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U.S. Women's Open: Tavatanakit Low Am with Top 5 Finish
Patty Tavatanakit (USGA photo)
Patty Tavatanakit (USGA photo)

SHOAL CREEK, AL (June 3, 2018) - Patty Tavatanakit, the UCLA rising sophomore from Thailand, shot a final-round 1-under 71 to finish the U.S. Women's Open in a tie for fifth place. Tavatanakit wins the gold medal as the low amateur of the 29 who started the tournament.

It was the second consecutive year an amateur has finished inside the top 5 at the U.S. Women's Open. Last year, Hye-Jin Choi of Korea held the lead through 63 holes and was the runner-up.

With the tournament leaders so far ahead, no amateur would have a chance to win this year, but the race for low amateur was tight heading into the final round. Tavatanakit started the day one shot ahead of Albane Valenzuela (Switzerland) and two ahead of Elizabeth Wang (San Marino, CA) after three rounds.

While the other six amateurs to make the cut would shoot over par on Sunday, Tavatanakit started well, going three under for her first six holes. She did make four bogeys coming in, but two more birdies would give her a red number and lock up the gold medal. Her 72-hole score was 2-under 286.

Valenzuela was also under par at the turn, but came back in 40 to shoot 75 and finish 24th at 3-over 291.

Amateur Leaderboard

T5 Patty Tavatanakit 70 73 72 71 286
24 Albane Valenzuela 72 73 71 75 291
T27 Kristen Gillman 70 74 75 74 293
T34 Elizabeth Wang 72 74 71 77 294
T55 Hailee Cooper 72 76 77 74 299
T55 Lucy Li 72 74 77 76 299
T57 Linn Grant 69 72 78 81 300

MC Allisen Corpuz 76 73 149
MC Dylan Kim 74 75 149
MC Lei Ye 75 74 149
MC Robyn Choi 75 75 150
MC Gina Kim 72 79 151
MC Celia Barquin Arozamena 76 75 151
MC Evelyn Arguelles 80 72 152
MC Yujeong Son 74 78 152
MC Emilia Migliaccio 77 76 153
MC Olivia Mehaffey 76 77 153
MC Erica Shepherd 82 71 153
MC Maria Fassi 76 77 153
MC Dana Williams 74 80 154
MC Sophie Hausmann 78 76 154
MC Kaylee Benton 74 80 154
MC Olivia Cason 76 79 155
MC Andrea Lee 82 75 157
MC Gaeun Song 76 82 158
MC Kelsey Chugg 83 76 159
MC Jennifer Chang 81 79 160
MC Celeste Dao 83 80 163
MC Sophia Schubert 85 79 164

ROUND ONE RECAP

Seven amateurs have made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open Championship at Shoal Creek, led by Patty Tavatanakit of UCLA and Thailand, who is the only amateur under par and the only one inside the top 10 through three rounds.

Storms delayed play on Friday, forcing players to come back out early to finish their second rounds Saturday, after which the cut was made and the field was re-paired for round three.

Linn Grant, the 18-year-old from Sweden, was 3 under through two rounds and found herself in the second-to-last group for the third round, playing with Chella Choi and Jenny Shin. But Grant tumbled down the leaderboard with three 6's in her first six holes.

Tavatanakit, who just finished her freshman year at UCLA, won three times for the Bruins including the Pac 12 Women's Championship and the NCAA West Regional. She got to 2 under after round one and is currently 1 under after a 72 in round three.

Albane Valenzuela, the Swiss amateur whose runner-up finish in last year's U.S. Women's Amateur earned her a place in the field, shot a 1-under 71 to get her to even par and just one shot behind Tavatanakit in the low amateur race.

Elizabeth Wang, an 18-year-old committed to Harvard University, is two behind Tavatanakit after a third-round 71.

