The Asian-American Angel Yin (-28) has achieved victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand, a tournament on the North American women’s circuit held this week at the Old Course of the Siam Country Club. A triumph based on good play, consistency, and regularity, in which she managed to endure until the last second to withstand the furious attack of a true ‘extraterrestrial’ named Akie Iwai (-27), who, in the second tournament of her career on the tour playing with a sponsor’s invitation, has made it clear that she will be much talked about.
A couple of years ago, after many attempts, Yin finally opened her victory tally on the LPGA by winning the Buick LPGA Shanghai in China. Returning to Asia, from where her mother emigrated to the United States years ago, where she seems to have found a goldmine, she wins again. Although this time, to achieve it, she had to set the tournament record with a final round of 65 strokes for a total of 260 over the four days of competition, signing seven birdies without error on Sunday, including one on a legendary last hole where everything was decided.
After achieving what seemed impossible and becoming co-leader on some holes, Akie arrived at the tee of the 17th hole, just two from the end, with only one stroke behind the American. With no less than 10 birdies in the previous 16, she had managed to cut four of the five-stroke lead with which Angel started Sunday in the star match. But at the worst possible moment, the Japanese player faltered, committing a bogey that made the tournament very uphill for her. She had to play the 18th with two strokes behind, needing almost a miracle to at least force a playoff.
Angel answers back with a birdie on 13 to regain the lead 🐥
It’s a battle at the top in Thailand, tune in now on @GolfChannel! 📺 pic.twitter.com/InFsQF0yBh
— LPGA (@LPGA) February 23, 2025
The last hole of the Pattaya course, in Chonburi, Thailand, is a par five, so she needed the eagle, or an unexpected mistake from the Californian, to have a chance. She went all out, with a missile from the tee that ended up in the rough and aiming for the green in two with an impressive wood shot. And not only did she achieve her first objective, but she also holed her putt for eagle from the edge of the green, closing her participation in the tournament with a final round of 61 strokes, eleven under par, absolutely indescribable. A record that few players achieve in their entire career. And with that, she forced Angel to push herself to the end, also aiming for the green in two, putting for eagle… and finally making a birdie that closed the door to the playoff.
Yin needed a stunning round of 65 strokes, with seven birdies without error, to secure the victory and make good the comeback she had achieved yesterday, taking advantage of the only day of the week when Akie seemed like a terrestrial golfer. A triumph that brings her a prize of $255,000, 500 points in the Race to CME Globe, and the usual benefits in terms of future playing rights. The second of a career in which she has accumulated over $6.3 million in earnings and 32 top-10 finishes, but in which victories have been too elusive.
And just like that, Akie Iwai ties the lead with her EIGHTH birdie of the day 👀 pic.twitter.com/noY56FHk5y
— LPGA (@LPGA) February 23, 2025
Iwai, for her part, leaves her calling card at this Thai event after securing her card last December through the qualifying series. In just four days, the Japanese player has managed to achieve two double-digit red scores, a 10 under par in the tournament’s first round and an 11 under par in the last. Little more to say about the great player who arrives on the tour and who, at just 22 years old, knows all too well what it is to win, with six titles in the LPGA of Japan.
Carlota Ciganda (-11), for her part, closed this Honda LPGA Thailand with her best round of the week, a 68 with four birdies in her only bogey-free round of the tournament to climb a position and break into the top 20. The Navarrese golfer, in this reduced field event, has shown consistency in her game and has gone from strength to strength. She just needed a bit more precision with the irons to leave it closer and more success with the putter. But she starts an exciting season at a good level.
