Pornanong Phatlum conjured a piece of magic on the closing hole to win the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters held under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The 24-year-old from Chaiyaphum in Thailand drilled her approach shot with a 54 degree wedge over the lake guarding the green to within two feet of the cup and holed the birdie putt with little fluster, beating her nearest challenger Stacy Lewis by one shot and becoming the first Thai player to win the season-ending Ladies European Tour event in Dubai.
China’s Jing Yan rounded off a great day for Asian women’s golf when she closed with a 71 for a total of two-under 286 to take the leading amateur medal.
It was Phatlum who took center-stage with a stunning charge coming down the stretch to edge past Lewis, who appeared to be on cruise control most of the day. The equation changed on the 17th when the Thai ace drew level with a birdie.
Both players stood on the 18th tee at 14-under, but Phatlum, who carded a closing 66, clinched the title with a birdie while Lewis had to settle for par after her approach from the rough left her with a long birdie putt of around 40 feet.
