Patty Tavatanakit won the 2021 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, the LPGA announced Monday.
Tavatanakit, who won the ANA Inspiration, clinched the honor following the completion of the BMW Ladies Championship this past weekend. The 22-year-old native of Thailand has earned 1,134 points through 17 events, and holds a 355-point advantage over second-place Leona Maguire with two tournaments remaining in the 2021 season.
Maguire, who needed at least a sixth-place finish at the BWM Championship, finished in a tie for 61st place to clinch the honor for the idle Tavatanakit.
“Earning this award is a dream come true for me,” Tavatanakit said. “It’s once in a lifetime. I’m so thrilled that I get to add my name to a spectacular list of recipients that I have looked up to for many years. This season has been one to remember, and I’m excited to finish 2021 strong as the Tour’s newest Rookie of the Year.”
Tavatanakit won the ANA Inspiration in April, becoming the first LPGA Tour rookie to win the major title since Juli Inkster accomplished the feat in 1984. She also has eight top-10 finishes on her resume.
Jeongeun Lee6 of South Korea won the award in 2019. The award was not distributed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
–Field Level Media
