Before I start to write this article, first of all I'd like to thank Nate and We Know Fantasy for the opportunity to write articles on what I feel is the best and most underrated Tour in World Golf!
For those that won't know of me I am the host of Chasing Pars Golf Podcast where I've had the chance to speak with some of the best Women's players on the show from the likes of Megan Khang, Maja Stark, Alison Lee, Lauren Coughlin, Gemma Dryburgh, Allisen Corpuz and the legend Angela Stanford! I also have LPGA Tour and LET Caddy connections so I get snippets of info that I can be surety give to you guys too so I hope you enjoy!
For those that won't have seen last week's Saudi Ladies event on LET where they played for the biggest purse of the season on pretty rank greens but it was the hot favourite Jeeno Thitikul who added another title to her list of trophies, winning pretty comfortably in the end by four shots before she heads back on home soil on what will be her 22nd Birthday week (Yes, she's only 22! Crazy right!)
Tournament
After back-to-back events to start the season off in Florida, which were both expertly won by 'Queen' A Lim Kim & the supremely talented Yealimi Noh, we head off to the start of the annual three week Asian Swing at Siam Country Club Old Course in Chonburi, Thailand. It sits approximately 15 minutes away in Pattaya for Honda LPGA Thailand. This Parkland course was originally designed by Izao Mizumi in 1971 and was renovated in 2007 by Lee Schmidt. LPGA Thailand in 2006 spent the first year at Amata Springs and while it didn't appear in 2008, it made an appearance back at Plantation Course at Siam Country Club. The event moved to the Old Course fully in 2010 and onwards where it has been a staple of the tour apart from other cancellation in 2020, of course due to Covid-19 outbreak.
This 6,576 yard Par 72 beauty is a golfers' dream and to be honest with you it's a gentle way for the players to knock off the rust with the last eight tournaments here at Siam Country Club has been won by -20 minimum. Nanna Koertz Madsen broke new ground in 2022 winning at -26 defeating Xiyu Lin in a Playoff. Players often describe this part of the season as 'A Trip to the Sweatbox' as temperatures soar and although there is high rain and wind chances, it shouldn't be too off putting for the ladies as it's often a generous course where keeping the ball in play is vital. With the strength and depth of quality on Tour these days the course is still very scoreable. One main interesting feature of the Old Course at Siam CC is the 9th tee area plays right next to a big Buddha statue (quite cool isn't it?)
A 72 player field with no cut is what it is this week with a fair few debutants with the likes of Nataliya Guseva, Auston Kim, Gabi Ruffels, Rio Takeda and Bailey Tardy all teeing it up in Thailand for the first time. Sixteen-year-old super talent Gianna Clemente is a sponsor's invite, one to keep an eye on for sure.
Last year was the redemption story of the hugely popular Patty Tavatanakit who backed up an expert performance in Saudi to win by seven last year to go on and win the one tournament on tour that means the most to the Thais. She managed to fight off a hugely spirited Sunday performance from Albane Valenzuela to win on LPGA Tour for a second time on home soil in what were hugely emotional scenes for Patty, awesome feat!
Tournament History
Winners
2024: Patty Tavatanakit (-21) by 1 to Albane Valenzuela
2023: Lilia Vu (-22) by 1 to Natthakritta Vongtaveelap
2022: Nanna Koertz Madsen (-26) by P/Off to Janet Lin
2021: Ariya Jutanugarn (-22) by 1 to Jeeno Thitikul
2019: Amy Yang (3) (-22) by 1 to Minjee Lee
2018: Jess Korda (-25) by 4 to Moriya Jutanugarn & Lexi Thompson
2017: Amy Yang (2) (-22) by 5 to So Yeon Ryu
2016: Lexi Thompson (-20) by 6 to In Gee Chun
Course Record
2022: Yuka Saso (-10) 62 Final Round
2018: Jess Korda (-10) 62 2nd Round
Amy Yang is by far the most successful player in the field with 11 Top 15s in 14 starts here in Thailand which include three wins. Ariya Jutanugarn has a host of Top 10s here including a 2021 win & a second while Lexi Thompson always played well here with a win and multiple Top 10s and the likes of Brooke Henderson, Hyo Joo Kim, Xiyu Lin have multiple Top 10 & Top 20s. Lilia Vu also has a record of seventh and first here while Patty Tavatanakit has a win (last year) and a third. It certainly is a place where players can repeatedly come back to play well at!
