Jeeno Thitikul opens with five-under to edge closer to Player of the Year title
Jeeno Thitikul opened the LPGA season finale with a five-under-par 67 to sit in a share of third place. She enters the week as the leading contender for the LPGA Player of the Year award.
The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour, carrying a record purse of US$11 million, teed off on Thursday (20 November) at Tiburón Golf Club in Florida, featuring the top 60 players from the Race to CME Globe standings.
Jeeno Thitikul closes in on Player of the Year
World No.1 Jeeno Thitikul (Atthaya “Jeen” Thitikul), the defending champion from Thailand, opened her campaign with an impressive five-under-par 67 to sit in a share of third place. She carded six birdies against a single bogey.
Her performance this week carries extra weight: Jeeno Thitikul leads the race for the LPGA Player of the Year award and will secure the title if she finishes ahead of Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, her main rival for the honour.
Reflecting on her strong start, Jeeno Thitikul said the excitement of approaching the season finale had helped her play with freedom.
“I think it’s because we’re about to wrap up the season,” she said. “I just feel excited and like there’s nothing left to worry about. It’s the last tournament of the year, so I’m just enjoying it. I think that’s the key to why I played well.”
Despite carrying a slight left-wrist strain from last week, she insisted it would not impede her performance, adding that the chance to compete for the US$4 million winner’s prize was simply a “bonus” at the end of a remarkable year.
In 2024, Jeeno Thitikul finished eagle-birdie on the final two holes helping her secure victory at the 2024 CME Group Tour Championship, finishing at 22-under par to claim her fourth LPGA Tour title and the historic US$4 million winner's check, the largest first-place prize in women's golf. This event started in 2014.
Somi Lee leads; results for Thai players
South Korea’s Somi Lee set the pace on day one with a blistering eight-under-par 64, giving her a two-shot cushion over US Women’s Open runner-up Allisen Corpuz.
Other Thai players after round one:
Pajaree Anannarukarn: –4, tied 7th
Patty Tavatanakit: –3, tied 16th
Ariya Jutanugarn: +1, tied 52nd
Chanettee Wannasaen: +2, tied 57th
