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SPORTS Wednesday 23 OctOber 2019
Patty Tavatanakit takes fast track to LPGA Tour

By DOUG FERGUSON UCLA. She began her soph-
AP Golf Writer omore season by closing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) with a 63 to win the Annika
— If everything had gone Invitational in the fall. She
according to plan, Patty was runner-up in her next
Tavatanakit would be in event. Her heart wasn't in
North Carolina this week turning pro just yet, and it
preparing for two weeks of showed.
the LPGA Q-Series in her bid Of the top five college
to earn status on the LPGA players at Q-Series, Tav-
Tour. atanakit was the only one
It didn't work out that way. who didn't make it.
It went much better. "I didn't want to go," she
That's why the 20-year-old said. "It was weird timing.
Thai from UCLA is chasing Me being at Q-Series taught
her other hobby in New me to be sure, to be com-
York. A foodie at heart, mitted, to anything I do in
Tavatanakit has an Insta- life. I wanted to go back to
gram account she calls LA when it was raining and
"eatunderpar" and already cold. I wish there was a cut,
has posts from Joe's Pizza, but there wasn't. I had to
Liberty Bagels and The Big play eight days. It was the
Szechuan Cuisine. worst two weeks of my life."
She had reason to cele- In this photo provided by the LPGA/Symetra Tour, Patty Tavatanakit poses with the trophy as Being back in Westwood
brate. Symetra Tour rookie of the year. didn't make life any better.
Tavatanakit is two weeks Associated Press Golf was a struggle. She
removed from securing her hoped to be when she all happened." the money list in 11 starts wasn't winning. She wasn't
LPGA Tour card with alarm- turned pro in June after the What happened was a and earned an LPGA card even contending.
ing ease, and she might NCAA championship. The blazing debut. to avoid another trip to Q- "I had my worst finishes," she
have been on the LPGA late start gave her about After a tie for 34th in the Series. said. "It's a college event,
Tour even sooner if not for three months to try to finish U.S. Women's Open in her At least this time, she would the competition wasn't as
a recent change in regu- in the top 35 on the Syme- pro debut, and a tie for have wanted to be there. strong, and I still managed
lations. She was the only tra Tour money list and 14th in her first start on the A year ago, Tavatanakit to finish out of the top 20.
three-time winner on the qualify for the Q-Series. That Symetra Tour, she finished was among 11 top ama- When you're in college,
Symetra Tour, a feat that was her goal. second and then won her teurs invited to Q-Series. half the girls are not going
used to come with an in- "I didn't have a good soph- next two tournaments. She She was coming off a sum- to turn pro. I put a lot of
stant promotion. It went omore season, so I didn't won her third tournament mer in which she tied for pressure on myself."
away with the creation of have a high vision of my- in her eighth start, coming fifth in the U.S. Women's She finally won again at
the Q-Series, consecutive self shooting all these num- from six shots back with a Open at Shoal Creek to be the NCAA regionals, but
72-hole events at Pinehurst bers," Tavatanakit said. "But birdie-birdie finish for a 62 low amateur, and she con- the Bruins crashed out at
that determines who gets you know how things hap- and winning a playoff. tributed two points in the the NCAAs, and so did Ta-
cards. pen when you least expect Tavatanakit was rookie of Palmer Cup. vatanakit, tying for 43rd in
That's where Tavatanakit it? That's probably why this the year, finished No. 2 on She wasn't ready to leave medal play. q

Iran banned from world judo

until it agrees to face Israel

LAUSANNE, Switzerland ination and the manipula- in order to "speed up his
(AP) — Iran was banned tion of competition results. change of nationality pro-
from international judo The ruling comes after 2018 cess" and denied he had
competitions Tuesday for world champion Saeid Mol- ever come under govern-
refusing to let its athletes laei walked off the Iranian ment pressure.
fight Israeli opponents. team in August, saying he The commission says it
The International Judo Fed- had been ordered to lose found that argument to be
eration imposed an indefi- matches and withdraw untrue.
nite ban on Iran's team until from competitions so as not Iran has already missed
it promises to end a long- to face Israelis. some events because it
running boycott of Israel. The IJF accused Iranian was provisionally suspend-
The IJF's disciplinary com- government officials of put- ed last month pending the In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 file photo, Saeid Mollaei of Iran,
top, competes against Didar Khamza of Kazakhstan during
mission said the ban will ting pressure on athletes in- full disciplinary ruling. their men's - 81kg final judo match at the18th Asian Games in
stand "until the Iran Judo cluding Mollaei, who is now However, qualifying for the Jakarta, Indonesia.
Federation gives strong in hiding in Germany and Olympics depends in large Associated Press
guarantees and prove that could potentially go to the part on world ranking points al Olympic Committee is abuse sport for their po-
they will respect the IJF Olympics as part of the In- from IJF events. pushing back against boy- litical purposes," noting a
Statutes and accept that ternational Olympic Com- Iran can appeal the IJF rul- cotts and other political case in May of a Tunisian
their athletes fight against mittee's refugee team. ing to the Court of Arbitra- demonstrations in sports. court blocking four Israe-
Israeli athletes." According to the commis- tion for Sport. In June, IOC President lis from competing at the
The commission said Iran sion, Iran accused Mol- The measure comes at a Thomas Bach criticized taekwondo junior world
broke rules on non-discrim- laei of making false claims time when the Internation- governments who "clearly championships.q