Jeeno Thitikul caps off a stellar season with a win at the CME Group Tour Championship and defends her Race to CME Globe title.
At the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, Jeeno Thitikul delivered a dominant performance to claim her second consecutive victory at the prestigious event. The Thai star also successfully defended her title in the Race to CME Globe, securing the top spot in the season-long standings. After two outstanding rounds on Friday and Saturday, Thitikul entered the final day with a six-shot lead. Even her lowest round of the weekend, a 68, was enough to seal a four-stroke victory over Pajaree Anannarukarn. Germany’s Esther Henseleit closed with a 70 to finish her season on a positive note.
LPGA Tour: Thitikul sets records en route to victory
The CME Group Tour Championship is not only the final event of the LPGA Tour season but also its most lucrative, awarding $4,000,000 to the winner—making it the richest tournament in women’s golf. Thitikul, just 22 years old, claimed the prize for the second time. On Sunday, she carded only one bogey, finishing the tournament with just three bogeys overall. Five birdies in the final round led to a 68 and a total score of 26-under-par for the week. At the start of the week, it was uncertain whether she would even be able to finish the tournament due to a wrist injury. Reflecting on her win, Thitikul said, ‘I think at the beginning of the week I said I’d be happy just to play four rounds, but now I’m here on Sunday holding the trophy. It’s more than I could have ever wished for. All the hard work with my team really paid off.’
Thitikul breaks scoring average record
Her consistency throughout the season was remarkable. With three wins and a season scoring average of 68.681, Thitikul surpassed Annika Sorenstam’s 2002 record of 68.696. ‘It definitely means a lot to me,’ she said. ‘Back when I was six years old, I was just a little kid who had no idea what the LPGA was or what it meant to be world No. 1. Now, being here on the LPGA Tour, I know our job is not just to play golf, but also to inspire the next generation.’