Five Thais earn LPGA Tour places through Q-Series
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Five Thais earn LPGA Tour places through Q-Series

Thai players, from left, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, Jaravee Boonchant, Chanettee Wannasaen, Pavarisa Yoktuan and Arpichaya Yubol with their LPGA cards. (AFP photo)
Thai players, from left, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, Jaravee Boonchant, Chanettee Wannasaen, Pavarisa Yoktuan and Arpichaya Yubol with their LPGA cards. (AFP photo)

Five Thais earned LPGA Tour status for the 2023 season after the Q-Series ended in Alabama on Sunday.

The quintet are Chanettee Wannasaen, who finished tied sixth, Jaravee Boonchant (T21), Pavarisa Yoktuan (T24), Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (T28) and Arpichaya Yubol (T45).

The top 45 and ties received LPGA Tour cards for next season after the final round at Highland Oaks in Dothan.

South Korea's Ryu Hae-Ran topped the two-week, eight-round qualifying tournament played across two courses in Alabama with a 29-under-545 total.

American Bailey Tardy was second on 547, while Chanettee had a total of 551 to stay joint sixth with Samantha Wagner, another home player.

Chanettee, 18, is one of Thailand's fast rising stars.

She has played in five LPGA Tour events -- the 2021 Honda LPGA Thailand (T57), the 2021 Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open (missed cut), the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand (T47), the 2022 Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open (T24) and the 2022 Women's British Open (missed cut).

The Chiang Mai player has one LET Access Series win -- the 2022 Trust Golf Links Series.

She has two wins on the Thai LPGA Tour -- the 2022 Pattaya Ladies Open and the 2022 SAT-NSDF Thai LPGA Championship.

Meanwhile, inspired by her homeland's historic run at the Fifa World Cup, Moroccan golfer Ines Laklalech earned a place on the 2023 LPGA Tour.

Laklalech fired a one-over-par 73 in the final round to finish on 555 and share 12th place.

Despite closing with her worst round of the event, her total meant the 25-year-old from Casablanca was among those who claimed berths on next year's LPGA Tour.

Laklalech fired her low round of the event, a six-under 66, on Saturday as her beloved Atlas Lions, the Morocco national football team, became the first African and Arab side to advance to the World Cup semi-finals by upsetting Portugal 1-0 in Qatar.

"I'm a big fan of the Moroccan national team so I'm super, super happy," Laklalech said. "It definitely gave me an extra boost on the course [on Saturday]."

Morocco World Cup coach Walid Regragui's comments about his squad made an impression with Laklalech during her own breakthrough quest.

"I've been watching very closely what the national coach is saying about the team because it's history," she said.

"And his words really gave me confidence that everything is possible because that's their mindset right now.

"I think it's all connected and related because I've been watching videos of the press conferences every single day."

Laklalech won September's Ladies Open de France on the Ladies European Tour, becoming the LET's first Moroccan and Arab winner.

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