Virada Nirapathpongporn
Thai professional golfer (born 1982)
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Virada Nirapathpongporn (Thai: วิรดา นิราพาธพงศ์พร, born 21 April 1982) is a Thai professional golfer. She is best known for winning the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur.
| Virada Nirapathpongporn วิรดา นิราพาธพงศ์พร | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Born | 21 April 1982 | ||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| Sporting nationality |  Thailand | ||
| Career | |||
| College | Duke University | ||
| Turned professional | 2004 | ||
| Former tours | LPGA Tour (2006–08) Futures Tour (2004–10) | ||
| Professional wins | 2 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| Epson Tour | 2 | ||
| Best results in LPGA major championships | |||
| Chevron Championship | T21: 2003 | ||
| Women's PGA C'ship | T74: 2007 | ||
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT: 2002-06, 2008 | ||
| Women's British Open | CUT: 2006 | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Early life and amateur career
In 1982, Nirapathpongporn was born in Bangkok, Thailand.
In 2000, she began attending Duke University. She won the 2002 NCAA Division I Championship.[1] She graduated in 2004 with BA degree in psychology. She was voted the 2004 Nancy Lopez Award as the world's top female amateur. She was also runner-up in the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.
Professional career
Nirapathpongporn turned professional in June 2004 to play on the Futures Tour. In 2005, she won two tournaments. In 2006, she was an LPGA Tour rookie and wrote a blog for lpga.com.
In late February 2011, Nirapathpongporn announced she would be retiring from competitive golf and moving back to Thailand after living in the United States for fifteen years.[2]
Awards and honors
In 2002, she won the Honda Sports Award as the best female collegiate golfer in the nation.[3]
Amateur wins
- 2001 Women's Trans-National Championship
- 2002 NCAA Division I Championship
- 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur
Professional wins (2)
Futures Tour wins (2)
Team appearances
Amateur
- Queen Sirikit Cup (representing Thailand): 1997
