Major Win: Patty Tavatanakit Wins ANA Inspiration
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RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - LPGA major champion at the tender age of 21. It has a nice ring to it. Bruin alum and two-time All-American Patty Tavatanakit won for the first time in her LPGA career, and did so in grand style, winning the first major of the 2021 season, the ANA Inspiration, in wire-to-wire fashion.
Tavatanakit, who turned pro after the 2019 season following seven collegiate victories as a Bruin, won three times on the Symetra Tour in '19 to win Rookie of the Year honors to earn LPGA Tour status for the 2020 season.
Following a COVID-19 shortened season in 2020, Tavatanakit was playing some great golf to start the 2021 campaign with T-5 and T-14 showings before going wire-to-wire in this week's victory at Mission Hills Country Club. Tavatanakit opened with a bogey-free, 6-under 66 on Thursday, and following a 3-under 69 on Friday, shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to open up a five-shot lead on the field heading into Sunday's final round. Lydia Ko made a hard charge at Tavatanakit thanks to a 10-under 62, but the Bruin alum would prevail with a 4-under, bogey-free 68 in the final round on an eagle, two birdies and 15 pars.
Your 50th ANA Inspiration champion, 21-year-old 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵 💙#ANAinspiration #InspirationStartsHere pic.twitter.com/5sf6TeIpgb
— ANA Inspiration (@ANAinspiration) April 5, 2021
A leap into history 🏆@Patty_MPT makes her leap into Poppie's Pond as a major champion!@ANAinspiration pic.twitter.com/uGD9l0LLlL
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 5, 2021