[PHOTO: Raj Mehta]
Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen was in total control heading into the back nine of the LPGA’s Dana Open on the final day, holding a five-shot lead via a bogey-free 31. Her lead quickly dissipated in six holes, thanks to a charging 2023 Rookie of the Year winner Hae Ran Ryu. But Wannasaen bounced back with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to finish a four-under 67 for a one-stroke win at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.
Leaderboard
Win: Chanettee Wannasaen (-20)
2: Hae Ran Ryu (-19)
T-3: Linn Grant (-13)
T-3: Ssu-Chia Cheng (-13)
What it means
Wannasaen earns her second career title. The first came at last year’s Cambia Portland Classic, where she was the third-ever Monday qualifier to win. The 20-year-old’s second victory gives her wins at the LPGA’s two oldest non-major tournaments: Portland, which is 53 years old, and the Dana, founded in 1984.
The win marks the third from a Thai this season, joining Patty Tavatanakit (Honda LPGA Thailand) and Atthaya Thitikul (Dow Championship). Wannasaen also joined Thitikul as the seventh multiple-time winner from their homeland.
Thailand continues its ascent as an LPGA power. The Asian nation has the second-most wins of any country on tour this season, trailing the United States (nine).
How it happened
Ryu, who finished in fifth place in last week’s Amundi Evian Championship in France for her sixth top-10 of the season, cut into Wannasaen’s lead from the 13th through 15th holes to tie the tournament with three to play; Wannasaen bogeyed the 13th, and Ryu birdied 14 and 15.
Then Ryu, 23, blinked, bogeying the par-4 16th to hand a one-shot lead back to Wannasaen. Defending champion Linn Grant briefly entered the fold by birdieing four of five holes to trail by two with two par 5s to play.
Wannasaen and Ryu quickly doused Grant’s comeback as the tandem birdied the 17th to pull three away. The final group arrived on the par-5 18th tee with four groups on the hole, waiting 24 minutes before teeing off, and watched Grant double-bogey the hole.
Wannasaen had a 15-footer for birdie with Ryu sitting in the greenside bunker in two. The South Korean hit her third off the flagstick, nestling four feet past the cup. With a potential playoff looming, Wannasaen drained her birdie to win at 20-under.
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Sarah Kemp was in the mix all week, sharing seventh place after a closing 70 – although 10 strokes behind the winner. Meanwhile, Grace Kim’s final-round 67 lifted her into a tie for 33rd.
Best of the rest
Lexi Thompson was celebrated on Friday as part of the Dana Open’s “Lexi Day” to honour the 29-year-old during her final full-time season on tour, featuring an F-16 flyover ahead of her second-round tee-time. She finished tied for 19th.
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Lucy Li found her form with a T-12 finish. The 21-year-old had missed six consecutive cuts before this week, and this was her best result since a T-10 in the Blue Bay LPGA in March
US Solheim captain Stacy Lewis’ T-7 is her best result since finishing in sixth place in the 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. The former world No.1 had missed 15 of her past 18 weekends.
Quotable
“Last year I didn’t expect anything like I’m going to win,” Wannassaen said. “But this week is so, Oh my God, fantastic. Because last year this tournament, I played not good. So this year I didn’t expect I’m going to win on this week.”