Caddy knows best. Three Thai golfers finished in the top five at the LPGA Honda Classic in Thailand, but tournament winner Angel Yin of the United States got some invaluable help from a Thai caddy who guided her through the course when her regular caddy fell ill.

Yin, who won by one stroke with a 28-under-par four-day total, matched the lowest tournament score on tour since Lydia Ko in 2021. But on the morning of the final round, she was distressed to learn her regular caddy Michell Simpson had fallen ill.

The course came to the rescue and provided her with a stand in: Sakchai "Tom" Sirimaya.

"It was like three minutes before my tee time," said Yin," and I was like expecting him to be someone's dad.”

"My bag is quite heavy. My manager, she tried (to lift it) and she almost fell over. She weighs as much as the golf bag, so there was no way that was going to happen. We were kind of desperate,” Yin said.

“Tom was like, 'Oh, I'm a professional caddie.' He caddies on the Japanese Senior Tour and Asian Tour. You really can't pick someone that good just out of nowhere, and so he was on my bag."

Yin began the final round with a five-shot lead. With Tom’s intimate knowledge of the Siam Country Club course near Pattaya providing her with extra insight, Yin held off a late charge by Akie Iwai who finished second just one stroke behind. Iwai said the crowds at Siam Country Club were the largest she had seen on tour.

Thai golfers were well represented among the finalists. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul finished alone in second while fellow Thai players Patty Tavatanakit and Moriya Jutanugarn shared fourth. Six Thai players finished in the top 25.