Anna Nordqvist shot a 4-under 68 at Siam Country Club to claim her third career LPGA Tour title at the Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya last Sunday. The 26-year old from Sweden finished the week at 15-under par and two shots ahead of Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park.
“I’m speechless to be honest,” said Nordqvist following the win. “It’s been a couple years since I won. I’ve been working very hard and had my ups and downs. Just couldn’t be happier to be here. It was such a hard push on the back nine. Inbee kept making birdies and Michelle was playing great. I couldn’t really breathe until the last putt.”
Nordqvist started the day with a four-shot lead over Park and American Michelle Wie but quickly made things interesting with a double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole. Wie then picked up her second birdie of the day on No. 5 to cut the lead to one shot.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist holds up the champion’s trophy after winning the 2014 Honda LPGA Thailand tournament at Siam Country Club, Sunday, Feb. 23.
Nordqvist recovered with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 7 to extend her lead back to two shots but was pressured by Park who picked up back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. Park was bogey-free in her round of 66 on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough for the surging Nordqvist who carded five of her seven birdies on the back nine. However, the top-ranked player in the world said she was pleased with her performance in her first event of the 2014 season.
Huge galleries surround the 18th green as Nordqvist plays her final approach shot.
“I feel good,” said Park. “I mean, today my ballstriking wasn’t as good as yesterday but I putted better than yesterday, so I feel like my putter is coming back. I played one shot better than last year and didn’t win. Still a very good result and it tells me I improved a little. I’m satisfied the way I played this weekend… I think I played a little bit better than I thought I would.”
Michelle Wie put up a great fight but had to settle for fourth place on 10-under par.
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew finished in sole third place at 11 under after a final round 65, and Michelle Wie was 10 under after a 69. Yani Tseng, the winner in 2011 and 2012, had a 66 to tie for fifth at 9 under with Stacy Lewis (66), Lexi Thompson (68), Gerina Piller (66) and Julieta Granada (69).
As Park and Wie piled on the pressure, Nordqvist sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole to start a run of three consecutive birdies on the back nine and pushed her lead to three shots. She and Park took turns with birdies on the next four holes and her lead was never cut to less than two. Nordqvist sealed the deal with her 12-foot birdie putt on No. 12, leaving a nice cushion for a bogey on the 72nd for the two-shot win.
The Swedish star said earlier in the week she was contemplating leaving the game and credits her support team and family for keeping her happy and on track to her goals.
“I’ve been working so hard all winter,” she said. “These last couple years I have had a lot of great people by my side and they kept supporting me through the good times and the bad times. I will always be thankful for them. I’m just so excited to get a win here, and look forward to the rest of the year.”
Nordqvist held a Swedish flag as she walked into her post-round press conference on Sunday and couldn’t help but smile when she started talking about putting her home country back on the map for LPGA Tour wins. The last Swede to win on Tour was Maria Hjorth at the 2011 Avnet LPGA Classic. With her win last week, Nordqvist is projected to move to No. 14 in the Rolex Rankings and will be the top-ranked Swede in the world.
“Well, there are obviously always questions about when someone is going to win again after Annika (Sorenstam) left in 2008. So we were fortunate to get a couple victories.”
Nordqvist said she watched the dominating play of PGA Tour player and fellow Swede Henrik Stenson last season and thought his performances inspired Swedish golfers everywhere.
“I think Sweden has a lot of good players,” said Nordqvist. “Henrik Stenson last year I think was a big inspiration to all of us. We all work very hard and sometimes it’s a grind, but sitting here now with this trophy, for me it’s been well worth it.”
(Source: LPGA Tour)
Thailand’s Thidapa Suwannapura was the best ranked home star, finishing tied fourteenth on 5-under.
Nordqvist putts for birdie on the par-5 seventh to maintain her overall lead.
Defending champion Inbee Park of Korea tees off on the short par-3 eighth hole during her final round 66.