Course Form of Past Winners (Most Recent first)
Patty Tavatanakit: Won/72/19/3
Lilia Vu: 7/Won
Nanna Madsen: 29/38/Won/17
Ariya Jutanugarn: 13/51/40/Won/14/5/8/48/13/51/2/12/8
Amy Yang: 23/34/4/3/Won/14/Won/3/Won/45/12/4/7/10
Jessica Korda: Won/14/3/32/36/14/51
Lexi Thompson: 48/2/4/Won/23/5/12/14
Anna Nordqvist: 60/10/57/52/19/32/18/13/Won/56/18/26/31
Last Two Years Top 20 & Ties
2024
1) Patty Tavatanakit (-21)
2) Albane Valenzuela (-20)
3) Sei Young Kim & Hye Jin Choi (-18)
5) Natthakritta Vongtaveelap & Hyo Joo Kim (-17)
7) Lilia Vu & Emily Kristine Pedersen (-16)
9) Haeran Ryu, Jaravee Boonchant, Brooke Henderson & Madelene Sagström (-15)
13) Chisato Iwai, Janet Lin & Ariya Jutanugarn (-14)
16) Erika Hara & Yuka Saso (-13)
18) Jenny Shin & Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (Am) (-12)
20) Jin Young Ko, Mi Hyang Lee & Danielle Kang (-11)
2023
1) Lilia Vu (-22)
2) Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (-21)
3) Jeeno Thitikul (-20)
4) Maja Stark & Celine Boutier (-17)
6) Jin Young Ko, Leona Maguire, Lydia Ko & Nelly Korda (-16)
10) Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Georgia Hall, Hyo Joo Kim, Ash Buhai & Anna Nordqvist (-15)
15) Janet Lin & Maria Fassi (-14)
17) Ryann O'Toole, Jaravee Boonchant & Cheyenne Knight (-13)
20) Sei Young Kim, Alison Lee & Yuka Saso (-12)
The Field
We won't see Nelly till the end of March when the LPGA turns back home into the U.S. as Lydia Ko and Hannah Green have the week off before Singapore next week. It's Jeeno who's the hot favourite at 9/2 looking to replicate Patty Tavatanakit's feat of winning Saudi then Thailand. Jin Young Ko is in hot form and is 10/1, Haeran Ryu is 14/1 while a host of Major winners and former World No. 1's make up the field including Celine Boutier, Ruoning Yin, A Lim Kim, Ayaka Furue, Patty Tavatanakit, Lilia Vu, Brooke Henderson and Ariya Jutanugarn. The likes of Linn Grant, Lauren Coughlin, Angel Yin and Hyo Joo Kim also play in Thailand this week.
Honda LPGA Thailand Picks
Lilia Vu 40/1 (6pl ew, SpreadEx)
While the likes of Sei Young Kim, Lauren Coughlin and Ayaka Furue were under consideration. I liked Nanna Koertz Madsen for me at the same kind of price range as two Former World No. 1's and a three-time event winner it's too short. First selection for me is Former World No. 1 Lilia Vu who, to be quite frank at 40/1, should be an auto-bet regardless of the poor end to last season and the injury concerns that comes with that. It's well documented that the classy two-time Major Champion has a storied history of back problems but for me, when she is in the mood and firing in all cylinders, Vu is so tough to beat. Especially with her being supremely accurate. This was the scene of an unbelievable 2023 season as she picked up the win at Siam by a shot which set her up for a four-win season that included two Majors. There's not many players that are better clutch putters in the game. 40/1 to chance on a classy operator back to form, no brainer. Wouldn't take less than 25/1.
