October 29, 2016: Thailand’s Supamas Sangchan came from two strokes back to capture her first Ladies European Tour trophy at the Sanya Ladies Open in China. The 20-year-old second year China LPGA Tour player from Bangkok fired a final round of 68 to finish with a 54-hole total of eight-under-par and edge Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall by a shot. Neha Tripathi made a stirring fightback on the back nine to rescue herself to a healthy T33 finish.
Neha Tripathi started the week with a brilliant 70 in the opening round, but suffered a stutter when she signed on a 78 in the second round.
Three bogeys in the first five holes of the final round meant that she was nearly setting up for another disappointing round of golf.
Neha made the turn at two over, having partially offset four bogeys with two birdies – one at the third and another at the seventh hole.
Neha Tripathi bared her inner resolution from there – producing three birdies including consecutive ones at the 15th and 16th holes to end the tournament on a positive note.
Neha Tripathi earned € 2,475 for her effort in Hainan this week. Saaniya Sharma (T61) though had a forgettable final round effort, signing on an 81 to slide to the bottom of the leaderboard.
Amelia Lewis of the United States tied for third place with China’s Yuting Shi on six-under-par and rookie professional Olivia Cowan of Germany finished two strokes further behind in fourth.
Sangchan held firm in the strong breeze, gusting at 35 miles per hour, to register her second professional victory, following a maiden win on the Thai LPGA last summer.
“I’m very happy with my score today. I had a lucky shot on the ninth. The third shot went in the hole and I got an eagle,” she said.
At the 525-yard par-5 ninth, she holed her approach shot from 50 yards using a 60 degree wedge, having holed almost the same shot from 63 yards for eagle using a 56 degree wedge in the first round.
With her eagle, she caught the early front-runner Caroline Hedwall at seven-under through the turn. Although Hedwall raced three ahead after 12 holes, Sangchan caught her at eight-under after 16 holes.
Hedwall then dropped a shot on the treacherous par-4 17th, flanked by trees to the left and a lake to the right. She had to chip out to the fairway and left her par putt in the jaws of the hole. Needing a birdie at the last to force a play-off, her putt from 20 feet ended just right of the hole.
“It was really tough today and I played awesome on the front nine and could have been a couple more under. On the back nine I just didn’t have the margins on my side and struggled with the tee shot on 17,” Hedwall said. “I had a decent par chance and it stopped on the edge of the hole and I didn’t make the birdie putt on 18. It was hard from the rough and I played a decent shot but it released a little too much. You need a little luck to make a putt like that.”
Sangchan wore a black ribbon on her cap throughout the tournament and said that she wanted to bring the trophy home to honour the late King of Thailand.
