Unfortunate Turn of Events at the Mighty Pebble Beach Golf Links Leaves LPGA Rookie Heartbroken

The US Women’s Open kick-started with a bang at the Pebble Beach Golf Links on Thursday. With big names like Michelle Wie West, Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko headlining the tournament, fans are expecting great entertainment all through the event. Golfers too are excited, as the iconic course is hosting the event for the first time ever.

But for one LPGA player, the festivities ended before it even started. The one of the biggest tournaments in women’s golf turned out to be a huge disappointment as the USGA showed this rookie player the door owing to an unforgivable mistake. Let’s find out more.

LPGA player disqualified due to grave error at Pebble Beach

On Thursday, Thai professional golfer Natthakritta Vongtaveelap had to endure disqualification during the first round of the event. Vongtaveelap was aided on the ground by her caddie Jinsup Kim, who used a distance-measuring device on multiple holes which led to the disqualification.

Although measures are allowed at other LPGA Tour events, the USGA has a strict policy regarding the use of measurement devices during the US Women’s Open. In a statement issued by USGA, they explained what prompted the disqualification of Natthakritta.

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The statement read: “During the first round, on multiple occasions, the caddie for Natthakritta Vongtaveelap used a distance measuring device, which is not allowed in the US Women’s Open. The first breach is a general penalty, and the second breach resulted in disqualification.”

The 20-year-old player is a rookie and this was her first US Women’s Open, and she even made par through 5 holes. But her first time turned into a bitter memory over a silly mistake, adding to her woes this year on the LPGA.

Amateur career and professional wins of Natthakritta Vongtaveelap

Natthakritta accumulated many wins during her amateur career. In 2018, she won the TGA-Singha Junior Golf Champion. For two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022, she was a runner-up at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship. Then last year in November, Vongtaveelap turned professional.

Her first victory came in February this year at the BGC Championship of the Thai LPGA Tour. In the same month, she won her second Thai LPGA title at NSDF Ladies Classic. But her run on the big tour hasn’t gone according to plan. She couldn’t make the cut at Chevron Championship and the Women’s PGA Championship. 

And now this at the Pebble Beach! But she is going through a learning phase, and there is no doubt among her well-wishers that she will move on from this embarrassing episode quickly and soon make her mark on the golfing world.

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