Journeys

‘At 10, I Knew I Loved Golf and Competing’

I also realised back then that if I got good enough, I could support my family

By Atthaya Thitikul with Keely Levins

No one in my family plays golf. It wasn’t a popular sport in the small city of Ratchaburi in Thailand where I grew up. As a child, I was sick a lot. It wasn’t anything serious, but I got colds constantly. A doctor told my dad, Montree, and my mum, Siriwan, that I needed to play a sport — either golf or tennis — so I’d be outside, and I could control my own schedule. We watched golf on TV, and I chose that over tennis. Tennis requires too much running.

My dad found a teacher in Bangkok. choice to me. I did it. It took a full year, It was an hour drive each way, so we but I’m so much better for it. went on the weekends. My ● ● ● dad owns a car wash, and atthaya thitikul When the Ladies Euromy mum is a hairdresser. let, lpga pean Tour (LET) came They worked around their age 19 to Thailand, I played schedules to take me. I lives ratchaburi, thailand even though I was 14. I liked golf immediately. It became the youngest LET was challenging and fun, and there were winner when I won the Thailand Chamother kids to play with. At 10, I knew I pionship. The next year, I won the 2018 loved golf and competing. I also realised Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Chamback then that if I got good enough, I pionship, which got me opportunities could support my family. to play in LPGA Tour events. I finished ● ● ● T-8 at the HSBC and was the low amaWhen I was 13, I made Thailand’s na- teur at the Chevron Championship. tional team. I got to play in Asia, the ● ● ● States and Europe. I lived at home with Still, I saw turning pro wasn’t going my parents and my sister. I went to a to be as easy as I thought. They were normal school, but they let me travel for more consistent, more skilled. I needed golf tournaments and camps. It was a to get stronger and learn more shots bilingual school. We spoke English and around the green. My dad thought I Thai. English was my favorite subject. should turn professional when I was ● ● ● 16. He saw my results and knows how On the national team, I met my competitive I am, but I wasn’t ready. coach, Kris Assawapimonporn. He ● ● ● earned my trust when he made a big The next year, I decided it was time, change in my swing. My grip was ex- but I wanted to play smaller tours first tremely strong, and I could work the to get to know different courses and ball only in one direction, a draw. He grasses and how to play in different told me if we didn’t make the change, weather before going to the LPGA. The I’d make it to the LPGA Tour, but I first year I turned pro, COVID hit. I was wouldn’t make it to the top. He left the stuck in Thailand, but I was lucky: My coach was there, and we were able to do a lot of work on my swing. ● ● ●

I played the Thai LPGA Tour in 2020

and won five times. I spent 2021 on the LET, won twice and was rookie of the year. That fall I went to LPGA Q school and never felt more stress. I could feel the attention on me. Carrying that feeling for two weeks was exhausting. The pressure I put on myself is one thing, but adding the pressure others put on me can be too much. I’m still not good at handling pressure. I don’t want other people’s thoughts to change how I feel on the course. Hopefully I’ll keep getting better at it as I get older. ● ● ● When I got my card, I felt relief. Once that passed, I felt so happy and proud of myself. I just thought what a big year of learning this was going to be. ● ● ●

As a rookie, I didn’t want to base my goals on trophies because I can do everything right, and someone

could just play better than me. I want to learn and adapt to make myself as good as possible in the future. ● ● ●

I’m also learning you shouldn’t think

about golf 24 hours a day. Rest is as important as training. Keeping my relationships with friends is the key to staying balanced. I like to joke around a lot. My friends would probably say that I’m the baby of the group. Pajaree Anannarukarn is one of my closest friends. A lot of the rookies have become friends, too. ● ● ●

I felt a lot of pride when I won the

JTBC Classic in my rookie year. Everyone on tour wants to win. It validated everything I have been doing, the decisions I’ve made and the people I’ve surrounded myself with. In Thailand, more people know me now. I’m not a celebrity, but I know what I’m doing makes my country proud and is getting more people interested in golf. ● ● ●

I’ve been able to achieve my goal of

supporting my family. We all live in Bangkok now, but I plan on buying a home in Las Vegas so that I have a place to stay during the season. My next goal is to win a major. I don’t care which one; I’ll take any of them.