A fairytale journey punctuated with setbacks, injuries and tearful heartbreaks reached a milestone last week in Prattville, Alabama where Ariya Jutanugarn shed more tears.
Ariya meets Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Friday.
However, this time these were tears of joy which followed a historic win and helped 20-year-old Ariya wash away the tag of a talented underachiever.
Ariya's victory in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic last Sunday also ended Thailand's long wait for a winner in the top flight of women's golf.
A five-foot putt with trembling hands, made worse by her wobbling legs, on the last hole gave the latest Thai sensation a 14-under 274 total which put her a stroke ahead of South Korea's Amy Yang and Americans Stacy Lewis and Morgan Pressel.
It also made Ariya, nicknamed Mae or May, the only second Southeast Asian player to win on the premier circuit after two-time winner Jennifer Rosales of the Philippines.
"I am really happy to make it because I had set myself the target of winning a title at the start of this year," said Ariya, whose triumph was largely due to her career-best round of 63 on the third day.
"I am happy to make the Thai fans happy and promote the country worldwide."
As expected, congratulatory messages have poured in from all directions.
While Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, who welcomed Ariya at Government House on Friday, has joined the chorus praising the rising star at home, world No.1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand has chipped in a few lines through social media from outside the geographical boundaries of the Kingdom.
The 19-year-old Kiwi wrote on her Instagram account: "The biggest congratulations to the sweet@mayariya on your amazing win @yokohamalpga!!! The Ko family is so happy for you and your family. I can't wait to see you and give you the biggest hug. Love you May."
Ariya with the Yokohama Tire Classic trophy.
Ariya had scented a good run before the start of the event at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, Senator Course, which suited her game.
"My caddie told me I have a good chance here because the course is quite wide and I can use a driver almost every hole," she said.
With the win, the Bangkok native overtook Pornanong Phatlum to become the country's No.1 female golfer, surging to 21st place in the world.
Pornanong, who had enjoyed the status of being Thailand's top-ranked women's player for a long time, has dropped down to 33rd spot.
Equipped with a quality game and the build to execute it, Ariya is likely to stay on as Thailand's No.1 for a long time and, at the same time, she has also set her sights on moving up into top 10 in the world.
World No.42 Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who is now hunting for a PGA Tour card, also congratulated her.
"Finally, she made it -- the first Thai to win on the LPGA Tour. I am so proud of you, sister. Great job."
Like Ariya, the 27-year-old Kiradech has just become Thailand's No.1 male golfer, surpassing veteran Thongchai Jaidee who had held the top spot for many years.
For Ariya, who is among nine Thais playing on the LPGA Tour this year, the victory at the Alabama event came as no surprise because she had come close to making a breakthrough on many occasions.
In front of thousands of fans at the 2013 Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, she squandered a two-shot lead by picking up a triple bogey on the last hole to hand the crown to Park In-Bee of South Korea.
At the 2015 Bahamas Classic, she lost in a three-way play-off to Kim Sei-Young of South Korea.
Her Yokohama victory happened just a month after she suffered another stunning collapse at the ANA Inspiration.
At the first major of the year, Ariya enjoyed a two-shot advantage with three holes to play but she bogeyed them all to finish joint fourth, two shots behind champion Ko.
Ariya was always aware that her failures in those tournaments were a result of her mental inability to cope with pressure cooker situations.
And Ariya also knew that only she could heal herself.
She managed to handle the pressure at Yokohama event better, although she did show a lot of nerves on the final hole.
"I was really under pressure in the final round because I desperately wanted to win my first title,'' said Ariya who had a three-shot lead after three rounds.
"In the past, I tried [to deal with nerves] but it did not work. So, I needed to change the way I handled such situations.
"I changed my way of thinking and changed the way how I looked at things. I tried to be more positive and enjoy my golf as best as I could.
"It worked well and finally, I was able to overcome the problem."
Ariya was grateful to the Thai fans who have been supporting her for a long time.
"I have failed many times but they still believed in me. I am really honoured to have such fans," she said.
Ariya has been famous since she was an amateur.
At the age of 11, she qualified for the 2007 Honda LPGA Thailand to become the youngest ever player to qualify for an LPGA tournament.
At the age of 16, she was named the girls' Rolex Junior Player of the Year for the second time in a row by the American Junior Golf Association in 2012.
Leading players who have been recognised by the AJGA include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Scott Verplank, Cristie Kerr, Park In-Bee, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.
Ariya and her older sister Moriya, also an LPGA member, had good results on the junior circuit in the US and were called the 'Thai Sisters.'
In July 2012, at the age of 16 when she was No.2 in the amateur rankings, her plea to join the LPGA Q-school was denied by the LPGA.
Later that year, she turned professional and then made headlines in Feb 2013 when she came close to winning the Honda LPGA Thailand title.
Four months later, she won her first professional title on the Ladies European Tour by claiming the Lalla Meryem Cup on the Ladies European Tour.
In July, she was sidelined for almost five months with a shoulder surgery. She got an LPGA Tour card for 2015 after sharing third spot at Q-school in late 2014.
In her first full season on the tour last year, she struggled a lot, missing the cut in 10 tournaments in a row. However, she fought back strongly.
"I always try to work on my game and correct my mistakes," she said.
"I gained a lot of experience last year and I knew I could learn from that to succeed.
"It is not only me but also the other Thai players. They have the potential to win. It is just a matter of time."
Ariya aims to make her Thai fans even happier by winning an Olympic medal. It would be her second time representing the country after the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010.
Ironically, claiming an Olympic medal may be easier than winning an LPGA tournament.
At the Rio Games, where golf will make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than 100 years, there will be 60 players each in the men's and women's events.
A country can only have a maximum o ffour players in each event.
Meanwhile, there are generally more than 100 players in an LPGA tournament.
"Although the golf course at the Rio Olympic Games does not suit my game, I will be trying my best to win a medal for the Thai people," Ariya said.
"I am always happy to see them happy."
Ariya is consoled by her elder sister Moriya after the 2013 Honda LPGA Thailand.