Ariya Jutanugarn 40/1 (5pl ew, Ladbrokes)
Fresh off a T4th at last week's PIF Saudi Ladies event on LET my second pick is another Former World No. 1 player in the world Ariya Jutanugarn who just absolutely loves this place. She has a ton of experience playing this event back home. She has eight Top 15's in 15 starts over the years here at Siam, including winning in 2021, 2nd in 2013, 5th in 2017 and 8th in 2016. Ariya, to this day, even through the struggles she's had over the past few years trying to get back to the dominant figure she once was is still one of the best for Tee to Green and SG: Approach categories in the women's game. Feel like Ariya is due another big week in contention. Could she pick up legendary status in Thailand by winning this tournament twice? Why not, she's still an exceptional player. Wouldn't take less than 25/1.
Amy Yang 40/1 (6pl ew, SpreadEx)
This pick was so simple. There is no one better at this golf course over the years than the vastly experienced South Korean Amy Yang. Yang has a quite ridiculous record here in Thailand with three wins (2015, 2017 & 2019,) while having 9 Top 10's and 11 Top 15's in 14 starts. She started the season of with a steady 22nd at Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona. Before that, she only had the one missed cut towards the end of the season that came in September at Kroger Queen City. The 2024 KPMG PGA Champion just ticks all the boxes you need here to be successful. Her super sharp Greens in Regulation play is the main tick. Just feels like a match made in heaven for the 35-year-old Korean star. Wouldn't take less than 25/1
Esther Henseleit 80/1 (5pl ew, Unibet)
It was a flip of a coin between Leona Maguire and Esther Henseleit. Maguire has gone sneakily under the radar starting off this season with 19th & 9th, while having a good record here of 31st (when not at her best), 6th and 12th. That is a decent price at 75/1 but for me Esther at 80/1 just edges it. She started off brilliantly last week in Saudi opening with a -6 66 and was -8 heading into final round before a really poor and surprising Saturday +4 76. However, with it being her first event back, shaking off the rust and being the first week together with highly experienced bag man Dave Brooker, it is understandable. It takes time to gel! Dave Brooker was the mastermind in a highly successful five-year run together with the unstoppable Jin Young Ko at the time and has good results as you'd imagine in Asia. I think with Brooker by her side, I expect big things this year for Henseleit who definitely has the game to compete and perhaps win on LPGA. Esther was first for Greens in Regulation last week in Riyadh. This is her third start here in Thailand with previously 49th & 12th placed finishes. Decent price range! Wouldn't take less than 50/1
Jenny Shin 140/1 (6pl ew, SpreadEx)
While there were a few claims in the 100-plus range with Valenzuela tempting after her super run here last year, Iopted for Shun. Yuka Saso has unbelievable power to rip this course apart and I am intrigued to see how Auston Kim gets on in her debut here at this course, This last pick for me is the unfiltered, always entertaining and experienced Jenny Shin who feels slightly good value at 140/1 and 125/1 in other places. She's been in Australia grinding away, preparing for the LPGA season. She played in two events down under, finishing T8th and T11th. Still finding hard to believe that Jenny only has the one Tour win for her talent with 2024 being her best chance in a long time to add number two, coming close in Canada and being in the mix before a final day 76 at St. Andrews for AIG Women's Open. Another that has good course form here with four Top 20's over the years. She has recently changed caddy to Ryan Hilton who was on the bag for Lexi Försterling for a little bit. I firmly believe that if Jenny fully believes in herself, in her own ability and tries not to beat herself up she can definitely win on Tour again. She's a good character for the game and is a very good player. Super Putter. Wouldn't take less than 90/1
We are in for another great event on the LPGA Tour with massive incentives for most of the players this week! Hope you all enjoy the golf and thanks you for tuning in!
You can find me on X at @ThomsonGolf94 and if you fancy tuning into Chasing Pars Golf Podcast too, that would be grateful!
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