Patty Tavatanakit Caddie: Who is the Thai sensation’s bagman?
Patty Tavatanakit won her second event on the LPGA Tour with the 2024 Honda LPGA Thailand. The Thai professional golfer ended the tournament with a total score of 21 under par.
Tavatanakit’s bagman Jason Hamilton played a pivotal role in her triumph at Siam Country Club. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Hamilton now lives in Florida, United States. With 32 years' experience caddying for various golfers under his belt, he has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the sport.
Under their partnership, Patty Tavatanakit won her first Ladies European Tour win on February 18, 2024. She defeated German professional golfer Esther Henseleit by a seven-stroke margin to earn a winner's share of €697,743.
Tavatanakit also left an emotional note for her caddie after winning the game. She said (via Golf Monthly):
"It's been a long time since I've played this good, but it's very emotional - I'm very emotional right now at how I overcame that. I just want to thank my team, the coaches and the trainers back home - I really appreciate them. Thanks to Jason for sticking around this long."
As for Jason Hamilton, Royal Melbourne holds a special place in his heart as his favorite golf course, and he relishes the thrill of being in contention on Sundays.
Before caddying for the 24-year-old golfer, Hamilton was caddying for Lydia Ko, and their partnership lasted for around two years before the golfer parted ways with the caddie. He has also worked with Kiwis Tim Wilkinson and Danny Lee before caddying for Ko.
Meanwhile, before teaming up with Jason Hamilton, Patty Tavatanakit's caddie was Grant Waite, who had previously competed on the PGA Tour.
How did Patty Tavatanakit perform at the Honda LPGA Thailand?
Patty Tavatanakit started her first round at the Honda LPGA Thailand on a decent note. She earned six birdies and one bogey to end with a score of 67. On the second day, she made a bogey on the opening hole. However, Tavatanakit again made six birdies to finish her round at 67 under par.
She began her third round with two back-to-back birdies on holes one and two. In total, she earned six birdies to enter the final round at 66 under par and maintain her first position on the leaderboard.
In the fourth round of the tournament, Patty Tavatanakit achieved six birdies and encountered a bogey, culminating her round with a score of 67 under par. She secured a score of 21 under par and was one stroke ahead of the runner-up of the event, Valenzuela Albane (Sui) on the final day.
After winning the event, Tavatanakit talked about how encouragement from her fans gave her an extra push on the golf course. Patty Tavatanakit said (via Golf Digest):
"I'm honestly speechless right now. I was so nervous today. I don't know if I showed it a little bit, but playing in front of the fans, I mean, everyone came out and they supported me; it gave me a little bit of an extra boost."