EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Ariya Jutanugarn, of Thailand, has won the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which recognizes the player who has the most outstanding record in all five major championships during the current LPGA Tour season.

Ariya eceived the honor thanks to her win at the U.S. Women’s Open, her second career major championship victory, and ties for fourth place at the ANA Inspiration and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

The 22-year-old, who joins Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Lydia Ko (2016) and So Yeon Ryu (2017) as winners of the prestigious award, was recognized in a ceremony on the 18th green at The Evian Championship, concluding an exciting season of majors in 2018.

“I feel great, I feel really honor to join the list of winners because of all the big names,” said Ariya. “I watch Annika since I was young. She is my idol as always. I’m really like, ‘Look how she is doing?’ And I really want to follow her footsteps. She inspire me a lot. And I really want to thank her for like all the great everything for the LPGA. It’s amazing for me.”

Points for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award are awarded at all five major championships to competitors who finish among the top 10 and ties. To take home the award, a player must also win at least one of the five majors. Pernilla Lindberg (ANA Inspiration), Sung Hyun Park (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Georgia Hall (Ricoh Women’s British Open) and Angela Stanford (The Evian Championship) were the other players to qualify this season.

Heading into The Evian Championship, six players were still in the running for the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award but Sung Hyun Park dropped out of contention for the honor when she missed the cut on Friday. That left RAMA standings leader Jutanugarn, Lindberg, Hall, Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu to vie for the award over the last two rounds at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Ariya  has enjoyed one of the best campaigns of her LPGA career this year. Her three wins (Kingsmill Championship presented by GEICO, U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA and Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open) are the equal-most by a single player on Tour this season and represent the third successive time she has won multiple titles during the same year. The Thai has racked up 10 additional top-10 finishes, including a runner-up spot at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

With her third win this season, at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open in late July, Ariya moved back to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, a spot she held for two weeks during June of 2017. She is the only Thai player (male or female) ever to reach No. 1.

“I’m pretty happy about the way I played this season,” she said.  “I still have a lot of thing to improve and I really want to improve a lot. I didn’t expect to be like this good before, so everything is just good for me.”

A 10-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Ariya earned Tour membership with a tie for third at the 2014 Qualifying Tournament. She claimed her first LPGA title at the 2016 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and ended up winning four more times that year, including the Ricoh Women’s British Open, before becoming just the second player to win the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and the LPGA Official Money Title in the same season.

Ariya landed two more LPGA Tour victories in 2017, at the Manulife LPGA Classic and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She is also a three-time champion on the Ladies European Tour.

With support from Singha Swimming Club, the East Coast Golf Courses Management Association and local Mahasamutr group, the Sanfunn-initiated project was held to clean up waste scattered along the beach.

Thailand’s OTHER leading athletes, Natthanan Junkrajang, Sanchai Ratiwatana and Boonsak Ponsana also participated in THE clean-up, picking up waste such as  plastic bags, clothes, caps and foam scattered along the shoreline. In total, an estimated 1.5 tonnes of waste was collected.

Being concerned about the increasing amount of waste accumulated along the beach, especially at Klongthoop beach in Chon Buri, former Olympian, Amara, who has been living in the area for a long time, considers it necessary for all  parties to work together to preserve the natural environment.

“I have been surfing in this area and realize how badly polluted the water here is,” Amara said. “A number of marine animals including fish, sea turtles and dolphins die each year after eating plastics. It is a must for us to solve this problem and save the world for our children.”

According to Amara, collecting waste does not solve the problem, but it helps to raise environmental awareness among participants, who believe that they can play a part in preserving the environment, especially the water.

“Collecting waste is not the best solution to the problem. But we can reduce our waste to help remedie the situation.”

Thailand’s former number one shuttler Boonsak, who retired from the sport a few years ago, said that he was keen to join the event because it was a good opportunity for him to give back to society. He was proud of joining the campaign AND WAS shocked to witness such a huge pile of garbage.

He wanted everyone to be play a part in preserving the world, saying, ”Although they cannot come to collect the waste, they can help save by reducing plastic use.” Echoing Boonsak, swimmer Natthanan said that the project will definitely promote environmental awareness, instilling a sense of responsibility for the locals and also other concerned parties. It is a starting point for everyone to work together to find a way to solve a problem.

“I love joining this kind of the activity to give back to society,” she said. The swimmer has often participated IN charity programs, especially the water-based life-saving projects.

Stanford thought she had lost her chance of victory when she failed to make birdie at the 18th but Amy Olson, who had led all day, then took a double-bogey six at the last.

Stanford finished on 12-under-par 272 and won the $577,000 first prize by a shot from Olson (74), Mo Martin (70), Kim Sei-young (72) and Austin Ernst (68).

