Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States: While Atthaya Thitikul will be chasing her maiden Major title at this week’s 79th US Women’s Open presented by Ally, her fellow-Thai Pimpisa Sisutham will also be in search of silverware.
A rising junior at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Pimpisa is making her US Women’s Open debut after shooting even-par 142 in the Bradenton Country Club qualifier.
At Lancaster Country Club, Pimpisa, who turned 20 at the end of February, is aiming to challenge for low amateur honours.
Pimpisa has adapted well to college golf in America, winning the Gators Invitational and finishing eighth in the Big 12 Conference Championship.
Her one disappointment this year came on home soil where she failed to contend on her Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) debut at Siam Country Club, finishing joint 33rd on one-under 287.
That was two strokes in front of Chinese Taipei’s Cindy Hsu Huai-chien, who ended in a share of 37th, her worst finish in three WAAP outings.
Like Pimpisa, Hsu will be making her US Women's Open debut this week after posting an eight-under 136 total in the 36-hole qualifier conducted at Rockwall (Texas) Golf & Tennis Club.
The University of Texas sophomore made international headlines late last year when she captured the individual title in the 2023 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in the United Arab Emirates. Her 13-under 275 aggregate also helped Chinese Taipei to a second-place finish behind Spain.
Currently, Pimpisa is 80th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking with Hsu in 86th position.
For her part, Atthaya is seeking to make amends for missing the half-way cut in last year’s US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
Winner of the inaugural WAAP in Singapore in 2018, Atthaya is one of the rising stars in the game, having ascended to the top spot in the Rolex Rankings in late 2022.
As an LPGA Tour rookie in 2021, she broke through for her first victory on the circuit when she defeated Nanna Koerstz Madsen in a play-off at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol. Later in the season, she won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Her success at Sentosa Golf Club six years ago was also achieved in a play-off, repelling the challenges of Japanese Yuka Saso and Yuna Nishimura and New Zealander Keh Wen-yung in extra time.
Saso and Nishimura will also take their places in the starting line-up at Lancaster Country Club, as will Thai Patty Tavatanakit, equal 15th in that first edition of the WAAP.
Saso won the US Women’s Open in 2021.
