20-year-old Thai golfer makes history at British Open

THAILAND: Twenty-year-old Thai sportswoman Ariya Jutanugarn made history on Sunday when she became the first-ever Thai golfer to win a major title at the Women’s British Open Golf Championships at Woburn Golf Club in England.

Ms Ariya led confidently by six shots at this year’s event as she birdied the long second and short sixth, surviving a second-half challenge from playing partner South Korean Lee Mirim.

Ms Ariya won three tournaments in a row on the LPGA Tour this year, rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th and then a solid par at the last to earn the US$450,000 (about 15.7 million baht) first prize.

“This is really important for me and for golf in Thailand,” said Ms Ariya, whose next stop is the Olympic Games in Rio. “The putt at the 17th was a huge relief. I had missed a few and I just wanted to make myself happy by holing it.”

Ms Ariya was showered with water and champagne by her friends and family, with her mother Narumon being the first to rush on the green to embrace her.

— The Nation