Feature
RANKED Atthaya Thitikul
11 TH IN THE WORLD AMATEUR
GOLF RANKING
Atthaya Thitikul
YOUTH OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR R&A CHAMPIONS
Women’s Asia-Pacifi c Amateur Champion Atthaya Thitikul is making 2018 a year to remember after winning a
Gold Medal representing Thailand in the mixed team golf competition at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
P
laying with partner Vanchai
Luangnitikul, the 16-year-old rising
star birdied the fi nal two holes to
dramatically beat the team of Lucy Li
and Akshay Bathia from the United
States by one stroke. The Thai pair
fi nished on a 12-under-par total of 268
to seal a memorable victory.
Argentine duo Ela Anacona and Mateo
Fernandez de Oliveira fi nished fi ve
strokes further back on a seven-under-
par total of 273 to take the Bronze
Medal.
Memorable year
The victory for Thitikul comes on the
back of winning the World Junior Girls
Championship at Camelot Golf &
Country Club in Canada last month and
fi nishing as the leading amateur in the
RICOH Women’s British Open at Royal
Lytham & St Annes in August.
She has also won four amateur events
in her native Thailand this year and
is currently ranked 11th in the World
Amateur Golf Ranking.
Spitz success
There was also success for 2018 Girls
Amateur Champion Emma Spitz who
fi nished third in the individual women’s
golf event in Argentina.
Spitz, who also played in the Junior
Ryder Cup for Europe last month,
featured in a three-way play-off against
Alessia Nobilio of Italy and Yuka Saso
of the Philippines after all three players
fi nished level on a four-over-par total of
215.
Nobilio triumphed in the play-off to seal
the Silver Medal with Spitz edging out
Saso to claim the Bronze Medal.
Australia bag gold medals
Grace Kim of Australia won the Gold
Medal by three strokes on a one-over-
par total of 211, which was matched by
her compatriot Kim Vilips in the men’s
individual competition to give Australia
a clean sweep of gold medals in the
men’s and women’s events.
Karl Vilips posted a one-under-par 69 in
the fi nal round to fi nish two shots clear
of the fi eld on a four-under-par total of
206.
Askhay Bhatia of the United States took
the Silver Medal after he carded a level-
par 70 to fi nish in second place while
Jerry Ji of the Netherlands won the
Bronze Medal.
GolfPlus Junior November-December 2018
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