2024 Honda LPGA Thailand: Power Rankings, Defending Champion, Prize Money, and Major Details

For the third stop on the LPGA Tour’s 2024 schedule, it will be going to the city of  Chon Buri, Thailand. It will be the 17th edition of the Honda LPGA Thailand, which will start on February 22nd and, after 72 holes, end on the 25th. Among the field are past champions Anna Nordqvist (2014) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (2022), and world number three Celine Boutier, amongst many others.

It will be the first event from the Asian wing of the LPGA Tour schedule; the Tour will then move to Singapore and then end the swing with the Blue Lay LPGA in China. Out of the jam-packed field, only one will take the title, and we have the top 5 golfers who may claim the title this year!

The top 5 contenders in the Honda LPGA Thailand

The event will be a limited-field one with just 72 golfers teeing up at the Siam Country Club Old Course. The event started in 2006, and since then, the prize purse has increased significantly. The no-cut field at the Honda LPGA Thailand has a prize pool of $1.7 million, and the winner will earn $255,000.

The power rankings for the upcoming event are as follows:

1. Ayaka Furue: This is the third year of Ayaka Furue on the LPGA Tour. This year, the Japanese golfer has started with back-to-back top-five performances. At both the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, and the second stop in Bradenton, Florida, Furue was tied for the fourth spot. This was the perfect start that the 23-year-old could have wanted. After her best performances so far, Furue may take a three-step jump and finally claim her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour.

2. Lilia Vu: The 2023 season was a successful breakthrough for the 26-year-old pro. Lilia Vu won four times on the LPGA Tour, including the Honda Thailand LPGA in February, and two major victories: the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open. The 2024 season started with Vu carding her first top 20 at the Hilton Grand Vacations. Although she was tied for 55 at the Drive-On Championship, as the defending champion and maiden victory ground, the world number one will not let anyone take the title from her easily.

3. Jin Young Ko: This will be the official start for the former world number one. Jin Young Ko was to play at the CME Global Tour Championship but withdrew from the event beforehand, citing a left knee injury. Last year, Ko was T6 on the leaderboard and is now inching closer to her 16th win, claiming 19th spot on the LPGA Tour’s most career wins rankings.

As one of the top four highest-ranked players in the field (world no. 6), most will be following Ko closely. She will be coming back after the recovery, and just like in the 2022 season, where she won the HSBC Women’s World Championship after the wrist injury, Ko may repeat the feat once again!

4. Amy Yang: The South Korean golfer could not make the cut at the Drive-On Championship and finished T22 at the HGV Tournament of Champions. However, Amy Yang has won the Honda LPGA Thailand three times and holds the record for the highest number of wins at the Siam Country Club Old Course. As the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship winner and a veteran pro who knows the Old Course way better than others in the field, Yang has a better chance of winning the title for the fourth time.

5. Patty Tavatanakit: The Thailand star won her latest title at the 2024 Aramco Saudi Ladies International Tournament. This win broke the three-year winless drought of Patty Tavatanakit; her last victory was at the 2021 ANA Inspiration (Chevron Championship). The 26-year-old now claims she is the newest version of herself and has named it “Patty 2.0.”  The game Tavatanakit may resemble her seven-stroke victory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The old course at the LPGA Thailand

Since the inception of the Honda LPGA Thailand, the event has been played on Siam Country Club Old Course, starting in 2007, except for the first event. The first edition was held at Amata Spring Country Club. The Old Course in Pattaya is a traditional 72-hole course that spans 6576 yards. It was established by Dr. Thaworn Phornprabha in 1971 and has since undergone renovation in 2007.

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The Siam Country Club Old Course has four par-5 holes, four par-3s, and ten par-4s. Overall, the course has had an original design since it was founded. However, after the renovation in 2007, it has improved the aesthetics of the club. From the fairway to the bunkers, everything is made to catch the eye and make the experience better for the pros and the audience.

The event is only two days away. Who will win the first no-cut event on the LPGA Tour? Share your predictions in the comments!

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