Jeeno Thitikul surges ahead at the LPGA Tour’s CME Group Tour Championship, while Esther Henseleit slips down the leaderboard.
Jeeno Thitikul fired a flawless 63 to take the lead at the CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA Tour’s season-ending event. The World No. 1 now holds a three-shot advantage over Sei Young Kim, her playing partner for the day.
Thitikul dominates with bogey-free 63
Thitikul’s second-round 63 was the lowest round of the week so far, highlighted by nine birdies, including four in a row from holes 8 through 11. Her precision was remarkable: she hit 13 of 14 fairways, reached 17 of 18 greens in regulation, and needed just 26 putts. According to KPMG Performance Insights, no player has recorded more rounds of 63 or better since 2022.
Chasing season honors
Thitikul is also in contention for two major season awards: the Rolex Player of the Year, where she is competing with Miyu Yamashita, and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, with contenders including Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, and Yamashita. Her current average puts her on track to surpass Annika Sorenstam’s record.
"Every time I’m walking up the 18th, I remind myself what happened last year."@HopeBarnett_ caught up with Jeeno after her 9-under 63 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FGoFed7RQG
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 22, 2025
Henseleit struggles in second round
Esther Henseleit, who had a solid start on Thursday, struggled in round two with a 74, dropping to T37. She opened with a birdie on hole 4 to reach -5 overall, but then faltered with three bogeys on the front nine. Despite further mistakes on the back nine, she managed to stabilize her round with back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17 to stay in the middle of the pack.