Golf: ‘Very special to get to the top’, says Thai teen Atthaya Thitikul, 19, the new world No. 1
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Atthaya Thitikul is the 16th different player to reach world No. 1 as well as the second player from Thailand to do so.
PHOTO: AFP
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BANGKOK – Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul reached No. 1 in the latest Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings released on Monday, supplanting 27-year-old Ko Jin-young at the top.
Atthaya, 19, becomes the 16th player to reach No. 1 as well as the second player from Thailand to do so.
Ariya Jutanugarn, then 21, was No. 1 for 23 weeks between June 2017 and March 2019.
South Korean Ko, who spent 152 weeks atop the rankings, dropped to No. 2.
Atthaya is also the second player to reach the No. 1 ranking in her LPGA Tour rookie year, after Park Sung-hyun, 29, in November 2017.
She is only the second player under age 20 to reach No. 1, joining Lydia Ko. The New Zealand prodigy was 17 when she achieved the feat in 2015.
“It means a lot for my team, my family, my supporters and myself. It is such an honour to have my name at the top amongst the biggest names of the game,” said Atthaya, who turned professional in 2020 before the pandemic struck.
She was ranked 308th at one point in 2021 but has enjoyed a meteoric rise.
She said: “It is very special to get to the top but it is much harder to retain it. I still have a lot to learn from all the legends and current players both on and off the course.
“I will continue to work hard for my family, my team, my fans and my country.”
No one in her family plays golf. Her father Montree owns a car wash business and her mother Siriwan is a hairdresser.
As a child, Atthaya was often sick and a doctor encouraged her to pick up an outdoor sport like golf or tennis.
She chose golf because “tennis requires too much running”, she once told Golf Digest.
She leads the Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year race and is in the mix for LPGA Player of the Year.
In 2017, Atthaya became the youngest to win a professional golf tournament when she took the Ladies European Thailand Championship title as an amateur at 14 years, four months and 19 days.
She also was the No. 1 amateur for 12 weeks in 2019 when she was 16.
After winning four times on the Ladies European Tour from 2017 to 2021, Atthaya has won twice on the LPGA tour this season – the JTBC Classic in March and the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in September.
She has also recorded 12 top-10 finishes, including three at Major championships, and earned just under US$2.1 million (S$3 million) in 2022.
Atthaya, whose nickname on the LPGA is Jeeno, makes her debut as the top-ranked women’s golfer at this week’s Toto Japan Classic.
There will be much attention from media and fans but expect her to remain as humble as ever.
Before the Mediheal LPGA Championship in early October, she said: “One thing that I really want to do, no matter where I am, (whether it’s) No. 1 in the world, No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 100, 1,000, I want to be same (person).
“I want to be the same as before, not change myself. I want to have fun, not really take (golf) too seriously. I don’t want to think about myself like a superstar or act like I’m No. 1 in the world.” REUTERS
Youngest world No. 1s in women’s golf
1. Lydia Ko, New Zealand, took top spot on Feb 2, 2015, at 17 years, 9 months and 9 days
2. Atthaya Thitikul, Thailand, on Oct 31, 2022, at 19 years, 8 months and 11 days
3. Ariya Jutanugarn, Thailand, on June 12, 2017, at 21 years, 6 months, 20 days
4. Shin Ji-yai, South Korea, on May 3, 2010, at 22 years, 5 days
5. Tseng Ya-ni, Chinese Taipei, on Feb 14, 2011, at 22 years, 22 days
