Bettinardi LPGA Tour staffer Patty Tavatakanit dominates first Major Tour victory at ANA Inspiration
Tinley Park, Il; Patty Tavatanakit, official Bettinardi brand advocate and rising LPGA star won the 50th annual ANA Inspiration this weekend at Mission Hills Country Club's Dinah Shore Tournament Course, earning her first Tour victory for her rookie season, and Bettinardi Golf’s first LPGA Major victory.
Tavatanakit, 21, trusted her precision-milled DASS (Double-Aged Stainless Steel) Studio Stock 3 Tour Dept. to score -18 after a bogey-free final round at the first major of the LPGA season, boosting her spot to No. 3 in the Race to the CME Globe. Her total score of 270 was one shot short of the ANA Inspiration scoring record set in 1999 by Dottie Pepper.
“When we signed Patty, we knew that she was going to be someone special on our team,” Founder and CEO Robert Bettinardi said. “Her consistency on the greens was impeccable, and really showed the power of a Bettinardi putter and the work our company puts in behind the scenes in our technology and craftsmanship.”
Tavatanakit visited Studio B, Bettinardi Golf’s state-of-the-art fitting studio last spring to get dialed-in with her putter using the Quintic putting system, and she was quick to earn two top-10 finishes and placed 4th in eagles on Tour in 2020. She will continue to work directly with Bettinardi executives to perfect her short game equipment for the rest of 2021.
“It’s an honor to work closely with Patty and see her dedication on and off of the greens pay off,” Executive Vice President Sam Bettinardi said. “Connecting her amazing positive attitude and talent with our expertise and premium golf equipment was a match fit for a Major champion, and Patty proved that.”
While this year is her first full season on Tour, Tavatanakit brought a lot of experience in her career to Team Bettinardi. She was a 7-time winner and two-time WGCA First Team All-American at UCLA. Tavatanakit then qualified and became the Low Amateur at the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open, where she tied for fifth, making her the World No.2 amateur. Soon after, she turned pro and earned the title of Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year in 2019 on the Symetra Tour with 3 victories.
Bettinardi’s staffers have already earned 7 top-10 finishes in March, and Tavatanakit’s win puts Bettinardi’s total to 87 worldwide tour wins since 1999.
Team Bettinardi features a young and talented lineup of LPGA Bettinardi Staffers, including Annie Park, Albane Valenzuela (No.3 in Rookie of the Year standings) and Muni He, among others and Bettinardi’s PGA Tour stars, such as No.16 in the world Matthew Fitzpatrick, two-time European Tour champion Sam Horsfield, 2020 CJ Cup Champion Jason Kokrak, and long-time staffers Matt Kuchar and Fred Couples.
Jason Kokrak, currently leads in the Total Putting stat on the PGA Tour trusting his Studio Stock 38. Over the weekend, on the Korn Ferry Tour, long-time brand advocate and Illinois standout, putted his way to his lowest score ever, carding a 60 on Sunday’s final round of the Emerald Coast Tour.
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About Bettinardi Golf
Bettinardi Golf is a premium golf equipment company that designs and crafts precision-made golf products in the United States, just outside Chicago, Illinois, including putters, wedges, milled accessories, and more. Since 1998, Bettinardi has amassed more than 85 worldwide Tour victories, and counting. For more information please visit www.Bettinardi.com.