakit.

The expectations of Thailand's female golfers may be at an all-time high this year.

An influx of new talent, an event in their native country and two opportunities this summer to represent their country on international stages gives the players from Thailand several chances to make an impact in 2016.

Pornanong Phatlum won the unofficial HSBC Brasil Cup in 2012 but no Thai players have broken into the winner's circle yet.

It's hard to imagine much more time will pass before the Thai contingent starts hoisting trophies on a consistent basis.

With golf returning to the Olympics this summer, the biggest stage in sports provides a unique opportunity for Thailand to put its name in the conversation for Olympic glory.

Two Thai players are ranked in the Olympic Golf Rankings and have great shots at earning spots in the field in Rio -- Pornanong at No.21 and Ariya Jutanugarn at No.27.

A star-studded field will be in action at this week's Honda LPGA Thailand which tees off tomorrow.

Nine of the top 10 and 17 of the top 20 players in the world rankings will be competing for the US$1.6 million purse.

All three winners in 2016 -- South Koreans Kim Hyo-Joo and Jang Ha-Na, and Japan's Haru Nomura -- are slated to play this week as well as six past champions -- Pettersen, Miyazato, Tseng, Park, Anna Nordqvist and Amy Yang.

Yang shot a final-round 69 a year ago to finish two shots clear of Stacy Lewis, Tseng and Mirim Lee and clinched her second LPGA Tour title. She used rounds of 67-66-71-69 to add her name to the esteemed list of champions in Thailand.

Yang would pick up seven more top 10 finishes after her win in 2015 and has made just one start so far this season, a tie for 29th at the Coates Golf Championship.

Nomura closed with a final-round 65 on Sunday to claim her first LPGA Tour victory at the Australian Women's Open to edge out world No. 1 Lydia Ko by three shots.

Nomura joins Jang as the two first time winners in the season's first three events.

The 23-year-old Japanese did not have a spot in the field this week until clinching the win. www.lpga.com

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