Nelly Korda currently sits atop the women’s world golf rankings, but on Sunday Luoning Ying and Attaya Thitikul looked like the best players in the world.
Ying and Thitikul, both 21, briefly held the world No. 1 ranking last fall before ceding it to Korda, but the pair of players from China and Thailand shot 8-under 62 in best-ball format to win the Dow Championship by one stroke.
The Dow Championship is similar to the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, with two rounds of alternate shot and two rounds of best ball in a two-player format. This year’s TPC Louisiana tournament was won by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, McIlroy’s 25th PGA Tour victory and Lowry’s third.
Sunday’s win was Ying and Titikul’s third LPGA victory, as they beat Jennifer Kupcho and Allie Ewing, who were leading after 54 holes, by one stroke.
Kupcho and Ewing started Sunday’s final round at 15 under par, while Ying and Titikul were at 14. The Americans then carded a six-under 64, but it wasn’t enough. Kupcho and Ewing parred their final three holes, and Titikul sank it within 10 feet on the par-3 18th hole. Then Titikul made the birdie putt for her and Ying that ultimately sealed the win.
The LPGA has a week off before the fourth major of the season, the Amundi Evian Championship. Last year, France’s Celine Boutier won the title at Evian Resort Golf Club along Lake Geneva on the France-Switzerland border. Ying and Titkul will arrive in France as two of the favorites to win the Amundi Evian Championship.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
