After a full season on the Ladies European Tour, the Race to Costa del Sol title was decided at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, the last tournament of the season, with Cheenglab battling alongside Celine Boutier, Diksha Dagar, Johanna Gustavsson, Alexandra Försterling and Ana Peláez Trivino for the number one spot on the Order of Merit.
In a heart-stopping final, Cheenglab won the title by accumulating 1,966.52 points in 24 events and finishing 90.64 points ahead of Boutier, second, and Dagar, third, 50.77 points behind the Frenchwoman.
“I was very excited from the beginning of the tournament,” she said. “I kept watching the live qualifier to see what was going on, but now I feel more relieved.”
“It was great to have been able to play the last tournament of the year on the Costa del Sol and I would like to thank the Costa del Sol Tourist Board for their support.”
In addition to winning the Race to Costa del Sol, Cheenglab also won the Rookie of the Year award, beating Försterling by 378.43 points, and becoming the sixth player to win both titles in the same season, following in the footsteps of Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda, Esther Henseleit, Atthaya Thitikul and Linn Grant.
The 28-year-old decided to try to play on the Ladies European Tour after seeing Thitikul win both titles in 2021, so she went to Q-School in December 2022 and secured her full LET card with a fifth-place finish in the final standings.
Cheenglab earned his first top-10 finish of the season in the individual event of the Aramco Team Series Singapore and his form improved over the summer months.
The Thai was runner-up at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open before finishing fifth at the La Sella Open and a few weeks later claimed her first LET title at the Big Green Egg Open.
In the last two months of the season, Cheenglab maintained her consistency with a sixth place in Hong Kong, a fourth place in Riyadh and a second place in the Mallorca Ladies Open.
And thanks to her excellent form throughout the season, the Thai star has climbed from 728th to 90th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
“This week I just tried to make more birdies for myself, but it didn’t go very well,” she explained. “However, I’m very happy for the whole season, I’ve worked very hard.”
“I want to thank my family for encouraging me. And not only them, but my friends and the whole team that supports me: my coach, my physical trainer… everyone!”
“At first, winning Rookie of the Year was the goal, but now I’m here with two awards in my hands and I’m very happy about it.”
The general director of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Antonio Díaz, congratulated Trichat Cheenglab on her triumph as winner of the Race to Costa del Sol, the culmination of the annual calendar of the Ladies European Tour, and presented her with the trophy.
“This partnership with the Ladies European Tour, and the destination’s involvement in the various international events of the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit is extremely gratifying,” he said.
“It is also a clear demonstration of our support for women’s golf, both at the professional and amateur level. The Race to the Costa del Sol guarantees extensive television and media coverage in markets of special interest for our destination, which have a high percentage of women golfers, such as Germany, Switzerland, France, USA, Canada, Asia.
“The Costa del Sol Tourist Board has been promoting the Costa del Golf as the ideal golf destination for many years and we will continue to do so. Together with the golf industry, we provide a personalized service, carefully tailored to the needs of each visitor, ensuring the perfect holiday experience at any time of the year.”
He added: “The Costa del Sol has no doubt that the promotion of women’s golf is especially important, given that it is often the female golfer who spends the most time in this destination, appreciating, and enjoying to the fullest, all the different attractions the region has to offer.”
Alexandra Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “The Race to Costa del Sol 2023 has seen a great battle on the golf course, which has come down to the end of the season on the Costa del Sol. Six players have had a chance to win the title, demonstrating the strength of the competition this season.
“Many congratulations to Trichat for taking the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year titles, she is a deserving winner and we are delighted to present her with the awards. It takes a lot of courage and determination to come to the LET after seeing Atthaya Thitikul win both titles in 2021.”
“She has had a great season on Tour winning in Holland and also climbing into the top 100 in the Rolex World Golf Ranking, and this title is a reward for the hard work she has put in to become champion. I want to thank the Costa del Sol Tourist Board for their unconditional support.”
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