ATTHAYA THITIKUL CLAIMS LEADING AMATEUR AWARD

The 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship winner, Atthaya Thitikul, who became the youngest ever winner on the LET aged 14 last year at Phoenix Gold Golf Club in Pattaya, is set to receive leading amateur honours at the RICOH Women’s British Open.

As the only amateur to make the cut (+1), the 15-year-old will be awarded the Smyth Salver at Royal Lytham & St Annes after completing rounds of 73, 71, 79 and 77, for a total of 12-over-par.

The Thai teenager booked her place at RICOH Women’s British Open after lifting the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific trophy at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore in February.

As a result of that victory, she also played in the 2018 HSBC Women’s World Championship held at Sentosa the following week recording a top ten finish, as well as the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills in California where she again finished as the leading amateur in the field.

This is her second time playing in the RICOH Women’s British Open as her Ladies European Tour victory last year qualified her to play in the championship at Kingsbarns.

Previous winners of the Smyth Salver include Michelle Wie (2005), Mel Reid (2007), Anna Nordqvist (2010), Caroline Hedwall (2010), Danielle Kang (2011), Lydia Ko (2012), Georgia Hall and Ko (2013), Emma Talley (2014), Luna Sobron (2015), Leona Maguire (2016) and Sophie Lamb (2017).