THAILAND’S PAJAREE Anannarukarn and Japan’s Ayaka Furue advanced to the LPGA Match-Play championship final with morning semi-final triumphs on Sunday.
Pajaree won four of the last eight holes to defeat Sweden’s Linn Grant 3&1 while Furue, last year’s runner-up, ousted Ireland’s Leona Maguire 2&1 at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada.
World number 97 Pajaree, 5-1 overall this week, and 18th-ranked Furue, unbeaten in six matches, will meet for the title on Sunday afternoon.
Furue, who lost 3&2 to South Korea’s Ji Eun-hee in last year’s final, is an eight-time Japan Tour winner who took her only LPGA title at last year’s Women’s Scottish Open.
Pajaree’s only LPGA victory came at the 2021 Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. She is a four-time winner on the Thailand tour.
Maguire, ranked 19th, and Furue each won two of the first five holes with pars.
Maguire birdied to win the par-4 sixth and took the par-5 seventh with a par, but Furue answered with an eagle at the par-5 ninth and a birdie at the par-4 10th to tie the match.
A day after her 23rd birthday, Furue won the 12th with a par and took the par-4 15th with a bogey to go 2-up with three to play and tied the par-5 16th and par-3 17th with pars to complete the victory.
Pajaree, who turns 24 on Tuesday, birdied the first two holes to go 2-up, but world number 22 Grant birdied the par-5 seventh and eagled the par-5 ninth to pull level.
The Thai standout birdied the par-4 10th and parred the 12th to restore her edge then birdied the par-4 14th for a 3-up lead. Grant birdied to win the par-5 16th but Pajaree took the par-3 17th with a par to advance.
I always thought he was one of the outstanding players at Connacht…was surprised to hear that his contract wasn’t being renewed. Good he’s found his form with Munster!
@Con Cussed: very popular with Connacht fans, but we understood with age (32 this month), and recent injury profile it means he was a cost Connacht couldn’t take a risk on. Anyway, with Aki, Forde, Hawkshaw, O’Connor as options, and young Hugh Gavin to come through (sooner rather than later by the way he’s performing every time he steps up a level). Plus, we’ve a bunch of back three lads who’ve played centre as well and can do a job (Jennings, Ralston, and Bolton)…
@Con Cussed: he is an excellent player, but his injury profile probably didn’t help his cause. Getting rid of Daly and Farrell probably freed the funds for POC, who is younger and has a better injury profile. Between Aki, Forde, Hugh Gavin and POC, center is strong for us, not to mention others who can deputise there too like Hawkshaw and Bolton. Farrell is a great signing for Munster – there was a lot of furore from their supporters when Frisch left and Farrell was mooted as a replacement, but in reality I think Farrell is an upgrade on Frisch, who I thought had a poor 2023/24 season (he was excellent in 2022/23). I’ll miss seeing Aki/Farrell in midfield, but glad Farrell got a second opportunity.
@Ronan Byrne: I should have refreshed the page before I commented! You hit the nail straight on the head.
@Con Cussed: of interest too is how in the 2016/17 season, both Connacht and Munster had injuries that needed short term cover – for Munster, NIE Saili was injured and so they signed NIE Taute, while Connacht had its own injury crisis, and being barred from signing NIQ players (as indicated by the Lam situation), signed Farrell on short term from the championship team Bedford Blues. In the end, both Taute and Farrell were exceptional signings and were given long term contracts, but now Munster are in a position to benefit from Connacht developing an IQ player, while the short term fix of Taute had no real long term benefit for Irish Rugby.
Great signing for Munster. Loads to offer on and off pitch.
People on here were quick to jump to the conclusion that Munster were poaching players from Connacht when he signed.
From what I have seen of him so far he looks quite good. I can see him and Nankivell striking up a good partnership. Munster badly needs a settled midfield after constant changing of personnel.
Could turn out to be another Paul Warwick
Fantastic signing. Seems to be getting a run without injury too which does help
He’s an absolutely quality rugby player. Serious skillset. Ireland chance has probably passed now but he’ll get plenty of big days with Munster. Has had some very unfortunately timed injuries in his career.