It was the first tour win for Tavatanakit since her maiden victory at the 2021 Chevron Championship, and she had to perform under pressure to finish the final round with a 67 at the Siam Country Club Old Course in Chonburi on Sunday.
Tavatanakit, 24, started the day with a three-shot lead, and when she made the turn after three birdies on the front nine, she appeared headed to victory.Â
But two groups ahead of her, Albane Valenzuela, of Switzerland, was putting together a masterful round that put Tavatanakit on notice.
Valenzuela was five strokes back after she and Tavatanakit each finished the first nine holes. On the front side, Valenzuela posted an eagle and a birdie, then followed with six birdies on the back nine to finish the round with a tournament-low 63.
Birdies at 17 and 18 moved Valenzuela to 20-under for the tournament, forcing Tavatanakit to birdie the last hole herself to avoid a playoff - and she did just that.
She executed a perfect chip shot onto the green with her third shot on the par-five hole to leave her the tap-in for victory.
"It was just like that chip on 18 was just like a game with my friend where I just felt like, OK, like I need to make up and down to win the match," she said. "Soon as it stopped about couple inches away from the hole, I was like, yep, I won.
"It was joy. It was -- I felt so proud. And a little bit of -- I felt a little tired, too," she said after playing in 92-degree heat.
Three shots behind Tavatanakit at 18-under for the tournament and in a tie for third were South Koreans Sei Young Kim (65 on Sunday) and Hye-Jin Choi (66).
Thailand's Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (65) and Hyo Joo Kim (67) of South Korea tied for fifth at 17-under, and defending champion Lilia Vu (65) and Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark (68) were another shot back and tied for seventh.
Sarah Kemp (68) and Grace Kim (73) were the leading Australians, tied for 31st place on eight under, while Steph Kyriacou was in joint-41st on seven under after her last-round 68.
Hannah Green ended up tied for 54th on four under after a 73.
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