A 19-year-old girl from Chiang Mai, the ever-smiling Pornanong Phatlum, threw caution to the winds and attacked the 6,307-yard Vintage course, reeling off eight birdies to take the coveted top spot on the first day of the Thailand Ladies Golf Open yesterday.
The US$120,000 competition, sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, brought smiles to the faces of everyone at the clubhouse as the modest Pornanong signed her card.
When she walked in to sip a drink her face was beaming, team-mates and well-wishers gave her a big round of applause for her super performance.
Unassuming and rarely speaking about her golfing feats, Pornanong, who started at the 10th tee, fired a birdie on the 480-yard hole to give herself an auspicious start.
Though she three-putted the 140-yard par-3 11th hole, which was the only flaw in her round, she continued to dazzle.
Pornanong parred the 516-yard 12th hole and dazzled with her driver, irons and putter. She drove with magnificent efficiency and made approach shots with brilliant accuracy.
Pornanong fired four birdies on the trot, and those who followed her were amazed at her performance.
The Thai girl posted a 32 at the turn, parred the next three holes and was once again playing brilliant golf from tee to green. She fired back to back birdies on the 515-yard par-5 13th and 353-yard par-4 14th and wound up her attack on the layout with another birdie on the 524-yard par-5 16th.
Though she completed the round parring the next two holes, with a bit of luck she could have made at least another birdie putt.
''I should have had another birdie, early on, on the first nine,'' she said.
''I am going to attack the layout again in the second round. Aggression is part of my game,'' said Pornanong who won the Hong Kong Ladies Masters in 2006 while an amateur.
''This is my best ever start in a tournament since I launched my career as a professional. I never missed the greens and was only two to three yards away with my approach shots.
''I took advantage of my form and was handling the driver, the irons and putter well. It was straightforward for me all the way,'' she said with a smile.
Two Korean girls, also 19-year-olds, Lee Il-Hee and Nam Min-Ji had identical 68s, to finish the day three shots behind Pornanong.
While Lee complained her putter let her down, having missed two easy putts, Nam was happy with her performance, claiming that she enjoyed her round.
''I hope I could play like this the whole week,'' said Nam.
The Koreans are making an all out bid to have their name engraved on the Tourist Association of Thailand trophy again, and of course win the money prize. They have lined themselves up, behind Pornanong in the hope of capturing the honours.
Besides Lee and Nam, two others, Cho Mi-Hyun and Park Mi-Ji shot three under 69s to finish in the third spot.
Seventeen golfers returned under-par scores and 11 had even par.
The second round will start at 7am today.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
(Koreans unless stated)
65 _ Pornanong Phatlum (THA)
68 _ Lee Il-hee, Nam Min-ji
69 _ Cho Mi-hyun, Park Mi-ji
70 _ Libby Smith (US), Wang Chun (Chn) Mika Takushima (JPN)
71 _ Ye Liying (Chn), Porani Chutichai (THA), Nontaya Srisawang (THA), Park jeong-ah, Jang Ji-hae, Chen Kuan Pei (TWN), Tiffany Tavee (US), Kim Hye-youn
72 _ Thang Thi Nhung (VIE), Li Wen Lin (TWN), Frances Bondad (Aust), Smriti Mehra (IND), Megumi Yamanaka (JPN), Narisrar Kerdit (THA), Kim Bo-mi, Park Cho-hee, Han Hyun-jung, Kim Hae-jung, Jaruporn Palakawong (THA)
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The US$120,000 competition, sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, brought smiles to the faces of everyone at the clubhouse as the modest Pornanong signed her card.
When she walked in to sip a drink her face was beaming, team-mates and well-wishers gave her a big round of applause for her super performance.
Unassuming and rarely speaking about her golfing feats, Pornanong, who started at the 10th tee, fired a birdie on the 480-yard hole to give herself an auspicious start.
Though she three-putted the 140-yard par-3 11th hole, which was the only flaw in her round, she continued to dazzle.
Pornanong parred the 516-yard 12th hole and dazzled with her driver, irons and putter. She drove with magnificent efficiency and made approach shots with brilliant accuracy.
Pornanong fired four birdies on the trot, and those who followed her were amazed at her performance.
The Thai girl posted a 32 at the turn, parred the next three holes and was once again playing brilliant golf from tee to green. She fired back to back birdies on the 515-yard par-5 13th and 353-yard par-4 14th and wound up her attack on the layout with another birdie on the 524-yard par-5 16th.
Though she completed the round parring the next two holes, with a bit of luck she could have made at least another birdie putt.
''I should have had another birdie, early on, on the first nine,'' she said.
''I am going to attack the layout again in the second round. Aggression is part of my game,'' said Pornanong who won the Hong Kong Ladies Masters in 2006 while an amateur.
''This is my best ever start in a tournament since I launched my career as a professional. I never missed the greens and was only two to three yards away with my approach shots.
''I took advantage of my form and was handling the driver, the irons and putter well. It was straightforward for me all the way,'' she said with a smile.
Two Korean girls, also 19-year-olds, Lee Il-Hee and Nam Min-Ji had identical 68s, to finish the day three shots behind Pornanong.
While Lee complained her putter let her down, having missed two easy putts, Nam was happy with her performance, claiming that she enjoyed her round.
''I hope I could play like this the whole week,'' said Nam.
The Koreans are making an all out bid to have their name engraved on the Tourist Association of Thailand trophy again, and of course win the money prize. They have lined themselves up, behind Pornanong in the hope of capturing the honours.
Besides Lee and Nam, two others, Cho Mi-Hyun and Park Mi-Ji shot three under 69s to finish in the third spot.
Seventeen golfers returned under-par scores and 11 had even par.
The second round will start at 7am today.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
(Koreans unless stated)
65 _ Pornanong Phatlum (THA)
68 _ Lee Il-hee, Nam Min-ji
69 _ Cho Mi-hyun, Park Mi-ji
70 _ Libby Smith (US), Wang Chun (Chn) Mika Takushima (JPN)
71 _ Ye Liying (Chn), Porani Chutichai (THA), Nontaya Srisawang (THA), Park jeong-ah, Jang Ji-hae, Chen Kuan Pei (TWN), Tiffany Tavee (US), Kim Hye-youn
72 _ Thang Thi Nhung (VIE), Li Wen Lin (TWN), Frances Bondad (Aust), Smriti Mehra (IND), Megumi Yamanaka (JPN), Narisrar Kerdit (THA), Kim Bo-mi, Park Cho-hee, Han Hyun-jung, Kim Hae-jung, Jaruporn Palakawong (THA)
Discuss
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