Jeeno Thitikul sets LPGA season record while winning Tour Championship
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Jeeno Thitikul now has three wins this season to go along with 12 top-five finishes.
PHOTO: AFP
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NAPLES – World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul had a pedestrian – by her standards – four-under 68 at the Tour Championship, but it was more than enough for her to set an LPGA record and coast to victory on Nov 23 in Naples, Florida.
She had built a six-stroke lead on the field coming into the day and finished the final round four strokes ahead of Thai countrywoman Pajaree Anannarukarn.
Jeeno previously won the LPGA Shanghai on Oct 9 before tying for fourth at the Maybank Championship a day before Halloween.
She now has three wins this season to go along with 12 top-five finishes, giving her the lowest scoring average for a season in the history of the LPGA at 68.68, surpassing Annika Sorenstam (2002).
“Back then when I was six years old I’m just really (a) young kid that had no idea what LPGA was, what a world No. 1 looked like,” Jeeno said.
“But as I’m stepping here on the LPGA Tour, I know our part is playing golf, but like also inspiring the next generation is part of our job as well.”
The 22-year-old had her highest score of the event on Nov 23, yet she still sank five birdies while suffering a single bad hole (a bogey 5 on No. 2) to card a 26-under 262 for the tournament. The result underscored just how dominant she had been in building her lead at Tiburon Golf Club.
“I mean, I love this golf course,” Jeeno said. “To be honest, playing here at CME, our last tournament of the year, give me a really good energy.”
The victory made Jeeno a back-to-back winner at the event, the first person to do so since Ko Jin-young of South Korea in 2020 and 2021. It also netted her a US$4 million (S$52.2 million) cheque, one of the biggest prizes on the tour.
She also did it while nursing a previous wrist injury.
Asked about her motivation, the Thai laughed in responding, “I think maybe US$4 million got motivation then.”
Among her closest competitors in this event, only her friend Pajaree could make up ground on Jeeno on Nov 23. Pajaree, the last qualifier into the field of 60, fired a six-under 66 to finish second at 22 under.
Pajaree’s day included seven birdies and a bogey. Five of her birdies came across the first seven holes.
“Just been an awesome week. Just no complaints,” she said. “I mean, gratitude. I’m just really happy with how I was able to perform well and to celebrate my friend for back-to-back wins, so that was pretty cool.”
World No. 2 Nelly Korda (68) finished alone in third place at 20 under. Rounding out the top five were Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (65) at 19 under and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (66) at 17 under. REUTERS, AFP
