“PRO” FILE – TOURING PROFESSIONAL ARIYA JUTANUGARN

She exploded into the winners circle with three consecutive victories after never having won an LPGA event, but keen golf observers knew it was just a matter of time before Ariya Jutanugarn would capture her first victory. What was a surprise, though, is that she captured her second and third titles immediately afterwards in consecutive weeks, but it shows the talent that this young lady possesses. At the age of 11, she qualified for the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament, making her the youngest ever to successfully qualify for a major tour event. She steadily progressed, winning the AJGA’s player of the year award two consecutive seasons. She turned professional at the end of 2012 at age 17. She played on the Ladies European Tour in 2013 and won her first professional event that same year. For 2015, she qualified for the LPGA Tour and finished 35th on the money list. Her first victory in 2016 made her the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history. As a footnote, her older sister Moriya also plays on the LPGA Tour, and the two are frequent travel and practice-round companions. Ariya Jutanugarn still lives in Thailand but spends a fair amount of time in the United States.