Albane Valenzuela known as placing her “nemesis” in latest months. Nicely, that modified in a mighty method in Thailand, the place she wanted solely 19 putts in a career-low 9-under 63 on Sunday. The Swiss participant’s solo second to Patty Tavatanakit at Honda LPGA Thailand marked her career-best end on tour.
Final month on the LPGA Drive On in Bradenton, Florida, the 26-year-old Valenzuela had 10 three-putts, calling her velocity “completely off.”
On Sunday at Siam Nation Membership, Valenzuela went on a dizzying streak with the putter after holing out for eagle on the par-4 fifth.
“From No. 7 onwards I solely had one-putts,” mentioned Valenzuela. “For all of the those who instructed me I couldn’t putt, there you go.”
Amy Yang was the final participant to report 19 putts in a spherical on the primary day of the 2022 Amundi Evian Championship. Just one participant has registered 18 putts in a spherical since 1980, and that was Minea Blomqvist on the 2008 Fields Open in Hawaii at Ko Olina Golf Membership. Valenzuela is the seventh participant to report 19 putts since 1980.
The late Joan Joyce holds the LPGA report for fewest putts in a spherical, needing solely 17 on the 1982 Woman Michelob.
Albane Valenzuela celebrates after making a putt through the closing spherical of the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Nation Membership in Thailand. (Photograph: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Pictures)
Valenzuela, a former Stanford participant and two-time Olympian, mentioned the week in Thailand was big for her confidence, proving to herself that she has that aggressive fireplace in her coronary heart.
“I feel I’ve by no means loved taking part in a Sunday as a lot as I did right now,” she mentioned, “simply due to how calm I used to be. I instructed my dad, I lastly received out of my method and I actually understood rather a lot about myself right now.”
Her solo second earned her $158,182 in prize cash.
