Her late collapse in the ANA Inspiration almost as recent as her three straight LPGA Tour victories, the 20-year-old Thai player held on to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title.
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Playing partner Lee Mi-rim of South Korea (73) and American Mo Martin (70) shared second place while Stacy Lewis of the USA also carded a 70 to take fourth spot on 277. Jutanugarn became the first major victor from Thailand.
World No 1 Lydia Ko had her best round of the championship with a three-under-par 69, although a double-bogey at the 18th rather spoiled her otherwise flawless card.
She matched the tournament record Thursday with an opening 62.
She extended her bogey-free run to 33 holes with four birdies in an impressive outward nine of 32 and a controlled 34, picking up two further shots, coming back, saw her overtake South Korea’s Mirim Lee, who led after the first and second rounds.
“I played really well and now I’m looking forward to tomorrow”, said a smiling Jutanugarn, who was so laid back on the course in Woburn that she even borrowed a spectator’s chair to take a rest during a hold-up in play.
“That came when it was raining so it kind of made me rush and I bogeyed 16”, said Hull.
Jutanugarn then made a cracking birdie putt of around 20 feet, which slid from left to right, at the hard par-3 17th. Jutanugarn closed with a par, and Lee dropped a stroke.
A first prize of £310,838 edges her closer to Ko at the top of the LPGA’s Race to CME Globe money list, while her maiden major victory is projected to move her to third place on the Rolex Ranking behind only Ko and Canada’s Brooke Henderson. With a win she would become the oldest major champion in LPGA history at 46 years, 11 months and 6 days old.
Stacy Lewis shot two under to take fourth with 11 under for the weekend as Karrie Webb, Ha Na Jang and Catriona Matthew were tied for fifth at nine under. “The last few holes here I tried to be patient and to commit to my shots”.
That said the parents of young golfers seeking to follow in her footsteps will doubtless, in this health and safety conscious era, be encouraged to show rather more duty of care than Jutanugarn’s when she was, in a manner of speaking, introduced to the sport.
Feng misjudged the timing of the player shuttle and almost missed her tee time. “I had a couple of three-putts too, but I think with some practice I can overcome my mistakes from today”.
“I really had fun”, Lee said.
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“I love this course”, said the player whose older sister, Moriya, is also in the field and celebrated her 22nd birthday with a 69. “I’m just using it to prevent getting injured”.
