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A 20-Year-Old Rookie Could Make History at Honda LPGA Thailand

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap leads in her first LPGA Tour start on home soil.

Gabrielle Herzig

Playing in her first ever LPGA start as a sponsor’s exemption, 20-year-old Natthakritta Vongtaveelap is making the most of a special opportunity at the Honda LPGA Thailand—and she’s doing it all on her home turf.   

With a 7-under 65 in the Round 3, Vongtaveelap shot up the leaderboard after three straight birdies to finish the day at Siam Country Club. She leads the tournament by four shots heading into Sunday’s round. 

Vongtaveelap’s close friend and fellow Thailand native, Atthaya Thitikul, sits at 16-under par in solo second place. 

According to Golf Channel commentator Grant Boone, Vongtaveelap has the chance to accomplish an incredible feat on Sunday. If Vongtaveelap comes out on top at the Thailand event, she’ll be the first LPGA member to win her tournament debut. The 20-year-old earned her LPGA Tour card by surviving all three stages of Q-school. 

Hinako Shibuno won in her first start at the AIG Women’s Open in 2019, but she wasn’t a rookie on Tour. 

Ranked 470 in the world, Vongtaveelap’s play this week is remarkable, but it is not unexpected given her play as of late. She is coming off of two wins on the Thai LPGA Tour.

“I’m excited,” Vongtaveelap said of the opportunity to win. “Having pressure? Yes. I will take that as something to fight against in the game. For today's game, it was as planned.”

Playing in front of some of the largest crowds of her young career, Vongtaveelap is looking forward to her final round pairing with Thitikul, who won the 2022 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year award. 

“Good to play with a friend,” Vongtaveelap said. “I haven’t played with her for a long time. It will be my second day with her. Glad to be together again.”

Thai spectators will be out in full force to support the two up-and-coming stars on Sunday as they contend on home soil.

“Yeah, because of that I think it's bigger and bigger than I thought,” Vongtaveelap said. 

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Gabrielle Herzig
GABRIELLE HERZIG

Gabrielle Herzig is a Breaking and Trending News writer for Sports Illustrated Golf. Previously, she worked as a Golf Digest Contributing Editor, an NBC Sports Digital Editorial Intern, and a Production Runner for FOX Sports at the site of the 2018 U.S. Open. Gabrielle graduated as a Politics Major from Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she was a four-year member and senior-year captain of the Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team. In her junior year, Gabrielle studied abroad in Scotland for three months, where she explored the Home of Golf by joining the Edinburgh University Golf Club.

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