Moriya Jutanugarn claims 2024 Portland Classic to become fourth Thai player to win this season

05/08/2024 02:06

Moriya Jutanugarn almost went the entire week without a bogey at the 2024 Portland Classic. Alas, she dropped a shot on the 72nd hole, but it didn't matter as the Thai player clinched her first individual title in six years. Jutanugarn's most recent LPGA victory came at the 2021 Dow Championship team event with younger sister Ariya.

"Of course, every win is special," she said, "and, like, kind of been a long time since my last win."

Jutanugarn's closing 66 gave her a 22-under total for the week, two strokes ahead of a trio of players including Russia's Nataliya Guseva, Narin An and Angel Yin. An aced the par-3 16th to briefly take the lead but played the last two holes in 1 over.

Yin, who was in a wheelchair to start the season after breaking her left ankle, failed to make a back-nine charge.

"It’s hard to be proud right now, so close," said Yin, who'd previously missed four of her last five cuts. "But it’s been a good week since I’ve been missing so many cuts. Really good to build off to go to Europe."

Jutanugarn is the fourth player from Thailand to win on tour this year:

• Patty Tavatankit, Honda LPGA Thailand
• Atthaya Thitikul, Dow Championship
• Chanettee Wannasaen, Dana Open
• Moriya Jutanugarn, Portland Classic

She's also the third player from Thailand to earn at least three wins on the LPGA, joining Thitikul (3) and her sister Ariya (12), who tied for ninth in Portland.

"This tournament is showing … no matter what happened, she always work hard,” said Ariya, who looked downright giddy about her sister’s success.

"Like even I play some tournament I finish better, I’m lazy and not practice, but she never do that. She works so hard, and I feel like she deserves it."

With so many top players already in France for the Olympics, the week presented an ideal time for players to make big moves toward winning for the first time, securing status for next year or, in the case of Alexa Pano, Andrea Lee and Yin, impress U.S. Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis.

Guseva, 21, came awfully close to becoming the first Russian player to win on the LPGA. The former Miami player, a rookie on the LPGA, now has four top-10 finishes this season.

"I’m honestly pretty happy," said Guseva. "You know, I put a lot of work into that, but at the same time, I’m kind of disappointed because I knew like I could win this thing very easily."

A little further down the leaderboard is the intriguing story of Dewi Weber, who has played most of the season on the Epson Tour. The Dutch player actually qualified for the Paris Olympics but was denied a spot because of additional criteria laid out by the Netherlands Olympic Committee.

Weber made quite the statement early on this week with her clubs, carding seven consecutive birdies in back-to-back rounds to take the 36-hole lead.

"I’m disappointed obviously," said Weber earlier in the week of not being able to compete in the Olympics, "but it’s a chapter that, for me, I’ve closed. Listen, if I win on Sunday, like I think that would make a statement obviously, but it’s not as if I’m trying to play here to make a point.

"The point I’m trying to make is that I’m a good golfer and good enough to be on the LPGA Tour, because I’ve been on Epson this entire year."

Weber ultimately dropped down to eighth after a rough stretch on Nos. 15 and 16. Still, it was confidence-building week that should go a long way toward her return to the LPGA.

Overnight leader Andrea Lee, a past champion in Portland, shot 74 on Sunday to drop to a share of ninth.

The only player in the field in Portland who will be competing in Paris is India's Aditi Ashok, who took a share of 22nd. Ashok finished fourth at the Tokyo Games. The 2024 Olympic women’s golf competition starts Wednesday and concludes Saturday.