Kanchanaphiboon finishes 25th at NJCAA Golf National Championships

By GARDEN CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Melbourne, FL-After a mostly up-and-down week, Kanchana Kanchanaphiboon put herself in prime position for a top-20 finish heading into Thursday’s final round.  

But three straight bogeys on the last three holes kept her on the fringe as the sophomore finished 16-over and tied for 25^th at the 2024 NJCAA Women’s Golf National Championships at Duran Golf Club. 

“She really needed to birdie the final two holes to give her a chance,” Head Coach, Jaden Chavez said. “But it was still a good week.”

Kanchanaphiboon, who hadn’t made birdie on the opening hole all week, came out strong on Thursday morning. She struck a 110-yard missile with a pitching wedge that landed five-feet from the hole. She then tapped in for birdie.  

But after parring 11, Kanchanaphiboon bogeyed 12 and 14, a pair of par 4’s that put her 1-over on the back. She managed to save par on the next three holes but found the water on 18 for a second straight day. After taking a drop, she made it on the edge of the green. However, a 40-foot par putt fell inches short, and she knocked in for bogey. 

“She (Kanchanaphiboon) played really well,” Chavez explained. “It just really came down to executing some of those shorter putts, which she didn’t make.”

On the front side, the sophomore got back on track on No. 1 when her second shot with a three-wood travelled 235 yards and was just short of the green. And although she missed an opportunity at eagle, she knocked in a birdie putt to move to 1-over for the day.  

“She (Kanchanaphiboon) was so close there,” Chavez said. 

Following a bad drive on No. 2, the sophomore hit a hybrid from 190 yards that reached within three feet of the cup. She tapped in for birdie, marking the first time all week that Kanchanaphiboon was 1-under on back-to-back holes.  

But the rest of the day was marred with missed chances. She bogeyed four of the final five holes including a botched four-foot par putt on No. 7.  

Daytona State’s Angelica Holman won the individual national title finishing 8-under. Barton’s Butpapaporn Sukterm was the runner-up at minus-6.  

Daytona State (6-under) won the team championship by 10 strokes over second-place Seminole State.