Texas, United States: Six weeks after her stunning victory in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP), Eila Galitsky sprung to the fore once more.
Underlining her prodigious talent, the 16-year-old Thai displayed the poise of a veteran as she claimed low amateur honours at The Chevron Championship, the LPGA Tour’s first Major of 2023.
“It's my first ever Major championship, and I just love it so much. I hope to be back here one day,” said Galitsky after closing with a two-under-par 70 at The Club at Carlton Woods.
With a four-round aggregate of one-over-par 289, Galitsky ended in a share of 28th place, alongside battle-hardened American professionals Danielle Kang and Jessica Korda and Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, among others.
Amari Avery, the only other amateur to make the half-way cut, finished joint 45th after a final-round 77.
American Avery began the last day with a three-stroke advantage over Galitsky and the Thai teenager’s hopes of capturing the amateur award faded further when she double-bogeyed the par-four second.
However, she proceeded to play the next 14 holes in five-under. Despite a bogey at the short 17th, Galitsky still finished three strokes clear of Avery.
As she had done in winning the WAAP at Singapore Island Country Club in the second week of March, Galitsky kept her emotions in check in Texas, following an opening 70 with rounds of 75 and 74.
“I liked the set-up, the crowd, everything about it. There wasn't one thing I didn't like about it,” said Galitsky, whose five-stroke WAAP victory has also earned her starts in two other professional Majors this year, the AIG Women’s Open and Amundi Evian Championship.
More immediately, Galitsky will be turning her attention to the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia next month.
“I made a commitment to the Thai national team, so I've got to go do that and hopefully get the gold for Thailand,” she said.
At The Chevron Championship, there were mixed fortunes for two other former WAAP champions.
Thai Atthaya Thitikul, winner of the inaugural WAAP in 2018, was in contention for her maiden Major title until stumbling with a double-bogey seven on the final hole.
That meant she signed for a 71 and a four-day total of eight-under 280, leaving her in joint fourth – two shots shy of joining Americans Lilia Vu and Angel Yin in a play-off. Vu triumphed with a birdie at the first extra hole.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei’s Tiffany Huang Ting-hsuan, WAAP champion in 2022, carded rounds of 77 and 75 and failed to progress to the final two days.
A similar fate befell Japan’s Saki Baba and Thai Natthakritta Vongtaveelap.
In her first year as a professional, Natthakritta, WAAP runner-up in 2021 and 2022, missed the cut by one after successive 73s while Baba, the reigning US Women’s Amateur champion made an early exit after returns of 74 and 73.
