Pornanong Phatlum and Numa Gulyanamitta eye victory at Pattaya
Two of Thailand’s most successful players Pornanong Phatlum and Numa Gulyanamitta are preparing to outplay their rivals at Honda LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Thailand, slated from February 16-19, at Pattaya’s Siam Country Club.
Both stars will have to battle some of the most prominent players from across the world. The field of the tournament comprises key Asian players who boast good profiles on the LPGA Tour.
The Honda LPGA Thailand is regarded as one of the most competitive events in Asian golf and all the players in the rosters are capable of outplaying their rivals.
The LPGA has taken on board Honda Automobiles, Thailand, in order to stage the event. Moreover, Channel 7 and IMG are also cooperating with the LPGA.
Pornanong Phatlum, who plays on the US-based LPGA Tour, will be eying a victory at Siam Country Club, given her ascendancy over most of the rising players in the field.
Phatlum rose to prominence when she grabbed the title at the Hong Kong Open in 2006. It was her first ever victory on the LPGA Tour. The Thai star was not complacent, so she made a move and kept on the winning track.
The victory at Hong Kong Open helped her gain attention but she could not beat her rivals in terms of money. Being an amateur put a drag on her career earnings, a factor Phatlum was well aware of.
After turning pro, she boosted her ranking and earnings. One of the most spectacular victories Phatlum has grabbed so far was winning the LPGA-based Hitachi Ladies Classic last season.
Before receiving her LPGA Tour card, Phatlum made herself big promises, saying she can prove her worth no matter how tough the competition is in the upcoming events.
“If I get a full card and get to play on the LPGA, I’ll certainly come back to play on one or two LAGT events. For it was the LAGT tournaments that I got to play and earned experience and exposure,” she said.
She outperformed all the nearest competitors and carved out a victory. She beat Miki Saiki by 8 strokes and strengthened her position as the most influential golfer in Thailand.
Numa Gulyanamitta can also be a tough competitor in the tournament, as she has also recorded commendable performances in her brief career.
She won the LPGA Qualifying School last season and boosted her ranking to 18th.
Expressing her feelings about her victory, she said, “This week was fun, my caddie was really good – all the credit goes to her”.
Both players will be eyeing a huge purse of $1.5 million at Pattaya. However, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to record yet another victory in their pro career.
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