The 40-year-old Stanford, 18 years a professional, had finally won a major.

“I really don’t know what has just happened,” said Stanford, unable to hold back the tears. “But I am so happy.”

“Sometimes things just catch you off guard. Just when you think you’re done then this happens. It’s pretty cool.”

Stanford had started the final round five shots behind Olson and still seemed an unlikely winner when she reached the turn in one under par. But she then birdied the tenth and the eagle from close range at the long 15th helped catapult the Texan into a share of top spot.

On a roller-coaster round, calamity struck at the short 16th where Stanford nearly went into water with her second shot and ended up with a pitch and putt double-bogey.

She hit back with a birdie from 25-feet at the 17th and then just missed her birdie attempt from 18 feet at the 18th. At that stage, she thought it was probably one too many.

But when Olson came to the last hole, she hit her tee shot into rough and then three-putted.

Olson, who was four ahead with four holes to play, tried to hide her disappointment.

“I was in the rough after two shots at the 18th,” the 26-year-old said.

“I hit a good shot but I was too aggressive with my first putt. But this is my best ever finish in a tournament. I have a lot of positives to take out of it.”

Stanford was the first American to win the Evian Championship since it became a major five years ago.

“I do feel sorry for Amy,” Stanford said. “I wasn’t rooting for her to miss the putt on 18. But she is young and her time will come.”

“You always think you’re good enough to win a major, but after 18 years on Tour doubts definitely begin to creep in,” said Stanford, who came close to winning the 2003 US Women’s Open but lost by one stroke to Hilary Lunke in a three-way 18-hole play-off.

“Even today, I never thought about winning until the 16th. And then we know what happened. But I am a grinder and a fighter and I never give up.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, the US Women’s Open champion, collected the Annika Major Award for the season’s best results over the five major championships.

Despite drawing level at 2-2 after losing two singles rubbers on Saturday, Thailand paid the price for fielding the inexperienced Palaphoom Kovapitukted as their second singles player. The 18-year-old lost the decisive rubber to the 643rd ranked Hady Habib 6-3 6-3.

Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana 

Earlier twins and doubles partners Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana narrowed the gap for the Kingdom after they beat Jad Ballout and Giovani Samaha 6-0 6-3, before Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul beat Benjamin Hassan 6-4 4-6 6-4 to force the decider.

Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul

Lebanon reserved a spot in Group I next year while Thailand remain in Group II after losing at this stage for three successive years. Thailand captain Weerapat Doakmaiklee took responsibility for the defeat and promptly resigned.

The world No 26 briefly tested the world No 4 in the opening game but the latter proved more superior in his all court game to win the final match in 48 minutes.

However, Khosit enjoyed the best week in his badminton career as he toppled world No 2 Shi Yuqi of China in the first round and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Chen Long in the semi-finals.

Olson stood on 14 under par 199 with South Korea’s Kim on 12 under and Mo Martin, the 2014 women’s British Open champion, in outright third place on ten under after the third round.

Olson, 26, has never won as a professional. But she did play in the final group on the last day of this season’s opening major, the ANA Championship, and she reckons she has served her apprenticeship.

An added incentive in France this week is that her older brother, Nathan, is her caddie.

“We have so many memories playing golf together growing up,” she said. “It is very special having him on the bag.”

Olson, who eventually finished tied ninth at the Inspiration, added: “I love the challenge of major championships and I have learned that you need to be patient and put adversity behind you.

“The pressure forces you to play well.

“I felt a little nervous on the first tee today, but I made birdie at the opening hole and then just had so much fun.”

A bogey-free round was highlighted by an eagle at the long ninth, where she holed a 20-foot putt.

Kim also shot a faultless round, seven birdies helping her to a terrific 64. She has won seven times on the LPGA Tour and was fourth last year and sixth in 2016 at Evian.

“My big goal is to win a major,” said the 25-year-old. “I have won many times, but the major is missing. But who knows what will happen tomorrow?”

Martin, from California, had a 69 to raise her hopes of a second major, but there are a number of high profile players waiting to pounce.

Park Inbee, the seven-time major winner and former world No.1, shot 67 to move into a tie for fourth place on nine under, and she was on the same mark as Georgia Hall, the English player who won last month’s women’s British Open.

The best round of the day – and the Championship – came from American Ryann O’Toole. She shot 63 to move into the top ten on eight under par.

Maria Torres, the Puerto Rican who led after both the first and second rounds slipped back with a 72 – a round marred by bogeys at the 17th and 18th. She finished on seven under.

But it is Olson who goes into the final 18 holes in pole position. “I know I’ll be nervous, but that’s a good thing,” she said.

“I won’t be watching the leaderboard, just trying to hit the best shot every time. I hope I can bring my top game.”

