PHUKET: South Korea's teenage sensation Sung A-Jin secured a wire-to-wire win at the Annika Invitational Asia at Blue Canyon Country Club, capping her dominant run with a final-round 3-under-par 69 to finish at 11-under 205 yesterday.
Sung, who led the tournament from the opening round, held her nerve on the final day despite a bogey on the par-3 17th hole -- her first of the week. A tee shot into the bunker forced her to settle for a two-putt, but four birdies on holes 5, 9, 16, and 18 kept her comfortably ahead of the field.
"My hard work and dedication truly paid off. I'm grateful to my coach for the guidance and for helping me stay mentally strong. A big thank you to Annika, all the sponsors, and Blue Canyon Country Club. Now, I'll start preparing for the tournament in the US, and I hope to deliver another strong performance there," said Sung, who secured the title and a place in the prestigious Annika Invitational 2026 to be held in the United States in January.
Thailand's top performer was 17-year-old Namo Luangnitikul, who fired a strong final round to secure solo second at nine-under 207. Despite an early stumble with back-to-back bogeys on holes 4 and 5, she bounced back brilliantly with an eagle on the par-5 9th after a perfect approach from the fairway. On the back nine, she added birdies at 13, 14, and 18. Her highlight came on the challenging 17th, where she saved par with a stunning chip after overshooting the green.
"I'm happy to finish in second place. Thank you to all the supporters," Namo said.
Tied for third at six-under 210 were You A-Hyeon (17) and Hong Su-Min (18) of South Korea, both earning spots in the 2026 Annika Invitational alongside Sung and Namo.
China's Zheng Yaoyun and Singapore's Sydney Ng shared fifth place at 216.