Once she turned pro, former UCLA golfer has made an impact

Albany

She was only 19, but Patty Tavatanakit already had the golf game to play on the LPGA Tour.

It was a matter of getting herself ready mentally, which didn't happen until the spring, when Tavatanakit, a native on Bangkok, Thailand, made the decision to leave UCLA and turn pro.

There is no looking back now. In four starts since joining the Symetra Tour last month, she has a tie for 14th, a runner-up and back-to-back victories, a streak she will try to extend in the CDPHP Open, which begins Friday at Capital Hills.

Tavatanakit has earned $75,121, good for fourth on the Symetra Tour's money list and already assuring her of an LPGA card for next season. The top 10 money earners at season's end receive LPGA exempt status.

"It was hard for me at first," she said. "Starting everything midseason, it's a disadvantage for me as a player in terms of getting up into top 10 or event climb up into top 35 for Q-Series."

Q-Series, the revamped version of LPGA qualifying school, invites those 11th through 35th on the Symetra money list. The top five college golfers, which included Tavatanakit last year, also are in the Q-Series field.

Four of the college players earned their LPGA cards. Tavatanakit finished 84th of 102.

"It was probably the worst timing to go to Q-Series last year," she said. "I was not ready mentally. My game was there, but mentally I wasn't all-in with the career, with the idea of traveling every week and not having a degree.

"I realized during my time at UCLA, I was having fun and I enjoy playing with a team, but as much as I love it I felt like I'm wasting time with my career. I realized how much I love golf and I want to pursue the sport."

There seems to be little doubt on whether she has game.

Tavatanakit was the 2016 American Junior Golf Association 2016...