United have endured a miserable start to the season, losing two of their first four matches and slipping well off the searing pace set by Liverpool, Chelsea and Watford themselves.

But two goals in three first-half minutes from in-form Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling gave them valuable breathing space at half-time and ultimately paved the way to a victory that ended Watford’s perfect record.

Rocked by United’s strong finish to the first half, Watford pulled a goal back midway through the second period through Andre Gray but failed to find an equaliser.

A relaxed-looking Mourinho singled out Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini for praise.

“I’m very happy with the points,” he said. “I’m very happy with the spirit, I’m very happy with something that represents for me the spirit of the team — which is a Lukaku sliding tackle after 50 metres running back to help the team.”

The Portuguese manager said he had picked Fellaini to beef up the defence for the past couple of games after costly defensive errors against Brighton and Tottenham.

“I felt that my central defenders, they need especially in this moment of a bit of instability, they need somebody to support them, to give them the first wall, physicality. But Marouane is giving us more than that — he’s giving us that but he’s also giving us quality and simplicty.”

– United power –

Mourinho opted for power rather than guile at Vicarage Road with a physically imposing midfield trio of Paul Pogba, Fellaini and Nemanja Matic.

Former Watford player Ashley Young came in at left-back to replace Luke Shaw, who suffered a head injury while on England duty last week.

Midway through the half Alexis Sanchez had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside, and minutes later the Chilean forced a fine save from Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster following a jinking run.

United, backed by their vocal travelling fans, who regularly chanted the name of Mourinho, were establishing a foothold in the game and made their pressure count in the 35th minute.

Watford failed to clear a free-kick and when the ball came back in, Lukaku was on hand to bundle home off his midriff to score his seventh goal as many games for club and country this season.

Foster then kept out a powerful Pogba drive but United were two up in the 38th minute when Smalling controlled a Fellaini header following a corner, and smashed the ball home.

But Javi Gracia’s side came right back into the game in the 65th minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure picked out Gray, who arrowed a shot past De Gea.

That goal infused the team and the fans with renewed belief and United suddenly looked shaky as Watford poured forward in search of an equaliser.

There was late drama when Matic was sent off for a second yellow card but De Gea brilliantly kept out a Christian Kabasele header from the resulting free-kick.

Gracia, whose side came into the match on the back of four straight wins, said his team had been outplayed in the first half but had responded well after a team talk.

“I think in the second half we made a step forward and we were able to get out and try to create more chances, with more possession and we competed better,” he said.

Who France will face in November will be determined on Sunday, with the United States winning their doubles against Croatia to trail 2-1 ahead of the closing two rubbers in the other semi-final in Zadar.

Veteran duo Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut secured France’s decisive win, beating Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers 6-0, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

That gave the French an unassailable 3-0 lead, making Sunday’s two reverse singles academic.

“This is the best tennis I’ve seen from my team in three years,” beamed 1983 French Open winner Noah.

“I didn’t have a beer for a week — I deserve my beer!”

Noah was full of praise for his victorious doubles duo.

“The way my guys played today – they were so good,” said Noah.

“Benneteau was probably the best player on the court and his attitude was unbelievable.”

Benneteau had come out of retirement to serve his country on the hardcourt in Lille.

“It’s quite possible it could be the last match of my career on tour,” Benneteau said.

“And what a way to finish!”

But there seems every chance he will figure in next month’s climax to a competition that from next year becomes the Tennis World Cup.

Some fans in Lille wore black t-shirts as a form of ‘mourning’ at the passing of the Davis Cup in its present format.

A large banner was unfurled reading “Change it Back”.

France were left in command of the tie after wins in both of Friday’s opening singles.

Davis Cup rookie Benoit Paire gave the 10-time winners the perfect start with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Pablo Carreno Busta.

Then Lucas Pouille’s nerve-jangling five-set victory — 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 — over Roberto Bautista-Agut made it 2-0.

Croatia also led 2-0 going into Saturday’s doubles.

In the opening rubber Borna Coric, world number 18, had justified his favourite’s tag and defeated Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Croatia’s top player and world number six Marin Cilic then defeated Frances Tiafoe, a Davis Cup debutant, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to leave the hosts on the brink of the final.

But the 2005 champions still have work to do to seal their third final appearance after the USA’s Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison won a deciding-set tie-break to end a thrilling comeback from Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic with a 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5) victory after four hours and 43 minutes.

Croatia captain Zeljko Krajan is still confident that his team will secure victory in Sunday’s first match which sees Cilic face Steve Johnson.

“Cilic is a big favourite… it will definitely not be easy to defeat him in front of a home crowd,” Krajan told television channel HRT.

If Johnson causes an upset against Cilic, Coric will play against Tiafoe in a deciding rubber.