With four events remaining on the 2019 Epson Tour calendar, Patty Tavatanakit (Bangkok, Thailand) is the second player to secure a LPGA Tour card for 2020 as she is guaranteed to finish in the Volvik Race for the Card top-10.
Since coming onto the Epson Tour scene at the Island Resort Championship in June, the 19-year-old has quickly established herself as a top talent. An impressive run highlighted by three wins and a total of five top-15 finishes in eight starts helped seal this accomplishment for Tavatanakit.
“I’m really happy and didn’t expect to get it this fast,” said Tavatanakit. “I remember at my first Epson Tour event in Harris, Mich., my goal was to climb into the top-35 and return to Q-Series to get my LPGA card there. I feel like it didn’t take long because I was enjoying the process and living the moment really well. It wasn’t about winning, but trusting my game to help get to this point.”
A two-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) First Team All-American for UCLA, Tavatanakit stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time in her professional career at the Donald Ross Classic on July 13. She backed up the performance with a second straight title in the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic. Following a third crown at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge earlier this month, Tavatanakit has cashed $110,487 in season earnings.
The big stage won’t be unfamiliar territory for the 2016 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year. Tavatanakit made her professional debut at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open with a tied for 34th result, where a year prior she finished tied for fifth to earn low amateur honors. Furthermore, the seven-time medalist for the Bruins carded a career low and 18-hole tournament scoring record 11-under par 61 in the final round of the 2019 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic as a sponsor exemption.
“Epson Tour is the perfect stage for anyone to come out and learn how to be a pro,” Tavatanakit said. “What I learned is to manage my energy, build physical strength to manage fatigue on the course. Those are big factors to help my game at the next level. I have been able to simply focus on golf and knowing that I don’t have an eight-page essay after practice really validated my decision.”
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