Natthakritta Vongtaveelap Bio
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (Thai: ณัฐกฤตา วงศ์ทวีลาภ; born 8 November 2002) is a Thai professional golfer who competes on the LPGA Tour. Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, she stands 183 centimetres tall and turned professional in November 2022 at the age of nineteen. She has quickly become one of the most talked-about young players from Southeast Asia, thanks to a series of strong finishes in her first full season on tour.
Early Life and Background
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap was born on 8 November 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand. She began playing golf at a very young age, developing her game on the courses of her home country. Her early interest in the sport laid the foundation for a career that would soon move from local junior competitions to international amateur events.
As an amateur, Vongtaveelap built a strong record on the Thai amateur circuit. She won the 2021 and 2022 Singha Thailand Amateur Open, captured the 2021 Singha Thailand Amateur Match Play Championship, and added the 2022 Singha Thailand Amateur Match Play Championship to her list of titles. Those results marked her as one of the top amateur players in Thailand heading into her late teens.
Her amateur success also carried onto the broader Asian stage. Vongtaveelap finished as runner-up twice at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, in 2021 and 2022. In May 2022, she represented Thailand at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games, held in Hanoi, and won two gold medals for her country.
Path to Professional Golf
Following her gold-medal performance at the Southeast Asian Games, Vongtaveelap made the decision to turn professional. She joined the professional ranks in November 2022, ending a successful amateur career that had already included multiple national titles and international podium finishes.
Her first test as a professional came at the LPGA Q-Series in December 2022, the qualifying event for the LPGA Tour. Vongtaveelap finished tied for 28th, which was enough to secure full LPGA Tour membership for the 2023 season. That status gave her a place on the world’s premier women’s golf circuit at the age of twenty.
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap Career
Early Career (2022–2023)
Vongtaveelap wasted little time making her mark as a professional. She won her first professional title at the BGC Championship on the Thai LPGA Tour in February 2023. Two weeks later, she added a second consecutive Thai LPGA title by winning the NSDF Ladies Classic, establishing herself as one of the most promising newcomers in her home country.
Her early success also caught the attention of LPGA Tour organisers. In January 2023, she won the qualifying tournament for the Honda LPGA Thailand, earning a sponsor invitation to the event. That performance confirmed her readiness to compete against the world’s best players, just months after turning professional.
LPGA Tour Breakthrough (2023)
Vongtaveelap made her LPGA Tour debut at the Honda LPGA Thailand in late February 2023. She took a four-shot lead at twenty-under-par after 54 holes and was in position to become the first LPGA member to win on her first LPGA start. The final round, however, belonged to Lilia Vu, who edged her by one stroke.
The runner-up finish still proved historic. Vongtaveelap moved into the top 100 of the Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time, reaching a ranking of 91. That result signalled her arrival as a competitive force on the LPGA Tour, even in a debut week.
Setbacks and Growth (2023)
In July 2023, Vongtaveelap faced a difficult moment at the U.S. Women’s Open. She was disqualified from the first round after her caddie, Jinsup Kim, used a distance-measuring device on multiple holes, a violation of the rules in that championship. The disqualification ended her week early but did not derail her development on tour.
Notable Events and Milestones
Vongtaveelap’s runner-up finish at the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand stands as her signature early-career moment. In her first LPGA start, she held a 54-hole lead and narrowly missed becoming the first LPGA member to win on debut. That week, combined with her two Thai LPGA Tour titles earlier in 2023, made clear that she belonged on the game’s biggest stages.
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap Career Wins
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap has built an early professional résumé that includes multiple Thai LPGA Tour titles and one runner-up finish in an LPGA Tour event. Her wins to date have come primarily on the Thai LPGA Tour, where she has shown the consistency needed to compete at the highest level of the game.
Thai LPGA Tour Highlights
Vongtaveelap’s first professional victory came at the BGC Championship in February 2023, a breakthrough that announced her move from amateur standout to professional winner. She followed that with a second consecutive Thai LPGA title at the NSDF Ladies Classic two weeks later, confirming her form in the early months of her career.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside her Thai LPGA titles, Vongtaveelap’s most notable professional result remains her runner-up finish at the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand. That performance, combined with her qualifying win for the same event, has been central to her rapid rise in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.
2025 Season Performance
Natthakritta Vongtaveelap enters the 2025 LPGA Tour season as a developing player with full tour membership and a growing list of competitive results. After a strong debut year that included a runner-up finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand and two Thai LPGA Tour titles, she has continued to gain experience on the women’s circuit.
Her 2025 schedule is expected to feature a mix of LPGA Tour events in Asia and the United States, as well as selected appearances on the Thai LPGA Tour. The combination of tour experience and home-soil comfort has positioned her to pursue her first LPGA Tour victory.
With her length off the tee and a calm temperament in big events, Vongtaveelap remains a player to watch as the 2025 season unfolds. Her early-career results suggest that more breakthroughs are within reach as she gains familiarity with the demands of a full LPGA schedule.