World number one Jeeno Thitikul won her second consecutive LPGA Tour championship on Sunday, edging out fellow Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn for the richest prize of $4 million in women’s golf.
Jeeno shot a four-under-par 68 to finish 72 holes at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., with a score of 262-under-par and defeat Pajaree by four strokes.
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“I love this golf course,” Jeeno said. “Playing here in the last tournament of the year gives me really good energy.”
The only other player to win back-to-back Tour Championship titles was South Korea’s Ko Jin-young in 2020 and 2021.
The triumph was the seventh of Jeeno’s LPGA career and her tour-best third title of the year, following the Mizuho Americas Open in May and the Shanghai event last month.
Jeeno’s four finalists and 14 top-10 efforts also led the LPGA this year.
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A wrist injury last week left Jeeno concerned about whether or not she would compete in the event.
“Last week in Dallas, I was worried about being able to play this week,” she said. “But I think that was the goal, that I wasn’t thinking too much about anything. I was just like I’m going to be able to play. It’s really good enough.”
Jeeno started with a six-shot lead, saw it narrowed to just two, but recovered to win the $11 million event and secure the LPGA Player of the Year award and win the Vare Trophy for lowest season average by breaking the record of 68.70 set by Annika Sorenstam in 2002.
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“It really means a lot,” Jeeno said of the goalscoring record. “At the time I was only six years old, I was a very young kid, I had no idea what an LPGA was, I had no idea what a world number one looked like.
“But as I stop here today on the LPGA Tour, I know I’m playing the hardest golf, but I’m also inspiring the next generation. That’s part of our job, too.”
The 22-year-old Asian star got off to a birdie-bogey start, but added a birdie at the par-five sixth hole.
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Pajaree, the last qualifier among the 60, started the hunt by making birdies on the first three holes then on the sixth and seventh.
Jeeno started the back nine with a birdie to increase his lead, which grew to five shots after Pajaree made bogey at the par-three 12th and Jeeno birdied the 13th to reach 25 under.
Pajaree birdied the par-three 16th and the par-five 17th before a closing par to shoot 66 while Jeeno birdied the 18th from eight feet to complete the triumph.
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Pajaree was thrilled to get second place to her friend after barely making it to the pack.
“It’s just amazing to be in contention and trying to catch Jeeno,” Pajaree said. “She’s doing really well and I’m happy with where I am and it’s been a great week.”
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