Patty Tavatanakit was born in Bangkok, Thailand and attended Keerapat International School. The school did not have a golf team, but that didn’t stop Tavatanakit from excelling. She was a two-team TJGF “Best Player of the Year” in 2014 and 2015 and set a tournament scoring record at the Callaway Junior World Golf Championship in 2014. She won the Los Angeles Junior Open in 2015 and earned recognition as the 2015-2016 Thailand Amateur Ladies Golf Association Player of the Year.
Tavatanakit won a pair of AJGA Tournaments in 2016, reached the round of 16 in both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. In addition, she reached the round of 32 at the Australian Amateur Championship, tied for 42nd at an LPGA event in Thailand, and helped the Asia-Pacific Team to the 2016 Hankins Trophy.
In 2017, Tavatanakit gained immeasurable experience by playing in three of the LPGA Tour’s five majors. She then entered UCLA and was named to the Pac-12 Conference First Team as well as Pac-12 and WGCA Freshman of the Year. Her four wins as a freshman tied a UCLA single-season record. She posted an impressive six top ten finishes with 18 rounds under par, including ten below 70. Tavatanakit’s 70.8 scoring average was the third-lowest in school history. She won the Pac-12 Championships, the NCAA San Fransisco regional, Pac-12 Golfer of the Month for April with two victories. Tavatanakit also tied for top spot in the three-round Stanford Intercollegiate.
During the summer of 2018, Tavatankit opened eyes on a national level by finishing low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open and one of only nine players to shoot under par. She earned two points for the International Team at the Arnold Palmer Cup, and tied for 22nd at the U.S. Women’s Amateur stroke play.
After ending her collegiate career with seven victories, Tavatankit turned professional and played on the Symetra Tour in 2019. She made the cut in nine of 11 events. She made her mark by winning three times, at the Donald Ross Classic, Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, and the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic. She was first on the Symetra Tour in scoring average and was named 2019 Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year. Tavatanakit also played in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic on a sponsor’s exemption and showed she could compete at the highest level after recording a career-low round of 61. By finishing second on the Symetra Tour money list, Tavatanakit earned LPGA Tour status for 2020.
In 14 events on the LPGA Tour in 2020, Tavatanakit made seven cuts with her best finish a tie for 9th at the Marathon LPGA Classic. She displayed her power, averaging 264 yards from the tee, good for 14th on the LPGA Tour. Tavatanakit started her 2021 season on a high note, finishing tied for 5th at the Gainbridge LPGA. After a 14th place finish at the LPGA Drive On Championship, she missed the cut at the Kia Classic. Tavatanakit dominated play at the ANA Inspiration, winning with an 18-under-par score, often displaying her length from the tee in the process. She is currently second on the LPGA Tour in driving distance at 284 yards.
Tavatanakit has four career LPGA top ten finishes, one win and nearly $650,000 in earnings. She is 103rd in the Rolex Rankings and third for the CME Race to the Globe.
