Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen fired a stunning 9-under 63 on Sunday to win the Portland Classic in Portland, Ore.
Wannasaen turned in a bogey-free round at that included seven birdies and one eagle. The 19-year-old rookie finished at 26-under 262 for the tournament, securing her first victory on the LPGA Tour while also becoming just the third Monday qualifier to win a title.
“It’s everything to me,” Wannasaen said about getting her first LPGA Tour win on the Golf Channel broadcast. “I miss cut about nine events before this tournament … but I’m very hopeful (to) make it happen, and it’s happen now.”
The last Monday qualifier to come away with a victory was Canada’s Brooke Henderson, who also accomplished the feat at the Portland Classic, winning the event in 2015.
Xiyu Lin of China also played clean golf at Columbia Edgewater Country Club on Sunday, racking up eight birdies without a bogey to log an 8-under 64. She finished alone in second place, four strokes off the lead.
China’s Ruoning Yin (66 on Sunday), American Gina Kim (66) and Carlota Ciganda of Spain (67) finished in a three-way tie for third at 20 under.
Wannasaen was at her best on the front nine on Sunday, sandwiching birdies at Nos. 3 and 4 and Nos. 6 and 7 around an eagle at the par-5 fifth. She hit the turn at 23 under and sank back-to-back birdies at the par-3 13th and the par-4 14th before tacking on another at No. 17.
Lin birdied five of the final nine holes, but she was never able to fully recover from her performance through the first nine holes of the first round, when she had two bogeys and a double bogey.
“I kind of wish I can cross the first nine holes I ever played off, and then I’ll be 25 under,” Lin said. “But like I have been struggle a little bit with my putter recently, so this week I change a grip, change the setup a little bit, and like I said, the first nine hole on Thursday I really thought I’m going home.
“So the way I battle it back it’s pretty good, and to see the putter working it’s a great feeling.”
After entering Sunday with a one-stroke lead, American Megan Khang recorded a 1-under 71 to fall into sixth at 19-under 269.
“Gave myself a bunch of chances today, was stroking it well, just, again, putts didn’t drop,” Khang said. “That’s golf, right?”
Thais Ariya Jutanugarn and Atthaya Thitikul and Sweden’s Linn Grant finished T7 at 18 under. The United States’ Andrea Lee and South Korean Hyo Joon Jang tied for 10th.
–Field Level Media