Jin & Ronic: Jeeno Thitikul and Yin Ruoning are an intoxicating mix of kindred spirits

SINGAPORE – At Le Golf National in August 2024, China’s Yin Ruoning and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul shared a hug and shed tears after the end of their Paris Olympic women’s individual golf campaign.

The best friends, burdened by the weight of expectation, were both in contention going into the final round, but a roller-coaster display saw their medal hopes fade away.

Yin’s round, which started with an eagle and two birdies on the front nine, unravelled in the closing stretch with four bogeys, as she finished with a 72 for a four-under 284 and joint-10th spot.

Jeeno, who prefers to go by her nickname instead of Atthaya, mixed five bogeys, a double bogey and three birdies in her round of 76 to finish joint-18th on 286.

When the round concluded, the two found solace in each other.

“We cried together because we wanted to play so good for our own countries but the result didn’t end up well,” said Yin in an interview at the SkyPark Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands ahead of the Feb 27-March 2 HSBC Women’s World Championship.

The world No. 4 and second-ranked Jeeno have been through similar experiences – both are prodigies who have achieved considerable success at just 22. 

After turning professional at 17, Yin won her first three China LPGA Tour events. Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2022, she has picked up five wins, including the Women’s PGA Championship, and had a spell at the top of the world rankings.

At 14 years, four months and 19 days, Jeeno became the youngest winner of a professional tournament at the time with her Ladies European Thailand Championship victory in 2017.

She has also been world No. 1 and won four times on the LPGA Tour, topping the tour’s money list in 2024, raking in over US$6 million (S$8 million).

Few people understand the rigours of touring and what it takes to be a top professional golfer. That is why Jeeno and Yin are grateful for the mutual support during tough times and bouts of injuries and poor form.

Jeeno said: “We’ve both experienced that position before.

“Sometimes if you don’t get into that position, you won’t understand it well.

“But we’ve already been there and we understand each other pretty well.”

While they are there for each other when the going gets tough, the duo have also had special memories together, including winning the 2024 Dow Championship, a tournament featuring 72 two-woman teams competing in a 72-hole strokeplay format with alternating rounds of foursomes.

Naming themselves Team Jin & Ronic, a reference to one of their coaches’ favourite drinks, they delivered entertainment in Michigan, with their chemistry on the course and banter-filled interviews off it. 

Even when they are going for the same title, like when they were in the same flight on the final day of the 2024 Maybank Championship, which Yin eventually won, they are rooting for each other. 

Yin said: “I’m really competitive. We’re competitive but I also want her to do well, I think it can happen at the same time.”

It is all laughter even when they have disagreements about the first time they met – Yin insists it was at the Dutch Girls Junior Open in 2017, while Jeeno says it was sometime in 2022.

Their shared experiences also go beyond the course and their favourite activity to do together is eating, with sushi among their favourite food.

Said Jeeno: “On the course, we’re just cheering for each other.

“Even when we play good or bad or we battle off together, we still cheer for each other to do better and better.

“What’s special is you have a friend you can go to when you’re having trouble, or you’re not comfortable – you can talk about everything together, during your tough times.”