Russamee Gulyanamitta

Russamee Gulyanamitta
Personal information
Full nameRussamee Gulyanamitta
NicknameRussy, Fon
Born (1976-03-31) 31 March 1976
Rayong, Thailand
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Sporting nationality Thailand
Career
CollegeChulalongkorn University
Turned professional2001
Former toursLPGA Tour
Futures Tour
Ladies Asian Golf Tour
Professional wins3
Number of wins by tour
Ladies Asian Golf Tour1
Epson Tour1
Other1
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipT51: 2008
Women's PGA C'shipCUT: 2008
U.S. Women's OpenCUT: 2002, 2004
Women's British OpenDNP
Medal record
Women's golf
Representing  Thailand
SEA Games
Gold medal – first place1999 Bandar Seri BegawanIndividual
Gold medal – first place1999 Bandar Seri BegawanTeam

Russamee "Russy" Gulyanamitta (Thai: รัศมี กัลยาณมิตร; born 31 March 1976), also known by the nickname Fon (Thai: ฝน),[1] is a Thai professional golfer who has played on the LPGA Tour, the Futures Tour, and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour. She became the first player from Thailand to join the LPGA Tour in 2004.[2] As an amateur, she won individual and team titles at the 1999 SEA Games and finished runner-up at the 2000 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.[3][4] As a professional, she won the 2001 Coleman Golf Classic on the Futures Tour and the 2003 Taiwan Kosaido Ladies Open on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour, and finished runner-up at the 2008 SBS Open at Turtle Bay on the LPGA Tour.[5][6][7]

Early life and education

Gulyanamitta was born on 31 March 1976 in Rayong, Thailand. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering from Chulalongkorn University in 1998.[1] She began playing golf at the age of 10.[3]

Amateur career

In 1999, Gulyanamitta won two gold medals at the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei, taking titles in both the individual and team events.[1] The following year, while playing for Cypress College, she won the California community college women's state championship and finished runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links.[4] In the final, played at Legacy Golf Links in Aberdeen, North Carolina, she lost to Catherine Cartwright, 3 and 1.[8]

Professional career

Gulyanamitta turned professional in March 2001 and joined the Futures Tour. Later that year, she won the Coleman Golf Classic in Wichita, Kansas, shooting 207 to finish one stroke ahead of Connie Wei.[3][5] She also competed on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour from 2001 to 2007.[3]

In 2003, Gulyanamitta tied for 32nd at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, earning non-exempt status for the 2004 LPGA Tour season. During the same year, she won the Taiwan Kosaido Ladies Open, lost in a playoff at the Malaysian Kosaido Ladies Open, and led the Order of Merit on the Kosaido Ladies Asia Golf Circuit.[3] Her 2004 LPGA Tour status made her the first player from Thailand to join the LPGA Tour.[2][7][9]

Gulyanamitta played 15 LPGA Tour events in 2004 and made three cuts, but did not retain her tour card.[3] She later competed on the Cactus Tour in 2006 and 2007, and on the Canadian Ladies Tour in 2007.[3] In March 2007, she finished runner-up at the inaugural DLF Women's Indian Open, losing to Yani Tseng in a playoff after both players finished at one-under-par 215.[10][11] At the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament later that year, she finished sixth to regain exempt status for the 2008 LPGA Tour season.[3]

Gulyanamitta opened the 2008 season with a career-best runner-up finish at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Kahuku, Hawaii, shooting rounds of 71, 69 and 68 to finish tied for second with Laura Diaz and Jane Park, two strokes behind Annika Sörenstam.[12][3] The result moved her to 11th on the LPGA money list and helped her qualify for her first Kraft Nabisco Championship.[7] She went on to finish tied for 51st in the event, her best result in a major championship.[3][13] Later that season, she carded a career-low 67 in the final round of the Ginn Open, where she tied for 17th. In 2009, Gulyanamitta made nine cuts in 16 LPGA starts, with a season-best tie for 12th. She earned $72,147 and finished 102nd on the LPGA money list.[3] In 2013, She was among several Thai players who attempted to regain playing rights on the LPGA of Japan Tour.[14]

Personal life

Gulyanamitta has a younger sister, Numa Gulyanamitta, who is also a professional golfer and has played on the LPGA Tour.[15][16]

Professional wins (3)

Futures Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin
of victory		 Runner-up Winner's
share ($)		 Ref.
1 29 April 2001 Coleman Golf Classic 67-71-69=207 −9 1 stroke Taiwan Connie Wei 8,400 [5]

Ladies Asian Golf Tour wins (1)

Thai LPGA Tour wins (1)

  • 2010 6th SAT-TLPGA Championship[17]

Results in LPGA majors

Tournament2002200320042005200620072008
Kraft Nabisco Championship T51
LPGA Championship CUT
U.S. Women's Open CUT CUT
Women's British Open
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Team appearances

Amateur

References

  1. 1 2 3 "รู้จักเธอให้มากขึ้น "โปรฝน-รัศมี กัลยาณมิตตา"" [Getting to know "Pro Fon" Russamee Gulyanamitta]. MGR Online (in Thai). 17 February 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 Rogers, Amy (30 January 2023). "The Factors Leading To The Thai Explosion On The LPGA Tour". LPGA. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Russy Gulyanamitta: 2009 Player Bio" (PDF). LPGA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 Yoon, Peter (22 March 2001). "Gulyanamitta Decides to Turn Pro". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Yoon, Peter (3 May 2001). "Her Future Is Bright After First Victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "Glorious history of Ladies Asian Golf Tour" (PDF). Ladies Asian Golf Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Sirak, Ron (26 February 2008). "Russy's rules". Golfweek. USA Today. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Results: 1977 to 2014". United States Golf Association. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Paisley, Kent (18 August 2021). "Move over South Korea. The next wave of top international female golfers are coming from here". Golf Digest. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ya Ni Wins In Playoff". Ladies Asian Golf Tour. 16 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "DLF Women's Indian Open". Golfdata. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Weekend results - Sport News". The New Zealand Herald. 16 February 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Chevron Championship Results: 2008". LPGA. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Thongsombat, Kittipong (27 January 2013). "Thai ladies on course to match successes of the men". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Numa Gulyanamitta". Purdue Boilermakers. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Nelly Korda Earns LPGA Card; Joins Sister Jessica on LPGA Tour". Epson Tour. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "ข่าวการแข่งขันนักกอล์ฟอาชีพสตรี". Thai LPGA. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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