Amateur Leaderboard

T9 Patty Tavatanakit 70 73 72 215
T15 Albane Valenzuela 72 73 71 216
T23 Elizabeth Wang 72 74 71 217
T30 Kristen Gillman 70 74 75 219
T30 Linn Grant 69 72 78 219
T48 Lucy Li 72 74 77 223
61 Hailee Cooper 72 76 77 225

MC Allisen Corpuz 76 73 149
MC Dylan Kim 74 75 149
MC Lei Ye 75 74 149
MC Robyn Choi 75 75 150
MC Gina Kim 72 79 151
MC Celia Barquin Arozamena 76 75 151
MC Evelyn Arguelles 80 72 152
MC Yujeong Son 74 78 152
MC Emilia Migliaccio 77 76 153
MC Olivia Mehaffey 76 77 153
MC Erica Shepherd 82 71 153
MC Maria Fassi 76 77 153
MC Dana Williams 74 80 154
MC Sophie Hausmann 78 76 154
MC Kaylee Benton 74 80 154
MC Olivia Cason 76 79 155
MC Andrea Lee 82 75 157
MC Gaeun Song 76 82 158
MC Kelsey Chugg 83 76 159
MC Jennifer Chang 81 79 160
MC Celeste Dao 83 80 163
MC Sophia Schubert 85 79 164

ROUND ONE RECAP

Three amateurs are high up on the leaderboard after the first round of the U.S. Women's Open Championship at Shoal Creek.

Linn Grant, an 18-year-old from Sweden, shot a 3-under 69 and is tied for fourth, just two shots behind the first-round leaders Ariya Jutanugarn, Sarah Jane Smith, and Jeongeun6 Lee.

Grant was the winner of the only Women's Open qualifier held in England, and also won last year's Ladies British Stroke Play and Scottish Ladies Open Amateur.

Patty Tavatanakit of UCLA and Thailand shot a 70 and is in a seventh place tie with Kristen Gillman (Austin, TX) of the University of Alabama.

Related: Tee Times for the 29(!) Amateurs in the U.S. Women's Open

A total of 29 amateurs have made the field this year, up from 21 last year. Hye-Jin Choi of Korea, who has since turned pro and is in the field at Shoal Creek, nearly became the first amateur since 1967 to win the U.S. Women's Open, leading on the back nine on Sunday before ultimately finishing second.

Round 1 Amateur Leaderboard
T4 Linn Grant -3 69
T7 Patty Tavatanakit -2 70
T7 Kristen Gillman -2 70
T25 Elizabeth Wang E 72
T25 Albane Valenzuela E 72
T25 Hailee Cooper E 72
T25 Lucy Li E 72
T25 Gina Kim E 72
T56 Yujeong Son +2 74
T56 Kaylee Benton +2 74
T56 Dylan Kim +2 74
T56 Dana Williams +2 74
T74 Lei Ye +3 75
T74 Robyn Choi +3 75
T96 Celia Barquin Arozamena +4 76
T96 Maria Fassi +4 76
T96 Allisen Corpuz +4 76
T96 Olivia Mehaffey +4 76
T96 Gaeun Song +4 76
T96 Olivia Cason +4 76
T121 Emilia Migliaccio +5 77
T134 Sophie Hausmann +6 78
T143 Evelyn Arguelles +8 80
T146 Jennifer Chang +9 81
T148 Erica Shepherd +10 82
T148 Andrea Lee +10 82
T151 Kelsey Chugg +11 83
T151 Celeste Dao +11 83
156 Sophia Schubert +13 85


Results: U.S. Women's Open
T5ThailandPatty TavatanakitThailand150070-73-72-71=286
24SwitzerlandAlbane ValenzuelaSwitzerland80072-73-71-75=291
T27TXKristen GillmanAustin, TX80070-74-75-74=293
T34CAElizabeth WangSan Marino, CA70072-74-71-77=294
T55TXHailee CooperMontgomery, TX50072-76-77-74=299

View full results for U.S. Women's Open

ABOUT THE U.S. Women's Open

The U.S. Women's Open has the biggest payout in women's golf. It is one of 15 annual championships conducted by the USGA. The event is open to any professional or amateur female golfer. There is a handicap limit for amateurs; for the 2024 event it was 4.4; please see USGA website for the current limit and entry requirements.

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